NUS

The event which celebrates culture is held every four years.

The theme of this year’s conference is “Our heritage, our culture” emphasizing the value of Samoan traditions and legacies.

Its’ purpose is for people with various knowledge in different areas of intelligence to share ideas and knowledge to advance the students and colleges.

Anita Latai-Niusulu and Seve Tuipe’a Aloimaina Folototo Seve, co-managers said the official opening started with the ava ceremony on Monday.

Students are required to have a Certificate in Journalism and will be able to contribute stories to a new online news website.

The course has received funding from the UN, the US Embassy and the Australian High Commission and will receive lecturer support from Australia's James Cook University.

RNZI reports it's an opportunity not only for students but working journalists who would otherwise have to travel overseas or study online.

Registrations for the course open next week.

Photo file caption: Students at National University of Samoa 

Faaolo Utumapu was born blind and graduated with a Masters in Communications and Media studies from Monash University in Australia.

Ms Utumapu has worked as a broadcast journalist and editor in the past before working for the Nuanua o le Alofa organisation for the development of the people with disabilities in Samoa.

RNZ reports she was also awarded Disability Champion in 2015 at the local human rights awards.

The National University of Samoa's Vice Chancellor Professor Fui Dr Lau Asofou So'o said they were happy to have Ms Utumapu join the faculty.

The idea was to ensure both parts of the university would be attended to carefully by having a deputy vice chancellor sitting at each role.

“It’s good to have more people working at making things work in our university because it gets the job done and to appoint a new DVC it means that our financial side, including things like university supplies and student management will get the attention it needs as well,” said NUS Vice Chancellor Fui Leapai Ilaoa Asofou Soo.

When the new award will be available is up to Dr. Mark Hayes seconded from the Queensland University of Technology assisting the NUS Journalism Program to design the Bachelor Degree for media studies.

In announcing the award at a joint press conference, the National University of Samoa and the Journalist Association of Samoa hailed the award as a stepping stone in journalism studies in Samoa.

“We are very fortunate to have Mark Hayes to help our staff,” says NUS Vice Chancellor Leapai Fui Asofou Soo.

Misa will be responsible for providing strong academic leadership within the Department and the Faculty of Arts in which the Media and Communication Department is housed under.

Her appointment has also received numerous congratulatory messages from the media and education industries in the region.

To address this challenge, the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) and the National University of Samoa teamed up to provide specialized training to journalism students from NUS and crew members of the Gaualofa.

"One key aspect that both the journalism students and Gaualofa crew have in common is that they will both be sharing messages about our environment," said Ms. Nanette Woonton of the Communications and Outreach Unit of SPREP.

The university was able to collect a monetary donation of SAT$4,324.30 bags and boxes of clothing, Samoan lavalavas and T-shirts.

The assistance was contributed to by N.U.S staff and students on a voluntary basis.  Following deliberations by the Vice Chancellor’s Committee on how to best channel such assistance, it came to a decision to best assist those N.U.S staff whose families are most affected in Fiji.

And to commemorate this progress, the university celebrated the success of three of its staff members.

Vice Chancellor and President of NUS, Professor Fui Leapai Ilaoa Dr. Asofou Soo was very excited to announce the new achievements to his staff and NUS' goal to achieve its two functions in Samoa.

"Any University around the world, has two functions, to educate and to research and gather new knowledge.

Today we celebrate the product of NUS' hard work over the years," said Prof Fui.

The first announcement is the addition of a new staff member.