16th May 2019
Volume 1, Issue 1
Weekly Newsletter
1st Council Meeting for New Councillors
Special points of interest:
UniVois
New SAS Home Aims to solve student’s long queue during enrolment weeks.
Inside this issue: FNU’s Dean Visit
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1st Council Meeting
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SAS Office New Home
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UQ & UC Student’s Visit
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DFS Celebrates World Tuna Day
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New SINU Council. Chair to SINU Council Hon. Dr. Culwick Togamana led the 1st meeting
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INU new Council team met for the first time on Friday 10th May 2019. The new Council consist of some old faces and some new members. One of the new members is the Vice Chancellor himself. This new council will be led by Hon. Dr. Culwick Togamana who retains his
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Chairmanship of the SINU Council. The first meeting was mainly about orientation of the new members and looking into unfinished business of the University left by the last council.
Dean Salabogi’s Visit Fruitful
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iji National University (FNU) Dean (Ag) of the College of Engineering, Science and Technology Mr. Salabogi Mavoa visited SINU’s School of Technology and Maritime Studies (STMS) in an aim to offer helping hand on the area of TVET. Mr. Salabogi, who held the Dean (Ag) position at FNU since 2015, also has vast experience in Fiji public and private sector, as well as NGO, held various meetings with STMS staff during his weeklong visit. The highlight of his visit came when he made a public presentation on Wednesday 8th May on TVET and Higher Education: a Pacific approach for the 2020’s.
Dean Salabogi during the SINU TALKs
need each other – recognising the important part that each play.” End of quote. For instance, to build a house, a higher education person called Architecture will draw the house plan, and a TVET person called carpenter will build it.
In his presentation, Mr. Salabogi explained what worked for FNU in terms of TVET and the importance of all sectors working together for progress and development of the Nation. In summary, Mr. Salabogi said and I quote, “There is TVET, there is Higher Education, there is Schools and there is Stakeholders. When it comes to Progress and Development of a Nation; it’s not about which sector is more important, all parties
Dean’s visit was concluded with a small city tour and a farewell dinner with SINU Vice Chancellor Dr. Ganesh Chand.
Indian High Commissioner to SI visits SINU
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he Indian High Commissioner to Solomon Islands H.E Vijai Kumar visited SINU to discuss the proposed MOU to establish an India funded “Centre of Excellence in Information Technology” with SINU which Solomon Islands Government is discussing with the Government of India. During his brief visit, Vice Chancellor Dr. Ganesh Chand hosted a brief campus tour showing possible sites for the proposed centre. This is one of the many visits until the MOU is finalized. From Left: SINU Vice Chancellor Dr. Ganesh Chand and Indian High Commissioner to SI H.E Vijai Kumar 2
Student Academic Service Office New Home
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he Student Academic Service office of the University has been moved to the former Humanities Building commonly known as the T-Building right below the Kukum campus main Library. The move is aimed at maximizing the utilization of office spaces and to solve student’s long queue during enrolment weeks. Over the past enrolment periods, students took at least five days to complete the entire process. This is because they have to follow several long queue. The first queue is at the SAS Office for data input to get the course outline for the semester. The second is at Finance office for invoicing the courses enrolled. The third is at the Banks for fee deposit. The fourth is again at the Finance office for receipting the deposit slip and the last is at the ID card section of SAS Office for ID card printing.
Chand saw this as unacceptable and decided to move SAS and the revenue team of the Finance office into one building. Dr. Chand wanted to make life easier for students by making a single queue for the entire registration process. In this new office setting, students will make a line into the SAS section, and continue that same line to the revenue section for fee payment and they are done. This new setting and process will be tested for the first time on July when second semester enrolment begins.
Good News for Students
New SAS Office
Vice Chancellor Dr. Ganesh
UQ and UC Students visit SINU
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INU, on Tuesday 7th May, welcome students from University of California (UC), USA, and University of Queensland (UQ), Australia, and lecturers who are visiting SINU’s School of Natural Resources and Applied Sciences (SNRAS) for the third time since SINU and UQ signed an MOU in 2016.
examining health issues, sanitation, ecology and environmental health.
Selected SNRAS students accompanied the team to the Western Province for a month long field based study UQ, UC staff and Students posing for a group photo with SINU Pro-Vice Chancellor Academic Dr. Jack Maebuta, SNRAS Dean Prof. Prem Rai and SNRAS staff and students 3
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Solomon Islands National University (SINU) is the Prime and ONLY National University of Solomon Islands.
U n i V o i s Solomon Islands National University P.O. Box R113 Honiara Solomon Islands
Founded in 2013, SINU is striving to be one of the Best Education and Research Institute in the Region.
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he Department of Fisheries Studies (DFS) was invited by the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources (MFMR) and represented SINU in the annual World Tuna Day Celebrations in Honiara on Thursday, 9th May 2019. Two activities were eventful; a float parade that started from the Honiara City Council carpark to the man venue of the celebrations, the National Museum Auditorium; and hosting an information booth, along with other participating
organizations, at the main venue. The DFS’ float design featured a war canoe structure (reflecting the SINU official logo) and banners that highlighted the theme “Tuna is Health; For healthy families, healthy economy, and healthy Solomon Islands” with tuna designs. All creative art designs were done by the lead participating DFS Students and SINU property division staff, with support from DFS staff. Most participating DFS students also took part in tuna quizzes, got free T-shirts to mark the day and a good number of them won themselves several SolTuna tuna can packs. It was a very informative and interactive event for the DFS.
DFS Staff and Students
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