The University of Fiji this evening will launch its intranet radio station called “The Vox”. The launch will be done in the virtual mode.
“The Vox” will air from 6 pm to midnight every day of the week. It will be accessible only to staff and students of the University through the University website. Programmes will include information for staff and students and music as well as other items designed to restore the work/study/life balance to the University of Fiji Community.
The Acting Vice Chancellor, Professor Shaista Shameem said she had noticed during lockdown and containment that it was not enough to only provide virtual classrooms for teaching and learning even though the University had moved quite smoothly into virtual platforms since 2020.
Isolation and loneliness faced by the University of Fiji Staff and Students due to lack of social contact with colleagues and friends hindered effective learning and collegiality, she said.
“Mental as well as physical health has been an important part of the University’s concern for our community. We know that our students suffer from having to stay at home and study without any social contact with their friends or their lecturers”.
A University Committee was established to see how students could be provided with rest and relaxation in broadcast form. The Vox Project was the result of the Committee’s deliberations.
Professor Shameem said that the Vox would provide broader education, information, relevant news and activities such as quiz shows and interviews with famous people to the listeners. A proposed programme is Desert Island Discs where well-known personalities in Fiji will be asked to bring along their favourite music and be interviewed at the same time. Another proposed programme is an in-depth analysis of the day’s news coverage, Professor Shameem said.
She said that the name “the Vox” for the broadcast service was derived from ”Vox Populi” or the voice of the people. The people were the University of Fiji community and the radio station would respond to their needs, aspirations, music requests and broad education as well as provide information and notices.
The University has appointed experienced radio DJ Lawrence Singh, who is also a student in the JDP School of Law, as The Vox Station Manager. Professor Shameem said the Vox also planned to run short training courses for people who wanted to work as radio DJs in the future.
The University was grateful to the Fiji Performing Arts Association (FPRA) for guiding them through the project, in particular Fiji’s own Ms Laisa Vulakoro a director of FPRA, Professor Shameem said.
The virtual launch of the Vox will be attended by prominent invited guests and friends of the University of Fiji.
