UniFiji Shifts Journalism Programme to Samabula

Students who reside in the Central Division and are aspiring to pursue a degree in journalism can now register their units at the University of Fiji Samabula campus.

University of Fiji Vice Chancellor Professor Shaista Shameem said they had shifted the programme from the Saweni Campus in Lautoka to be based here in Suva.

Professor Shameem said this would be a good opportunity for students in Suva who want to study the Bachelor of Journalism and Media Studies programme.

“There will be more students registering for the programme as well, which will also be closer to the court and the parliament for better news coverage,” she said.

Professor Shameem said throughout the process of drafting the programme, it wouldn’t have come to fruition without the help of senior journalists and news media in Fiji, including Communications Fiji Limited William Parkinson, Fiji Broadcasting Corporation’s Sitiveni Halofaki, former Fiji Sun managing editor Nemani Delaibatiki, Anish Chand from the Fiji Times, and Mai TV director Stanley Simpson.

University of Fiji Vice Chancellor Professor Shaista Shameem. Photo: Leon Lord

“The programme is different from the other universities because it is drafted in a way that provides proper journalism and media education to students in becoming a journalist,” she said.

“It provides proper training to students so that they can immediately grasp the news media and get employment,” she said.

“Students are also sent for training in newsrooms during their first year of study so that the journalists become well known with their bylines.”

She said the university also had a newspaper known as UniFiji Watch and a radio station known as the Vox Populi, which won an international award for college radio.

The first batch of five journalism students will graduate in March.

Feedback: sosiveta.korobiau@fijisun.com.fj