The Minister for Education, Heritage and Arts, Premila Kuamr opened the FNU Student Association Leadership Workshop today with the theme “Students’ play a key role in today’s modern world of Education and Leadership”.
The Minister congratulated the FNUSA members for taking up leadership roles and emphasised the need for student leaders to be leaders of today.
The Minister’s advice to the FNUSA members was “Today a good leader is recognised by the following attributes: integrity; ability to delegate; communication; self-awareness; gratitude; learning agility; influence; and empathy. Gone are the days when leaders were authoritative or autocratic. In the modern world the leadership roles have evolved. So, as you go through your workshop, I would like you to think a little about this and perhaps reflect on how, with changing times, your roles as leaders are evolving”.
In delivering her address, the Minister urged the students to be fair minded and to actively promote and encourage involvement in creating a positive environment for students.
“We can provide financial support to our education institutions but how students benefit best from it depends on how you student leaders lead the students. Our commitment to education has and will always remain our main priority,” said the Minister. Student leaders need to work in partnership with the University to ensure that students get the right type of education and experience.
The Minister reminded the student leaders that as national leaders of tomorrow, they will need to be fully versed with the goals and aspirations of their government. She encouraged them to take some time out to go through Fiji’s National Development Plan which is a 20yr plan, 2017-2036. This was developed with extensive consultations with Fijians and reflects the aspirations of the nation.
She emphasised that their responsibilities as leaders will not end when they leave the university. They must be committed to passing the vision of the nation to their successors and when they join the workforce and take up leadership roles these should be their goals to achieve.
The Minister advised the student leaders to work in the interest of students and not let their union become politicised to serve a few.
“Some people may say that leaders are usually born. However, many researchers state that they are “made” since all the individuals undergo personal growth during the major part of their lives. So never feel that you cannot be a leader. You can learn to be one”.
She encouraged students to reflect on a number of things as the student leaders work on their plans for 2022.