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Unipulse Issue 5 June 2018 Unifiji Hosts Nipah Virus Aware- INSIDE THIS EDITION • Gurukul Primary School Centennial Cel- Ness Seminar Ebration

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Unipulse Issue 5 June 2018 Unifiji Hosts Nipah Virus Aware- INSIDE THIS EDITION • Gurukul Primary School Centennial Cel- Ness Seminar Ebration The University of Fiji Fully-Registered University UniPulse Issue 5 June 2018 UniFiji Hosts Nipah Virus Aware- INSIDE THIS EDITION • Gurukul Primary School Centennial Cel- ness Seminar ebration • Consumer Rights Workshop • Fiji’s Only Masters Level Programme in Renewable Energy Makes Steady Progress • UniFiji Holds Blood Drive • Hawking Lifetime Achievement Lecture • UniFiji Bridging Nursing Programme Extends to the South Pacific • International and Regional Relations Programme Dean of UPSM & HS, Dr. Elick Narayan with Dr. Abhijit Gogoi, Dr. Ricardo Corpuz and Dr. B.P. Ram and students at • UniFiji Offers Comprehensive MBA Pro- the Nipah Virus Awareness Programme. gramme On May 31, 2018, The University of Fiji that the first identified outbreak of the dis- organized an awareness programme on ease took place in Kampung (a small vil- • National Stakeholder Workshop on the Nipah Virus (NiV), an emerging threat lage in Malaysia) in 1998 where the pigs Fiji Low Emission Development Strategy that has caused a recent outbreak in Kere- were the intermediate hosts. In Bangla- (LEDS) la, India. Health experts from Umanand desh humans became infected with NiV Prasad School of Medicine and Health as a result of consuming date palm sap • Early Career Academic Scoops Award for Sciences (UPSM & HS) came together that carried the virus in 2004. Excellency in Research and Publications to create awareness about the multiple issues that surrounded the Nipah Virus This was transmitted by infected fruit • Pro-Chancellor Addresses Staff outbreak. bats. Human-to-human transmission has also been documented, including in a hos- • Talking Renewables – a New Book on Re- The team ran a campaign by bringing in pital setting in India. As of May 31, 2018. newable Energy by Local Author health experts for a better insight on the The World Health Organisation (WHO) outbreak in hopes of building aware- reported, death of 13 people and 2 being- • Subramani Publishes New Book ness on health care practices, signs and hospitalised due to the growing outbreak symptoms and understanding the mode of of NiV in India. • Vetting of Year 9 English Syllabus and transmission of Nipah Virus. Text Book Symptoms from infection vary from none The Acting Vice-Chancellor, Professor to fever, cough, headache, shortness of • UniFiji Offers New Course Narendra Reddy, Dean of UPSM & HS, breath, and confusion. This may worsen Dr. Elick Narayan with his team, Dr. Ab- into a coma over a day or two. Compli- • UniFiji Sponsored Sunny West Bowling hijit Gogoi, Dr. Ricardo Corpuz and Dr. cations can include inflammation of the Diva Singh, and medical students took brain and seizures following recovery. Carnival part in the panel discussion on building awareness and understanding of the Ni- • Practical Lessons Paramount in CIS pah Virus. • The University of Fiji’s JDP School of Nipah Virus (NiV) infection is a newly Law’s Jiten Singh Appointed Judge Advo- emerging zoonosis that causes severe cate for Court Martials disease in both animals and humans. The natural host of the virus are fruit bats of • Maggot Workshop the Pteropodidae Family, ‘Pteropus ge- nus’. A brief background of the NiV reveals Dr. Abhijit Gogoi presenting to the students. 1. Issue 5 June 2018 Gurukul Primary School Centennial Celebration Ambassador, Mr. Kamlesh Arya and his wife, Mrs. Urmila Arya with staff and students of Gurukul Primary School. Gurukul Primary School, the first formal school for Fijians of dian Work in Fiji, written by Methodist Missionary Reverend J. Indian Descent in Fiji, celebrated 100 years of existence on May W. Burton, the colonial administration is quoted to have advised 24, 2018. that “It would be better use of time to instruct the field mules. The “coolies” might be spoilt for labour, if they were taught by The keynote speaker at the celebrations, the Registrar of The missionaries.” Ambassador Arya quoted. University of Fiji Ambassador Kamlesh Arya, expressed his emotions for the 60,553 Girmitiyas who toiled the Fijian soil and “We are independent of servitude and enjoy a dignified and re- were able to conceive the idea that the future lay in education. spectful status in today’s Fiji, thanks to the founding fathers of Gurukul Primary School and hundreds of other schools around “We appreciate the hands that put the blocks together, carting Fiji. Today, as we stand to celebrate the Centennial of Gurukul the building materials on wooden sledges from the supply deport Primary School, and partake in the electrifying gaiety of this to the building site. Their determination is overwhelming. The momentous milestone, we all need to be resolute in our drive to seed they sow in the form of the Gurukul saw mushrooming of improve ourselves and those who are integral part of our diverse schools throughout the Colony over the last 100 years by various society,” he concluded. faith based organisations. The Arya Pratinidhi Sabha of Fiji is part of that community of educators,” he emphasised. The University of Fiji is grateful to be associated with the Gu- rukul Primary School and owes it origin to the Arya Pratinidhi Mr. Arya noted that when the idea for establishing the Gurukul Sabha of Fiji who began its fight to promote education over 100 was mooted, the backdrop in the feelings of ecstasy would be the years ago. words from attributed to the then authorities, in the book Our In- Consumer Rights Workshop The University of Fiji in collabora- reach a median point of understanding. tion with the Consumer Council of Fiji (CCOF), hosted a “Consumer Rights and During the interactive session, Ms. Devi Issues” workshop on April 20, 2018. also explained the roles of a consumer and rights of a consumer if they were dis- The workshop afforded the University satisfied with the service or product. She staff to discuss their concerns as consum- also discussed the importance of price ers directly to the body looking after con- control and listed some of the items that sumer rights in Fiji. were under price control in Fiji. Ms. Bindula Devi, Senior Manager Cor- Staff and students were able to voice out porate, Consumer Council of Fiji ex- their various concerns in regards to some plained the CCOF’s role in Fiji and dis- products and services as well as offer sug- cussed some cases of consumers and how gestions and recommendations for im- Ms. Bindula Devi during her presentation. the CCOF helped them in mediating with proved consumer satisfaction. the businesses and how they were able to 2. Issue 5 June 2018 Fiji’s Only Masters Level Programme in Renewable Energy Makes Steady Progress “Donating blood will not only help a per- son in need of blood transfusion but it also has various medical benefits for the donor including lowering the chances of cardiovascular disease by 33%, remov- ing excess iron in the blood and lowering the chances of having a heart attack,” he stated. The Registrar, Ambassador Kamlesh Arya, a regular blood donor, said that he had saved the life of a family member and his health benefitted from donating blood. He urged students as well as other attend- ees to become regular blood donors. Nearby communities including Viseisei, Part of the MREM group at Nadarivatu hydro. Lomolomo and Saweni actively took part in the blood drive. UniFiji’s Masters in Renewable Energy management, energy economics and sus- Management (MREM) programme will tainable development to help create holis- Apart from the blood drive people also be producing its first batch of graduates tically developed energy graduates in the benefitted from the free health check up by the end of this year, and there are al- Pacific. including blood sugar test, blood choles- ready signs that demand for these new terol test, blood pressure check-up, BMI( management-level personnel will be high. “Global warming and the consequent cli- height and weight status), cardio check mate change are high on the agenda of up (ECG), eye and ear check-up and CPR The twelve students who started in ear- international organizations as well as the demonstration. ly 2017 in this two-year programme are governments of the Pacific Island Coun- now in the second and final year of their tries including Fiji. Renewable Energy They also enjoyed the activities organ- studies. Interest in this Renewable En- offers one of the two main solutions to ised and conducted by UPSM & HS stu- ergy training programme has been com- mitigate the impacts of climate change. dents and staff. ing from diverse areas of the economy, Most countries are now working on their including teaching, research and indus- Nationally-Determined Contributions The blood drive is hosted twice annually trial sectors. Those registered for the (NDCs) to the Paris agreement for cli- at the University to help save lives and programme include practicing scientists, mate change mitigation and adaptation. also acts as a community engagement engineers and power generation project The market for renewable energy gradu- project under corporate social responsi- managers in addition to teachers and ates in the near future is thus tremendous. bility as enshrined in the Strategic Plan young University staff. However, there are very few institutions 2017-2021. offering renewable energy management The last semester will be dedicated to the programmes. With the MREM pro- research component of the programme, gramme, UniFiji’s intention is to fill the which is offered by coursework and the- void of energy graduates not only in Fiji sis. Eight of these students will be com- but throughout the South Pacific,” Profes- pleting the experimental components of sor Singh stated. the minor thesis by the end of semester 2 this year. Students as well as people in employment having a science background are encour- One of the primary purposes of the pro- aged to register for this programme as it gramme is to up-skill and train middle- allows for flexible study times suitable management level recruits in the area of for both part-time and full-time studies.
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