Traditional Fans Presented as Parting Gift for its Graduates

To make graduations memo­rable and support grassroots entrepreneurship develop­ment, the Fiji National University (FNU) is gifting an authentic and traditional artefact, iri (fan), to all its graduates.

FNU Alumni Relations Manager Artila Devi said the authentic local gift was selected to mark the impor­tant achievement of the graduating students as well as support women in our communities.

“Giving them a tangible item in the form of an iri is a small gesture from the university and one that represents our lifelong connection with the graduating students,” she said.

FNU Director Marketing and Communications Jenies Mudil­iar said: “When we were initially mulling over the idea of giving our graduates a graduation souvenir, we wanted to it be something close to our culture while at the same time help grassroots communities with their livelihood.

“We were environmentally con­scious as well and decided that we will not be going for off the shelf, single-use products. The gradua­tion iri met all these criteria and was perfect for our tropical gradua­tion setting.”

Nalini Devi sewing the Iri for FNU graduates . Photo: FNU