The Pacific Eye Institute (PEI), located in Suva, Fiji, is the Pacific region's first training facility for eye health professionals. Postgraduate students are trained specifically to provide eye care in Pacific conditions. They gain a solid academic basis for their practice and considerable supervised practical experience in an environment similar to the clinics in their own countries.

Learning is undertaken with the guidance of well-respected eye care professionals from around the world. PEI's innovative programs are founded on current, active learning principles. PEI prides itself on providing a supportive environment for students.

PEI's 2011 programs takes place in a brand new, state of the art building which houses a fully-equipped eye clinic, classrooms and resource centre. PEI postgraduate diplomas and certificates are awarded by The Fiji National University/Fiji School of Medicine, while master level degrees are awarded by The University of the South Pacific.

Training eye care professionals to work together as teams is vital to achieving successful eye health programs. For this reason, graduates can enroll at the Institute in pairs, and training is structured to teach a doctor and nurse, or a doctor and science/health-science graduate to function as a team. If there is no need or scope for training a doctor, two eye care workers from the same country can study together. These teams support each other through the training, and in their home workplaces upon completion of their studies.

The Pacific Eye Institute is an initiative of, and is funded by, The Fred Hollows Foundation NZ.

Why should you study at the Pacific Eye Institute? Find out here.

Read more about The Fred Hollows Foundation NZ here.

Unless stated otherwise, all images on this website courtesy of Melbourne-based photographer Sandy Scheltema