MoU Signed for a New Centre of Excellence in IT
AMemorandum of Understanding was signed between Fiji National University (FNU) and India’s-Fiji Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) yesterday.
The MoU will set out the operational requirements for the new India-Fiji Cantre of Excellence in Information Technology.
This new partnership is a major leap forward by FNU in its digital capability.
The India-Fiji National Centre of Excellence in IT will be housed in dedicated facilities in A Block at Derrick Campus, Suva. Under the partnership between FNU and C-DAC, the Government of India will fund the equipment for computer laboratories. FNU Vice-Chancellor Professor Nigel Healey said they are delighted to be partnering with C-DAC, supported by the Government of India, to establish the India-Fiji Centre of Excellence in IT. “C-DAC has a remarkable history in leading the development of IT, both hardware and software,” Mr Healey said.
“C-DAC will provide blocks of intensive six-month training, at one of the C-DAC teaching centres in India, for six FNU IT staff to allow them to upgrade their skills and qualifications and teach at the new Centre.”
“This training will be fully funded by the Government of India, including tuition, flights and accommodation,” he said.
He said C-DAC will base its own experts at FNU to help launch the new India-Fiji Centre of Excellence in IT and develop a suite of IT training programmes. Mr Healey further said this year they have:
Established a centre for distance and flexible learning to allow more course content to be accessible online from anywhere. Worked with Walesi and the Digital Fiji project to provide comprehensive Wi-Fi coverage across all their campuses.
High Commissioner of India to Fiji Vishvas Sapkal said they are looking forward towards this project to witness the progress happening.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave the commitment to establish Centre of Excellence in IT in all 14 Pacific island countries under the umbrella of Forum for India-Pacific Islands co-operation,” Mr Sapkal said.
“This Centre of Excellence in IT will become a hub for implementing a Telemedicine centre project so once the Centre of Excellence in IT will be established it will connect the best of the hospitals from India and you will have the best doctors from best hospitals from a click of a mouse.
“The best universities will also be connected with this network, so we are looking forward to successfully implementing this project and I don’t have any doubt that with the excellent co-operation by the Vice Chancellor and the team of FNU this will be a good thing happening in the near future,’ Mr Sapkal said.