ISF and Fiji National University Collaborations Strengthen Through PhDs

Dr Federico Davila, ISF Research Director in Food Systems, has been working with FNU co-supervisor Dr Ravinesh Ram to secure scholarships for two female candidates from Solomon Islands and Fiji.

Dr Davila’s ongoing funding and partnership with FNU has been supported by projects funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) and WWF Australia. As part of this research, Davila has worked with FNU in field trips, research proposal design, short course design, and Master’s and PhD supervision.

Strengthening international collaborations with Pacific universities is a core focus of ISF’s food systems research program. FNU brings extensive experience of working with Fijian communities and government, and act as an important avenue for building the future professionals working in agriculture and fisheries in the Pacific.

The competitive funding provided to students by the Pacific Agriculture Scholarship Support (PASS) Program has enabled two students, Jasnita Ali (Fiji) and Alissa Offa (Solomon Islands) to commence their studies.

Jasnita will be studying the impacts of migration on fisheries dynamics and policies in Fiji, co-supervised by Dr Davila and UTS Professor Kate Barclay. Alissa will be studying the opportunities for building climate resilient value chains for sea grapes in Western Province of Solomon Islands.  

The lead ISF co-supervisor, Dr Davila, stated that: “Master’s research is a unique learning journey. This co-supervision program supported by PASS Program will help train the next generation of food system researchers, and also offers Australian and Fiji supervisors an opportunity to connect and learn from each other.”

The results from the Master’s studies will directly inform the ACIAR-funded project Transformation Pathways for Pacific Coastal Food Systems, for which Davila is a core researcher. Alissa and Jasnita will be designing their study in the first eight months of 2025 with thesis submission planned for 2026.