NEWSLETTER

FIJI HIGHER EDUCATION COMMISSION
NEWSLETTER
QUARTER 3 & 4 NEWSLETTER
2014
NATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS PIONEER GRADUATES
Sixteen students from the Vivekananda Technical Centre[VTC] in Nadi are proud pioneer
graduates of the National Qualifications [NQs].
The students who were part of the piloting programme of the National Qualifications graduated
in National Certificates in Automotive Electric and Electronics Level 4, Automotive Mechanics
Level 4, Cabinet Making Joinery Level 3 and
Cookery Level 4.
The National Qualifications are developed by
industry experts and thus are relevant and in
accordance with current industry (best) practices.
The NQs are aligned to similar qualifications
in the region and in other overseas countries,
paving the way for greater employment
prospects.
“ At first we don’t know what NQs were but
piloting the programme, we come to realize its
significance,” explained Swami Tananda, VTC
Director.
Graduates of the National Qualifications at the
Vivekananda Technical Centre , Nadi.
Swami expressed that VTC was grateful and proud to have the pioneer graduates of the
National Qualifications.
Together with this, 36 learners also graduated from Monfort Boys Town, Veisari. Monfort is
another institution that piloted the NQs programme.
The Fiji Higher Education Commission is the custodian of the National Qualifications.
To date there are about 24 NQs altogether which may be offered at any registered higher
institution if it is approved to do so.

Kadavu Appreciates FHEC Services

SPATS Reviewed guidelines

FHEC Hosted Former Education Heads

Yat Sen Mini Career Expo

CAUQ Trained Evaluators

Diwali Celebrations

Reaching Out To Bua Province

Raise The Flag

COL Curtsey Visit

FHEC Retreat 2014

MQA Internship 2014

Awards Night Gallery
KADAVU PROVINCE APPRECIATES FHEC SERVICES
The Kadavu Provincial Education Board
extended its appreciation to the Fiji Higher
Education Commission for showing them ‘the
way forward.’
The FHEC Dynamic Marketing Team has
served the same for Bua, Namosi, and the
Serua Provinces.
The comment was made by the Kadavu
Provincial Council Chairman, Ratu Seci
Nawalowalo after a meeting with officials from
the Fiji Higher Education Commission.
The FHEC Dynamic Marketing team has been
advising provinces by meeting with their
respective Education sub-committee.
“ The presentation done has updated us on the
latest developments of higher education in the
country,” said Ratu Nawalowalo.
“ You have also given us insights and ideas of
addressing some education issues in our
province,” Nawalowalo added.
Kadavu Provincial Council Council
Chairman, Ratu Seci Nawalowalo
FHEC HOSTED FORMER EDUCATION HEADS
Former Minister of Education, Ambassador
Filipe Bole and Permanent Secretary Dr Brij
Lal were hosted to a morning tea by the
Staff of the Fiji Higher Education
Commission Secretariat.
Ambassador Filipe Bole and Dr Brij Lal
with the Corporate Services
This was an opportunity for the staff of the
FHEC to show their appreciation from
understanding that Dr Lal has retired and
Ambassador Bole was not contesting the
2014 National Elections.
The former government leaders have played significant roles in the establishment of the
FHEC.
The FHEC salutes them both for their leadership and overall contributions towards
education in Fiji.
RIDDLE
Q: How do you make the number one disappear?
A: Add the letter G and it’s “GONE”
CAUQ TRAINED ITS EVALUATORS
Evaluators from the three universities in Fiji
gathered at the University of the South Pacific for
a three days training workshop organized by the
Committee for Accreditation of University
Qualifications [CAUQ] from the 16-18 September
2014.
This was the first training workshop, which had
been organised to train evaluators from the three
universities in order for them to prepare for the
new programmes to be approved by the CAUQ for
2015.
This was the first time the senior academics,
Dr John Harre addressing the
workshop participants.
programme developers and evaluators from the three
local universities in Fiji gathered together to critically look at each other programmes.
The Committee for Accreditation of University Qualifications (CAUQ) is a committee of the Fiji
Higher Education Commission. It comprises of the three vice chancellors and an independent
chairman, Dr. John Harré from New Zealand.
In welcoming the participants, the Executive Chairman of the FHEC, Dr. Richard Wah stated
that the workshop marked the beginning of setting in place processes whereby the Fiji Higher
Education Commission could move closer to implement practises to realise two of its mandated
functions: establishing National Standards for different qualifications, and providing quality
assurance to ensure that programmes developed by the institution were of national standards.
He thanked the Vice Chancellors of the three universities for agreeing to forgo their
self- accrediting status and be accredited by the CAUQ.
In his key note address, the Independent chairman of the CAUQ, Dr. Harré explained to the
participants that Fiji’s universities had been established by individual statutes, which to
varying degrees empowered them to approve their own qualifications. However, he added that
the power was not fully consistent with the statutory responsibilities of the Higher Education
Commission.
Participants at the first CAUQ
training workshop for evaluators
The workshop was conducted very well and the
participants who attended had learnt a lot from the
facilitators in terms of either completing and (or)
evaluating an accreditation application. There were
a lot of meaningful discussions and the activities
done in groups which helped them to understand
the various processes and documents involved.
However, due to the criticality of the task to our
country, there is a dire need to have another follow
up training to give the evaluators more opportunity
to practice using the guide set by CAUQ.
RIDDLE
Q: What occurs once in a minute, twice in a moment and never in one thousand years?
A: The letter M
REACHING OUT TO THE BUA PROVINCE
The Bua Visitation by the Fiji Higher Education
Dynamic Marketing team was all part of
reaching out to the provinces; a strategy taken in
order to formally relay information.
The FHEC team liaises with Provincial Councils,
Administrators and specifically targets
Education Sub Committees.
The two main objectives in making these
visitations were to conduct advocacy on the
Commission's functions and to seek mutual
collaboration from the Provincial Council on the
up-taking of National Qualifications in their
respective schools.
Staff members of Bua College listening attentively to
the FHEC Dynamic Marketing team.
In addition to that, the team gives general advice
and updates on higher education.
The Roko Tui Bua thanked the team for their
effort and looked forward for more collaborations
in the future.
The team visited the following secondary schools:
Bua College, Naikavaki Secondary School,
Lekutu Secondary School and the Immaculate
Conception College..
The team unwinds after visiting 3 secondary schools on Principals of the various schools orgainsed
the second day of their visit.
special staff meeting to host the FHEC team.
COMMONWEALTH OF LEARNING CURTSEY VISIT
The Commonwealth of Learning [COL]
President, Professor Asha Kanwar paid a
curtsey visit to the Fiji Higher Education
Commission.
Dr Richard Wah [ FHEC Executive Chairman] with
Professor Asha Kanwar[ COL President].
The main purpose of the visit was to discuss
collaboration opportunities between the
FHEC and the COL. The COL is an
intergovernmental organisation created by
Commonwealth Heads of Government to
encourage the development and sharing of
open learning/distance education knowledge,
resources and technologies. COL is helping
developing nations improve access to quality
education and training.
MQA INTERNSHIP PROGRAMME 2014
The Internship Programme organised by
the Malaysian Qualification Agency (MQA)
was from 03-07 November 2014.
There were seven (7) participants in total,
three (3) from the Ethiopian National
Qualifications Directorate, one (1) from
Centre for Quality Assurance & Accreditation of Educational Institutes in Libya and
the three (3) Fiji participants.
The three participants from Fiji were officers from the Fiji Higher Education Commission.
Internship participants and facilitators.
The Fiji Higher Education Commission participated in this Internship Programme with specific
aims to improve service delivery. These broad aims covered a wide range of responsibilities and
are listed below:
• collaborating with HE providers, professional bodies, industry, donors and government
• providing staff with experiences at international conferences, overseas attachments and university attachments
• comprehensive in-house training opportunities
• the issue of education of indigenous students at tertiary level. The Indigenous (itaukei) population is around 65% of the total population whilst itaukei student population within the higher
education sector is much less.
The five-day programme displayed the quality assurance system practiced within MQA through
briefings, discussions and presentations. The participants were then able to see the quality assurance system in action through institutional visits for Programme Accreditation to two (2) local higher education institutions, Multimedia University and Taylor’s University.
From the feedback given by the interns, the internship programme was very useful in terms of
enhancing their knowledge on quality assurance of higher education as well as sharing of good
practices on the quality assurance system in Ethiopia, Libya, Fiji and Malaysia.
SPATS REVIEWED ACCREDITATION GUIDELNES
The South Pacific Association
of Theological Schools
[SPATS] Bi –Annual meeting
was held in Pagopago, Samoa
on the 8-15 September 2014.
SPATS has come along way
with its accreditation
activities since 1969.
The reviewing of the accreditation guidelines was done to
be compliant with the Pacific
Qualifications Framework.
The approval of the final
amendments to their
accreditation package was the
The greatest challenges are:
main focus of this meeting.

Theological institutions
are yet to join SPATS

Acceptance and adoption
of the new accreditation
systems and guidelines at
national level.
YAT SEN MINI CAREER EXPO
Yat Sen Secondary School
organized its mini career expo
t o provide students with information on the various existing opportunities in higher
education.
learn about the roles of the
FHEC.
The main message to the
students was that white collar
and blue collar jobs are of
equal importance.
The FHEC Dynamic Marketing
The students were also told
team was part of this mini
that it’s the people with skills
career expo.
and trade that contribute in
The students were excited to
lifting the economy.
Mr Epi Rawalai talking to Yat Sen students.
HINDU HOSTED DIWALI CELEBRATION
Diwali was cheerfully celebrated at
the FHEC secretariat.
The Hindu staff hosted the others
organizing lunch and gifts.
Non Hindu staff members also took
part in an Indian costume competition.
One can only appreciate another culture if has the opportunity to be involved and learn.
RAISE THE FLAG
“ Flag raising ceremony is a significant
part of the Fiji Day celebration and today
is not widely practised,” commented Dr
Richard Wah.
Speaking to the staff of FHEC during the
Fiji Day celebrations, he emphasized
that when people have their country in
their heart, they’ll give their best for the
country.
“The day should be special to all those
who call themselves Fijian’” stated Dr
Wah.
FHEC RETREAT 2014
Reviewing and Planning for the
FHEC 2015 Annual Business Plan
was the major focus of the Staff
Retreat workshop at the Shangrilas
Fijian Resort.
It was a capacity building event as
well.
A team-building exercise was also
organized by the hotel in the form
of an ’ Amazing Race.”
The workshop was a success.
AWARDS NIGHT AND END OF THE YEAR DINNER
Teacher: "Kids,what does the chicken give
you?"
Student: "Meat!"
Teacher: "Very good! Now what does the
pig give you?"
Student: "Bacon!"
Teacher: "Great! And what does the fat cow
give you?"
Student: "Homework!"

Fans say coconut water can promote
smoother, more youthful-looking skin. They
claim it's a natural source of cytokinins, a
group of plant growth hormones that help
regulate cell growth, development and ageing

According to the UN, coconut water's chemical profile is so similar to blood plasma it
has been used intravenously to save lives in
developing countries and during World War
II.

Research shows that coconut water can improve blood circulation, lower elevated blood pressure and reduce the
risk of heart attacks and strokes

Coconut water claims to be a cure-all for a range of digestive and urinary ailments and has been used in the tropics
to treat stomach flu, dysentery, indigestion, constipation, intestinal worms, bladder infections and malfunctioning
kidneys

Research from the Philippines found drinking coconut water up to three times a week may reduce stone size and
the need for surgery.
FIJI HIGHER EDUCATION COMMISSION
1st FLOOR, RED CROSS BUILDING,
22 GORRIE STREET
P O Box 2583, Govt Buildings,. Suva.
Phone Contact: 3100031
WEBSITE: www.fhec.gov.fj
Like Us on FACEBOOK
www.facebook.com/fhec001