Elodie Matua says she will return to Vanuatu to save lives after graduating from the University of Fiji with a Bachelor of Medical Health Science and setting her sights on an MBBS to qualify as a doctor. The 22-year-old Francophone student described overcoming language barriers, culture shock and homesickness during her studies in Fiji and said those experiences have only strengthened her resolve to serve her home country.
“My plan is to graduate MBBS and become a doctor so I can go back to my country and contribute to my country and for my family,” Elodie said. “I want to go back home and help my country and save lives.” She credited friendships formed in Fiji with helping her adapt: “I have great friends, and also some people here in Fiji, they are so good to me and they make me feel like home.”
Elodie highlighted a specific academic challenge for many regional students: language. “First it was tough, I had homesick,” she admitted. “There are so many challenges as a regional student—homesick, cultural shock, and also language barriers, mainly Hindi.” Coming from a Francophone background in Vanuatu, she said the shift to an English-speaking academic environment required extra effort but ultimately proved manageable: “Back in Vanuatu, I’m a Francophone student. Coming here to UniFiji, everything is in English. It was tough, but everything is okay—it’s good.”
University of Fiji Vice-Chancellor Professor Shaista Shameem used the graduating cohort’s achievements to urge students to plan long-term, telling them to “think about where you want to be in 10 years’ time and work hard to get there. Figure out how to make the world a better place for everyone. Cause no harm to others.” Professor Shameem described the class as “nation builders and also global ready,” framing graduates like Elodie as part of a regional workforce that can address healthcare shortages and other public needs across the Pacific.
The university signalled its own ambitions alongside the graduates’ individual plans. Professor Shameem said UniFiji is reviewing its strategy for the next five years with the aim of moving “from resilience to renaissance.” The shift is presented as an institutional effort to broaden the university’s impact — strengthening graduates’ readiness for local and regional service while enhancing the institution’s curriculum and partnerships.
Elodie’s determination to pursue an MBBS highlights a broader trend of Pacific students using regional tertiary education as a stepping stone to professional qualifications that are in short supply in their home countries. Her case underscores both the challenges facing Francophone students in predominantly English-speaking institutions and the potential benefits when universities and local support networks help them adapt.
As Elodie prepares for the next stage of her studies, her stated goal — returning home to Vanuatu’s medical service — offers a concrete example of how the University of Fiji’s graduates could translate education into essential public service across the Pacific.