International lawyer and arbitrator Ana Tuiketei has described a defining moment in her academic journey after meeting King Charles III and Queen Camilla in London, an experience that has further strengthened her commitment to research and development for Small Island Developing States.
Fiji National University PhD student, Tuiketei, a recipient of the prestigious King’s Commonwealth Fellowship Programme PhD Award under the Association of Commonwealth Universities, participated in Commonwealth Week last month, where she had the honour of meeting the King and Queen.
Tuiketei says the opportunity to engage with global leaders and fellow scholars has significantly inspired her PhD pursuit.
She attended the Commonwealth Day Service of Celebration at Westminster Abbey, hosted by the Royal Commonwealth Society, where citizens from across the Commonwealth contributed through music, dance, readings and reflections.
The 2026 theme, “Unlocking Opportunities Together For A Prosperous Commonwealth”, highlighted the importance of empowering communities, particularly young people, across member nations.
Tuiketei says for her the reflections by four women speakers, including former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell, was powerful as they had a common message of hope, more equitable access and collaboration within the Commonwealth.
She says to meet King Charles III for the first time and to be introduced as a Kings Fellow was a proud moment for her, because he was not only encouraging in my PhD pursuit, he was curious in how my research would impact Small Island Developing States and the Commonwealth as a whole; and how it supports long-term sustainable development.
Tuiketei says she also had the honour of meeting Queen Camilla and she says she sensed both their appreciation for Small Island Developing States and countries.
She says they all met in London and together they attended various events with such excitement.
The King’s Commonwealth Fellowship Programme, inspired by King Charles III, aims to strengthen research and academic capacity across Commonwealth Small Island Developing States, supporting scholars like Tuiketei to address pressing global challenges.
Tuiketei summarissed her week with one word ‘Gratitude’ stating the participation sparked inspiration and impact having to also attend a webinar organised by the ACU Policy Team titled, “From Research to Resilience: Commonwealth Doctoral Research Shaping Climate and Health”.
She says her colleagues and she addressed practical solutions for both decision makers and academics within SIDS to address the specific SIDS climate challenges including, inequality, environmental resilience and financial sustainability whilst promoting climate resilience.
During her visit, Tuiketei also attended a reception at the Royal Society, where she connected with global researchers, partners and supporters of the KCFP initiative.
She says the reception allowed us to network with supporters, finders, KCFP partners, and researchers to also explore other practical collaborative opportunities to build and grow the programme.
Tuiketei says it was also an honour to have a tour at the Royal Society, the world’s oldest independent scientific institution, founded in 1660.
She says she had goosebumps opening the Charter Book and seeing the handwritten signatures from 1665 featuring fellows like Newtown, Darwin, Queen Victoria and others that made a difference in science globally.
FNU says her PhD scholarship is undertaken in collaboration with the University of London, specifically the Development Studies Department, SOAS University of London, where she engaged with her co-supervisor during her visit.
SOAS University of London has been named the second-best University in the world for Development Studies in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026.
Tuiketei says she visited her supervisor in Brighton, and they were able to connect, meet regarding her PhD research, explore the vibrant seaside city, and plan for 2026.
Tuiketei also presented at the All-Party Parliamentary Group on the Commonwealth at the Palace of Westminster, highlighting the role of education, skills and mobility in strengthening economic resilience across the Commonwealth.
She says this was also her first time to visit the House of Commons Chamber, House of Lords Chamber, Central Lobby, Westminster Hall, Royal Gallery, and to listen to the Commonwealth Day debate led by Adam Jogee MP.
She further participated in a roundtable co-hosted by ACU and Octopus Energy, focusing on enhancing collaboration between the private sector, academia and governments to accelerate climate resilience solutions for SIDS.
She says ACU co-hosted roundtable with Octopus Energy on how they can better leverage private sector-academia-government collaboration to accelerate climate resilience solutions for SIDS.
Tuiketei says the setting she found to be beautiful, and the ceiling was so distracting as she was admiring the 500-year-old art.
Reflecting on her experience, Tuiketei emphasised the importance of continued support for SIDS research and innovation.
She says she is grateful through ACU supporting their research, as they, from SIDS, can give value to a defenceless system; they are able to use the torch of education and mobility to shed a light into needed research; they are empowered to answer the call of ‘Leaving No one Behind’ by addressing climate change inequities.
She stresses this includes our future generations.
Tuiketei adds she comes back home to Fiji more inspired than when she left.
