Two lecturers from the Lycee Hotelier School in Tahiti gave the Fiji National University a boost after providing FNU lecturers with new lessons in the cooking art of culinary.

This was in a bid to enhance a stronger partnership in the region.

FNU vice-chancellor Professor Nigel Healey said it signifies the deep co-operation in the region and has deep roots in the Pacific.

He said: “This is a significant event as we are on an interesting journey to raise the quality of our academic programmes both in higher education and to improve access for our people in the country.

“We need to reach out and work closely with our partners and build relationships around the region and the world. We don’t need to invent everything ourselves, but to learn from our partners.

Embassy of France’s Head of Culture, Education and Science Emmanuelle Charrier said: “The FNU is an important partner for the French Fiji academic co-operation. We work together in different areas – medicine, sports, language and culinary.”

She added the three-day training takes place in the context of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) which was signed in 2012 between the hospitality college in Tahiti and FNU.

The MOU was signed in order to develop technical exchange in the cooking area.

This programme is funded by the Embassy of France and the French Pacific Fund, a fund run by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The first training was organised in 2013.

Pastry chef Jerome Coulon said the training this year aims at providing French culinary technical skills to staff teachers in two areas: Bakery/pastry cooking and general cookery/meat/sauce.

“We show the technique in cooking, decoration in French culinary style and we are here to share ideas to our Fijian counterparts.”

The three-day training programme ended on Friday.

Edited by Jonathan Bryce

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