ʻAtenisi Institute
The Atenisi Institute, which includes Atenisi University and the Atenisi Foundation for the Performing Arts, is located in the Kingdom of Tonga. In Tongan, Atenisi refers to Greece's capital, Athens. Futa Helu (1934–2010) founded the institute as a continuing education program for civil servants, then added a high school in 1964 (now operated independently by ACTS Community Schools) and a university in 1975.
Attenisi Institute began as a downtown night school offering continuing education to civil servants before becoming a secondary daytime school in 1964. Helu registered Atenisi's high school with the government in 1966 and leased a 6.5-hectare (16-acre) parcel in Tufuenga, a western district in the Tongan capital of Nuku'alofa, at the end of that year. The parcel is, in fact, below sea level, and students frequently refer to it as the swampus rather than the campus. A small university joined the high school on the site at the end of 1975, with the first bachelor of arts degrees awarded in 1980, followed a few years later by bachelor of science degrees. Some Master of Arts degrees – and even a doctorate degree – were awarded in collaboration with universities in Australia and New Zealand by the 1990s.
Seven years after the University of the South Pacific opened its Tongan campus, the university at 'Atenisi Institute was established. Nonetheless, the school was unique in that it was the only privately funded university in the South Pacific islands, making it independent of any church or government. This was both a benefit and a drawback. The university could freely train critical thinking rather than forcing students to conform to bureaucratic obedience or religious dogma. The disadvantage was that the university rarely received funding from either of the aforementioned sources, forcing it to operate on a shoestring budget supported solely by modest tuition fees.
Philosophy was regarded as the university's most important course because the method of thought was regarded as its pedagogical priority; facility with the English language and appreciation of English literature was regarded as a secondary key objective. The university also provided core courses in the natural sciences, social sciences, arts, and humanities. Because of Atenisi University's reputation for rigor, most students were able to obtain scholarships to graduate schools in New Zealand, Australia, and the United States.
Location: VQ8P+PWX, Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Website: www.atenisi.edu.to
