Although it was formally established in 2010, Fiji National University (FNU) has a long and colourful history of relevant education dating back to the origins of its component Colleges through institutions that were established according to national needs and aspiration as these developed.

The School of Medicine has developed into the premier medical institute of the South Pacific and continues to strive towards excellence in the training and education of health professionals who are now serving in key positions in the Pacific and overseas. The School now provides training in most health science disciplines, including medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, physiotherapy, radiography, laboratory technology, public health, dietetics and environment health.

The School of Nursing is one of the oldest nursing education institutions in the Pacific and has been in existence since 1893. It is now part of FNU’s College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences (CMNHS). The school offers basic and post-basic nursing programmes for Fiji and regional students. Graduates are capable of working in general health services, maternal and child health care service, mental health service, and in urban, rural and remote community health services.

CMNHS is located at a number of centres around Suva, including the new Pasifika Campus opposite the Colonial War Memorial Hospital (CWMH).

Formerly known as the Fiji Institute of Technology (FIT), the institution is now part of FNU’s College of Engineering, Science and Technology (CEST) and is the University’s Derrick Campus, Samabula. The College provides education to cater for the total human resource needs of Fiji and the South Pacific in the areas of engineering, technology including information technology and electronics, marine training and sciences.

The FIT was also a starting point for the College of Business, Hospitality and Tourism Studies (CBHTS), which is now located in a number of different centres, including the new Nadi Campus, which is the heart of Fiji’s tourism industry.

The main administrative centre of the Fiji National University, including the hub of its extensive teacher training facility, is located at Nasinu Campus. The Fiji College of Advanced Education and Lautoka Teachers College has become part of the University’s College of Humanities and Education (CHE), which is still located at Nasinu.

However, the Lautoka FNU Campus houses the School of Education and is called the Lautoka Education Campus. The Creative Arts and Journalism section of this College has been relocated on Nasinu Campus from UniStudio Campus in Raiwai following extensive damage by Cyclone Winston in 2016.

The Fiji College of Agriculture was established in 1954 and has developed into the University’s College of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (CAFF) at the Koronivia Campus. It places great emphasis on research and provides excellent opportunities for development in agricultural science.

The National Training and Productivity Centre (NTPC) has established the National Qualifications Framework to benchmark training and qualifications in technical and trade areas against a national standard, based on the needs of local industries and is comparable with overseas qualifications. The Centre now runs the University’s short training courses ranging from senior executive level management and leadership to innovative technical courses specifically designed to meet the local industries needs.

FNU now has campuses and centres at 40 locations throughout the country, running a total of approximately 300 different courses and programmes with a staff complement of 2000 and a student enrolment of around 26,000.

As a new and dynamic institution, yet one with an illustrious history within its component parts, FNU is daily developing, innovating and expanding to provide Fiji and the region with its education and training needs.