Dr Unaisi Baba paves the way for women leaders, transforms Pacific education

Dr Unaisi Nabobo Baba is a trailblazer in the Pacific, particularly in her home country of Fiji, where she is breaking down barriers that have historically kept women from reaching the top levels of leadership.

Baba is the wife of the late Dr Tupeni Baba, a former Fijian politician.

As the Vice Chancellor of Fiji National University (FNU), Baba has made history by becoming the first indigenous Fijian woman to hold a professorship at a university.

Before her current role, she was an Associate Professor of Education at the University of Guam, where she was promoted to a full professor in 2016.

In an interview on PMN’s Pacific Days, Baba says she recognised that the university environment often feels dominated by older, white men, who emphasise traditional viewpoints.

To succeed, she believes one must stay positive, embrace challenges, and have a genuine passion for one's work.

“So, to break through any university anywhere in the world, I suppose we have to learn the art of what it takes to make it, and just stay there, and be healthy, and if you like, just make sure that you are at it.

“Remain positive every day, I guess, and look at the challenges as things that we have to do, and just have real passion around it.”

Baba sees her appointment as not just a personal achievement but as a major step towards gender equality and greater recognition for women in leadership roles in education across Fiji and the Pacific.

Dr Unaisi Baba is paving the way for women leadership in Fiji and the Pacific. Photo/ Dr Unaisi Baba

“This year, we've created the second professor at FNU, Jimaima Lako, like me, came from school, went to USP, but is formerly of Monash University, a food scientist.

“I'm just happy to say that there are other women, you know, following and doing the same, and probably doing it better.”

According to FNU’s 2023 Annual Report, women hold 12.5 per cent of the professor roles at the university. But the number of women in associate professor positions rose from 38.5 per cent in 2022 to 50 per cent in 2023, while the percentage of women in assistant professor roles increased from 36 per cent to 39.3 per cent.

In 2017, Baba returned to Fiji to take on the role of Dean at the FNU Lautoka campus, and later she became Vice Chancellor in November 2023.

Watch Dr Unaisi Nabobo Baba's full interview below.

She had been acting in the role since February. One of the first priorities was to reshape the university’s vision to better align it with the needs of the Fijian government.

“So the vision for us, at least, my team and I, is the university as the tool that we can use to deliver development to our people. So this is exactly what we are doing.”

Baba believes that every Pacific and Fijian child should have the opportunity to receive a qualification that will help them achieve their dreams and contribute to their communities.

She credits her success to support from unexpected places, especially from Marie Damour, the United States Ambassador to Fiji. Damour believed in Baba’s vision for FNU and helped provide opportunities for the university staff to improve their skills through international experiences.

Dr Unaisi Baba's vision for every Pacific child is to have the opporutnity of a qualification despite their circumstance. Photo/Dr Unaisi Baba

With Damour’s help, the university launched the FNU Foundation in April this year, which aims to support disadvantaged students, making higher education more accessible to those who might face financial challenges.

Baba envisions a future where all students at FNU can achieve their goals and make a positive impact on their communities.