Five Top Academics Among Those Who Could Be Forcibly Retired Under Vice Chancellor’s Plan
But UniFiji may re-sign them on shorter-term contracts, if they are willing, healthy and performing. Retirement age row causes tension among staff. Who is going to go, they ask?
Wednesday 26 February 2020 | 11:36
Analysis:
Five top academics could be on the list of those forcibly retired if a plan to introduce 65 years as the new retirement age goes ahead at the University of Fiji.
The five are: Professor Tupeni Baba, Dr Fred Merchant, Professor Subramani, Professor Anirudh Singh and Professor Shaista Shameem.
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The plan to introduce the retirement age was in a bulletin circulated to staff last weekend by Vice-Chancellor Professor Sushila Chang.
Professor Chang had said that the retirement policy was discussed at Staff/HR Policy Staff consultation meetings. She said only a minority had objected.
She said staff who were above the age of 65 would be re-employed as long as they were willing and able to contribute.
Profiles:
Professor Tupeni Baba.
Professor Anirudh Singh, 70.
Dr Anirudh Singh is the Dean of Science and Technology College.
He graduated from the University of the South Pacific with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1972.
After a short stint as a Physics teacher at his old school, Xavier College, he took up a teaching position at the then Derrick Technical Institute (now known as the Fiji National University).
His desire for further education took him to the University of Auckland, from where he graduated with Master of Science. He returned to Fiji in 1982 and took up a lectureship in Physics at the USP.
He then went on to do his PhD.
Feedback: nemani.delaibatiki@fijisun.com.fj
