“Professor Arun Elias brings a wealth of global talent and experience”
Venkat Raman
Auckland, November 19, 2021
Professor Arun Elias, a well-known academic and community leader in Wellington, took charge as Dean of the College of Business, Hospitality and Tourism Studies (CBHTS) at the Fiji National University, based in Suva, Fiji on Thursday, November 17, 2021.
The University was established in 1885 as a School of Medicine but it was only in 2009 that it was gazetted as Fiji National University under a separate Statute called, The FNU Act.
Employer engagement and employability
Vice-Chancellor Professor Toby Wilkinson welcomed Professor Elias, saying that he brings a wealth of global talent and experience.
“He will support the University’s vision and mission, as outlined in its new Five-year Strategic Plan. In addition to his academic strengths, Professor Elias’s experience in industry, Technical and Vocational Education Training will be invaluable for leading the development of a dual-sector College with a strong focus on employer engagement and graduate employability. His unrivalled experience of international accreditation will help CBHTS achieve its strategic objectives for global recognition,” he said.
Extensive experience
Prior to the new assignment, Professor Elias was Associate Dean of the School of Business and Government at Victoria University of Wellington. Earlier, he was Associate Professor of Management, Director of MBA and Post Experience Programmes, International MBA and Post Graduate Programmes at the same University.
As well as Higher Education, he has had extensive engagement in international accreditation of business schools, being both a mentor for the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) London, and a Panel Member of the Association of MBAs (AMBA) Accreditation, Florida (USA), Amsterdam (The Netherlands) and Singapore.
Professor Elias is a Visiting Professor with several international business schools including IIMs and IITs in India. An active member of the Indian community in Wellington, he was the first President of the Wellington Malayalee Association and a recipient of the Community Service Award by the Multicultural Council of Wellington.
During his time as Associate Dean, Victoria University signed MOUs with different Indian institutions like IIM Kozhikode and IIT Madras.
About the CBHTS
The FNU website said that the College of Business, Hospitality and Tourism Studies at the Fiji National University teaches students that while the world is continuously facing different and difficult economic, political and natural challenges, creative application of the newly acquired body of knowledge will present new opportunities and solutions with which success will have no limits.
“In the teaching programme, the School prepares students to recognise and seize these opportunities, keep reading and searching for new knowledge, continuously develop the talents and skills necessary to face and devise solutions for the challenges of our day.
“This challenge of preparing a student’s lifelong success also poses our College a challenge to deliver this overarching learning outcome. This new model of education makes our Business College distinctive from our competitors. With a highly productive faculty, the College of Business is distinguished for its innovative educational programmes,” it said.
A majority of faculties of the University have both a Higher Education qualification (Masters or PhD degree) and years of experience in the business world. They publish in refereed academic journals and the courses they teach integrate this academic knowledge with their business experience to train future leaders.
