July 14, 2022

The Tertiary Scholarships and Loans Service (TSLS) and the Asia-Pacific Applied Economics Association (APAEA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to build a working relationship to jointly support and develop research on the impact of TSLS. The MOU will allow joint research between TSLS and APAEA aimed at building the research profile and visibility of TSLS.

.

TSLS Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Hasmukh Lal said the MOU signing was a significant achievement for both institutions, particularly for TSLS as it will allow independent researchers to research and publish the impact of TSLS.

“TSLS administers substantial Fijian Government investments in scholarships and study loans to build smarter Fiji,” he said. “TSLS will collaborate with APAEA to publicise impact on socio-economic developments, human capital index, access and equity and conduct investment analysis and design models through high profile research collaboration. The Fijian Government has allocated FJD $1,279,050,968 since TSLS’s inception and it is a bold initiative by a developing country which warrants it to be studied and researched upon.”

Dr. Lal said APAEA will give an independent perspective to research which is imperative for respect and integrity in academia world, which is critical in informing public policy.
“The publications will be published in top ranked journals, presented at national and international conferences, making it accessible to a global audience consisting of research students, academic researchers and policy makers. This will stimulate policy discussions and citations of our research model. As one of the biggest stakeholders in tertiary education in Fiji, we should showcase our impact through research to the academia and global education policy and strategy.”

The President of APAEA, Professor Paresh Narayan said “It is a proud moment for us to add TSLS to the APAEA family. APAEA has strong research collaborations with central banks, including the Reserve Bank of Fiji, in the Asia-Pacific region, and with several research institutions, including the Asian Development Bank Institute. I am looking forward to ensuring that the value and impact of APAEA-TSLS joint research reaches the global audience and motivates policy makers in other countries to learn from and expand upon our work.

APAEA will be responsible to carry out joint research between TSLS-APAEA aimed at building the research profile and visibility of TSLS. It will also facilitate publication of such research in academic journals and create joint awareness workshop on TSLS.

ENDS…