The Pacific Centre for Border Management and Security (PCBMS) has been officially launched at the
Fiji National University, marking a significant milestone in the development of regional border management and security training.
The launch at FNU’s Namaka Campus yesterday, brought together leaders from customs, biosecurity, immigration, maritime enforcement, and private sectors, as well as key government figures.
Professor David Widdowson, CEO of the Centre for Customs and Excise Studies at Charles Sturt University, Australia, emphasised the long history behind the PCBMS, noting that its establishment has been 27 years in the making.
“The Pacific Centre for Border Management and Security is not an idea that has been hatched overnight. It was first conceived back in 1998 when we began discussions with what was then FIT, now FNU,” Widdowson explained.
“This centre has had a 27-year gestation period. I am a patient man,” he added.
According to Widdowson, the PCBMS is a “centre of excellence”, focusing not only on customs but also on biosecurity, immigration, and maritime enforcement for the public and private sectors, including custom brokers and freight forwarders.
Widdowson also highlighted that the centre’s reach will extend beyond Fiji, with students expected to come from across the Pacific region and even as far as the Caribbean. “I can really see this centre taking off,” he said.
The PCBMS was created through a partnership between FNU, the Centre for Customs and Excise Studies, the Oceania Customs Organisation (OCO), and the Fijian government.
“Border management plays a vital role in a country’s security and prosperity. It’s not just revenue collection, as many often think. It’s about protecting the country from harmful goods, ensuring that those who enter the country do so lawfully, facilitating trade, and protecting the nation’s sovereignty,” Widdowson added.
Fiji’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation, Viliame Gavoka, who officially launched the centre, expressed his pride in the project’s potential. “This is a legacy for the Pacific region,” Gavoka said.
“It represents a bold step forward in strengthening border management and security, which are
critical to ensuring national stability, facilitating trade and protecting our borders.”
FNU’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Unasi Walu Nabobo Baba, highlighted the importance of academic support in the growth of the centre.
“This partnership with the Centre for Customs and Excise Studies will enhance FNU’s capacity to offer
world-class training in border management and security,” Professor Baba stated.
According to Baba, the flagship program of the PCBMS is the Bachelor of Border Management, which has already been formally accredited by the World Customs Organisation (WCO) in Brussels.
One key figure in the development of the PCBMS, who was remembered during the launch, was the late Watisoni Rauicava, who was a customs consultant and assistant lecturer at FNU.
Widdowson and VC Baba paid tribute to Raucava’s lifelong dedication to raising the academic standing of the customs profession.
“This is indeed a lasting legacy to a great man,” Widdowson said. “We owe much to his vision.”
