Na Vuli Vinaka Sa Vuni Sautu Education is Wealth Viddhya dadati Sampannata

Volume 2 No. 3820 September 2011

FNU in the MediaTHIS WEEK

In this issueFNU to launch film studio Pg 1New NTPC boss brings experience, enthusiasm Pg 2NTPC teaming with APO on eco tourism Pg 2 Fat, unfit and unwell Pg 3Grant for research project Pg 3Energising Fiji - Renewably Pg 3City side sweeps sports day Pg 4Symposium on renewable energy technologies Pg 4

The Fiji National University Newsletter tracks media coverage of FNU events on a weekly basis. The following are links to how FNU was featured in the media in the past week.

Arts festival in the pipeline

Graduates acquire global certification

Mental health cases up

Survey to determine national Oral Health

5 local youths to go to India

For current JoB opportunities please visit

page 4

JOB VACANCIES

MORE than 50 locally-produced documentaries, short films and original music composit ions

will be showcased at this year’s Fiji National University Film and Music Festival.

To run from September 26 to October 8 at FNU’s Raiwai Campus, the festival will in its third year running, feature the best of films and music produced by Fijians living in Fiji and her diaspora, and will coincide with the launch of FNU’s ambitious film studio project

Dean of the College of Humanities and Education Dr Eci Nabalarua said the idea of hosting a music and film festival was to identify and acknowledge local talent in both film and music.

Speaking to reporters at a press conference at Raiwai Campus this week, Dr Nabalarua said hosting the film and music festival acknowledged the potential that Fiji and FNU had to offer.

The music aspect of the festival was primarily to encourage the production and promotion of music and songs composed by local musicians and song writers.

She said a team of experienced staff from both departments had been working very hard to showcase the best talents at FNU.

Dr Naba la rua sa id the FNU Fi lm

and Music Festival 2011 would provide a wholesome film and music experience and would also help discover and promote new and emerging film and musical talent in Fiji.

“FNU as an academic institution offers programmes for music and film right here at our Raiwai Campus,” she said.

“We are the only ones that offer film and television in terms of academic programmes in the country.

“This is the third year running for the Film and Music Festival and it’s going to be exciting as it coincides with the opening of our new film studio.”

Dr Nabalarua said Raiwai had been earmarked to become the epicentre for creativity.

She added it had been the intention of the University to convert the Raiwai Campus into a studio city.

“Raiwai has a lot of potential for growth.”Festival organizer Dr Satish Rai said during

interactive sessions after each screening, the audience would be able to discuss various aspects of the film with the producers and directors.

Dr Rai said the audience would also be invited to critique the content and production style of the films.

FNU to launch f i lm s tud io

KAMlESH Prakash brings more than two decades of experience and enthusiasm to the challenges and opportunities of his

new post as Director of the University’s National Training and Productivity Centre.

He has a BA in economics from the University of the South Pacific and a Master’s degree in economics from Jarwarhalal Nehru University in New Delhi and certificates and diploma in Quality Management from the Australian Quality Council and Australian Quality College, as well as multiple training certifications.

Prior to that he spent 10 years with the Asian Productivity Organisation in Tokyo, first as Program Officer in the Industry Department and then in the Research and Planning Department to June 2010.

His work there involved research activities

in emerging areas of productivity, specifically productivity, management, tools and techniques and providing guidance to APO program planning, management and implementation to enhance the productivity and competitiveness of corporations, governments, and organisations through the appropriate tools and techniques and to undertake post-project evaluation, reports, and other necessary follow-up actions.

In the Industry Department he also worked on country-specific projects mainly for but not limited to the industry and service sector to increase productivity and competitiveness of member countries and governments, of which Fiji is one through FNU, and to provide institutional capacity building of the National Productivity Organizations of member countries.

Mr Prakash was previously Manager of the Productivity and Quality Training Board of the former Fiji National Training Council.

Three days into his new office, Mr Prakash said he could say leadership and people development is key to success of the NTPC.

“I plan to weld the support of different divisions and departments through staff involvement and teamwork so that the Centre is focused on the work they are to deliver.”

“I take the Industry seriously and consultations will be held with key stakeholders as we go along, to not only respond to emerging industry needs but also to gather feedback on services provided with a view to improvement for the future.

Gary Baxter, second left, and Julian Myers, right, paid a visit to Fiji National University last week to discuss students’ most essential need – books. They toured campus libraries, met with the Library Acquisitions team, on left, Tanveer Naqvi, Chief Librarian, Nasinu; third left Yogni Saheb, Library Assistant, Samabula, and second right, Farhana Hakim, Campus Libarian, CBHTS Nasinu, with Dr Mahendra Reddy, Dean of the College of Business, Hospitality and Tourism Studies. Mr Baxter and Mr Myers represent JR Medical Books Pty Ltd in Melbourne, which also supplies non-medical text books for tertiary institutions including FNU.

NEW NTPC BOSS BRINGS EXPERIENCE, ENTHUSIASM

“It’s about telling stories” is the way Larry Thomas describes his movie-making passion.

When Larry was just a boy, his mother introduced him to the magical world of movies.

“She used to take me to see films and I was always interested in them.”

Now he makes them, and some will be screened at the Fiji National University’s Film and Music Festival starting 26 September.

With a degree in communications from Canberra University, he taught literature and theatre arts at the University of the South Pacific, becoming involved in Pacific literature and the Pacific Writing Forum.

Coordinator of the Regional Media Centre with the Secretariat of the Pacific Community, Mr Thomas’ play Yours Dearly was translated into Arabic and performed in the West Bank in Jerusalem. Outcasts was translated into French and performed in Noumea, New Caledonia.

Fiji audiences have long been thoughtfully entertained and often delighted by his work since he staged Vilsoni Hereniko’s A Child for Iva in 1981.

Since then there has been an impressive list of productions including Fiji favourites Just Another Day and Outcasts.

In 2009 he adapted the opera Carmen and directed it as Domo ni Karmen.

TELLING THE STORY VISUALLY

THE National Training and Productivity Centre is teaming up with the Asian Productivity Organization to host a training seminar on Community Based Tourism and Eco Tourism.

It will be held at the Centre for Appropriate Learning and Technology, Nadave, Tailevu, 4-7 October.NPTC’s Salote Boila said the main objective was to provide participants an opportunity to learn about advantages of using eco

tourism as an economic activity, enhancing business profiles, yielding profits in an economic sense and developing local community to actively participate in managing the environment and its biodiversity.

The keynote speaker will be Harro Boekland, the Europe based executive officer of Contour Projects, a company that develops tourism concepts and projects at local level to provide income and employment and protect the environment.

The target market includes Local Tour Operators, Small and Medium Tourism Business Operators, Community Based Tourism Projects, Backpacker Operators, Eco Lodges, Local Tour Companies and government advisory offices and agencies that advise local villages on product development and the basic requirement of a successful eco tourism project.

NTPC Teaming with APO on Eco Tourism

Left: Jainand Kumar recognized for his creative pursuits. Right: World Hindi Day chief guests, Actg FNU Vice Chancellor Dr Surendra Prasad, left, and Indian High Commissioner Vinod Kumar

A symposium that Fiji National University is holding next month is themed “Sources, Security and Sustainability”

and will report on the latest developments on local energy research.

In a programme dominated by Fiji National University research papers, there will be two international speakers.

Dr Alberto Troccoli from Australia will speak on the potential role of renewable energy in water desalination on the first day, Thursday 6 October.

Dr Keng-Tung Wu of the Republic of China will give a keynote address on upgrading biomass fuels on the second day, Friday 7 October.

Other topics covered in concurrent sessions include an examination of the economics of renewable energy; wind and hydro power; energy conservation and management; and solar power.

Biomass and biofuels will be a focus of interest, with several sessions covering different sources.

FNU researchers will speak on biofuels from seaweeds and algae, soyabeans, mustard, neem and sunflowers, biogas and bio briquette technology.

In a session on climate change, energy and

gender, there will be a paper on gender and energy planning by Ms Koin Etuati from the Secretariat for the South Pacific.

Her paper explains that energy planning is often seen as simply providing an energy source and appropriate technology.

But people don’t usually express their needs in terms of a solar home system or biogas digester.

What they really say is that they needs lights, or to grate coconut, or to dry fruit; they need to cook or they want to watch a video.

What people need can differ between men, women and children.

Energy planners also have to be more aware of the social and economic circumstances of the target group.

Gender analysis is one of the tools used for including the different requirements of females and males in general energy planning.

There will also be a panel discussion on energy efficiency, standards and regulations chaired by Dr Mahendra Kumar of the Asian Development Bank and a final session covering case studies from the renewable energy industry.

Further details of the symposium are available from the convener, Ravita Prasad, on soret@fnu.ac.fj

MEnTAl illness and substance abuse is the subject of a Fiji National University study that has just received

a US$50,000 grant.Senior lecturer in the University’s College

of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Dr Myrielle Allen is principal investigator working on the project with Senior Lecturer in Psychiatry Dr Odille Chang and Research Unit Lecturer Elenoa Seru Puamau. They are collaborating with Professor Mian-Yoon Chong, Psychiatric Epidemiologist and Vice Superintendent of Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in Kaohsiung City, Taiwan (Republic of China).

Their pilot study aims to investigate the prevalence of mental illness and substance use disorders among Pacific islanders. The Fiji population will be the first to be studied to provide basic information that could be used for planning and promoting mental health services in the region. The project is intended to run for three years.

The award was announced at the dialogue between Taiwan and Pacific Island countries held in Auckland earlier this month, at which a total of $500,000 was allocated to regional organisations for development assistance.

The Pacific region has the highest burden of obesity and non communicable (non infectious) diseases in the world.

Infectious diseases such as the formerly feared smallpox, polio and leprosy are coming under control globally and even being eradicated.

And in developed countries the rate of deaths from NCDs has probably almost peaked.

But in developing countries, including the Pacific islands, the rate of NCDs such as diabetes and high blood pressure is still rising, rising faster, and has likely not yet gotten as bad as it can get.

This is why a high level United Nations meeting on NCDs is being held in New York this month and why the College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, and a number of units and projects within it, have been working on the problem.

In collaboration with the World Health Organisation and Pacific Research Centre for the Prevention of Obesity and Non Communicable Diseases (C-POND), the

Secretariat of the Pacific Community and UNICEF, the College has held a series of meetings and a symposium to talk about the response of academics to the crisis.

It lies in training health professionals to work in the area of NCDs and importantly, to gather and distribute information and data, do research and share results, to keep an accurate picture of exactly what the situation is in the region.

C-POND Coordinator, Dr Wendy Snowdon said there are a number of complex reasons for the Pacific’s problem with obesity and NCDs, among them that developing countries simply can’t afford the sort of expensive, long term care that many NCDs require. Even developed countries’ health systems were starting to crumble under the pressure.

But while NCDs are not 100 per cent preventable, 80-90 per cent are preventable and even 40-60 per cent of cancers can be prevented, she said.

To achieve this, a more supportive environment

was needed.Dr Snowdon said this could involve such

things as pricing issues, for instance why sausages might be cheaper than more healthy fish.

There were ways of making healthy choices easier, such as providing safe playgrounds for children; and unhealthy choices harder, such as declaring a smoke free environment and making it more difficult and expensive for people to smoke.

Strategies discussed at the various medical meetings include training health professionals to work in the area of NCDs and importantly, to gather and distribute information and data, do research and share results.

The latest meeting in the series will discuss the need to base policy on evidence and involves the work of the Translation Research for Obesity Prevention in Communities (TROPIC) project, introduced by CMNHS Dean, Professor Ian Rouse.

The meeting will be held in Suva on 26 September.

For job vacancies and career opportunities at Fiji National University, go to www.career.fnu.ac.fjNew posts are logged each week for academic and non-academic vacancies, so check regularly for the opportunity that could lead you to a new life. Some of the positions currently available online:

• Associate Professor/ Assistant Professor in Emergency Medicine• lecturer II in Biostatistics (Re-advertised)• lecturer II in Ethics • Economist• Medical Educator

• Human Resources Officer/ Assistant• Technical Assistant (labasa Campus- Re-

advertised)

Eager welder Losalini Tamanivalu

CITY SIDE SWEEPS SPORTS DAYCITY SIDE SWEEPS SPORTS DAY

lAuTOKA Campus stamped its dominance at the recent Western inter campus sports day.

The Sugar City side won the rugby 7s (male) and netball events, women’s soccer and women’s volleyball competitions.

Ba won the soccer title while Namaka won the female rugby 7s crown and National Training and Productivity Centre took out the men’s volleyball competition.

Teams featured in 7s and 15s rugby, hockey, netball, soccer and volleyball.

In opening the event Former Fiji 7s coach and New Zealand 7s player Iliesa Tanivula said sports was all forms of physical activity and its main aim was to use, maintain or improve physical fitness and provide entertainment to participants.

“Many of you have individuals or teams standing here (who) have been preparing for the last couple of weeks for this tournament,” Mr Tanivula said.

“Keep in mind, great moments are born from great opportunities.

“And if you have all been preparing well you shouldn’t have any doubt in your mind about what you are supposed to do here today or about how you are supposed to do it.

“This is your time. Play like champions. Win.

This is a good platform to test your sides as you all prepare to participate at the Inter Tertiary games next month.

“Just keep in mind at the end of the day you will all be winners.”

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Organized in collaboration with Mai TV, Department of Energy, Clay Energy and Fiji Sunon

RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES, SUSTAINABILITY AND SECURITY6-8 October at FNU Nasinu Campus

Symposium on Renewable Energy Technologies

Attendance in this symposium is free. However, being registered would ensure that participants receive other benefits of the symposium. Registration details can be accessed on the website: www.fnu.ac.fj/soret Industry Exhibition: Renewable Energy companies will showcase their products and services at the symposium. Day 1: Renewable Energy Systems and Technologies (wind, hydro, biofuels and biomass), RE Economics, Energy Conservation and CDM Day 2: Energy and Gender, Climate Change, Solar, Biofuels, Case-Studies from RE IndustriesDay 3: Field Trip

Attendance in this symposium is free.