The University of Fiji and the University of Canterbury (NZ) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to promote academic and research cooperation between the two institutions.
The agreement, signed on 8 October 2025 by UniFiji Vice-Chancellor Professor Shaista Shameem and UC Vice-Chancellor Professor Cheryl de la Rey, establishes a framework for collaboration that recognises the shared commitment of both universities to advancing higher education, innovation, and cross-cultural academic exchange.
The ceremony was attended by the Executive Deans of the University of Canterbury, including Distinguished Professor Steven Ratuva who is the Pro-Vice Chancellor and Director of the Macmillan Brown Centre for Pacific Studies at the University of Canterbury. The event also saw the presence of Professor Shameem’s UC Alumni Sociology Masters Class of 1983, Professor Rosemary Du Plessis, Ms Jenny Lee and Ms Joanne Neilson.
Addressing the University of Canterbury Vice Chancellor and Executive Deans, UniFiji Vice-Chancellor Professor Shaista Shameem said that not only was she a proud Alumni of the University of Canterbury, having graduated with a Master of Arts in 1983, but she also found it significant that, more than 40 years later, she had returned to sign a MOU between her old university and her current one, UniFiji. ‘Having my friends from the Sociology Class of ’83 witness the event was special and served to consolidate the deep-seated connections between the University of Fiji and the University of Canterbury with its historical credentials and top ranking’, she said.
The Vice Chancellor of Canterbury University, Professor Cheryl de la Rey said that under the MOU, the two universities will establish a framework for collaboration in several key areas, including:
- Exchange of academic materials and resources, Faculty in all areas of knowledge and disciplines, staff, and students;
- Development of joint research programmes and academic projects of mutual interest;
- Co-sponsorship of symposia, seminars, and conferences;
- Cooperation in the development of education and training programmes, with potential for joint degree offerings.
She said that with the shared vision for promoting academic excellence and collaborative learning between the two universities, the academic advancement in the region will be consolidated and enhanced.
The new partnership underscores UniFiji’s ongoing efforts to build international academic linkages that enhance the quality of higher education and research across the Pacific. It also aligns with the University’s Strategic Plan focus on ‘Research and Innovation and Community Engagement’, reinforcing its commitment to developing future-ready graduates equipped for global citizenship.
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