The Pacific Islands Workshop 2006 is a five day program of activities designed to bring together honours, postgraduate and recent postdoctoral students with an interest in the Pacific Islands from around Australia and further afield. The workshop is organised by the Centre for the Contemporary Pacific and is a part of the ANU's Asia Pacific Week during which a range of academic, social and cultural activities will be held.
In 2005, the Pacific Islands Workshop brought together 34 mostly graduate students, including from the Pacific Islands. The program provided a unique platform for an up-and-coming generation of Pacificists to present their work in a rigorous multi-disciplinary environment allowing for the cross-pollination of research agendas. It allowed participants to network with established scholars in their respective fields and provided an introduction to the teaching and research resources available at the ANU, and at allied institutions such as the Australian National Library.
The Pacific Islands Workshop 2006 will again showcase the work of young Pacific scholars in a formal setting and provide an opportunity for them to network with their peers and senior academics. The workshop will also include presentations by prominent Pacific scholars, journalists and regional dignitaries and roundtable discussions on contemporary issues, including Australia's role in the region; conventional and human security; political change; migration; religion, art and literature; diasporic identities; and conducting fieldwork in the Pacific.
The broad goals for the week are to provide a forum for the building of networks among young Pacific scholars through the exchange of knowledge and experiences surrounding the study of the Pacific Islands in the social sciences and humanities. The program also aims to provide participants with the opportunity to learn about the rich and diverse Pacific Islands resources held at the ANU and the Australian National Library.
The Pacific Islands Workshop 2006 will be hosted by experienced Pacific Islands researchers and scholars drawn from the ANU's staff. The ANU has over 60 Pacific Islands specialists across a diverse range of disciplines within the humanities and social sciences on its academic staff.
Participation in the Pacific Islands Workshop 2006 will enable students to:While several provisional themes have been proposed, participants are also welcome to make presentations on their own current research or key research issues.
Other events will include seminars, public lectures, film screenings and cultural performances.
As in 2005, a small prize will be offered for the best essay based on a workshop presentation. To be eligible for the prize, papers must be based on a workshop presentation and be submitted to the Centre of the Contemporary Pacific no later than Friday 17 February 2006.
Limited funds are available to help defray travel and accommodation costs for participants who are making presentations. Accommodation will be provided on the ANU campus. Honours-level and postgraduate students—as well as recent doctoral graduates—may apply for assistance.
For further information contact Iris Wielders or David Hegarty at:
The Centre for the Contemporary Pacific
Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies
H.C. Coombs Building (No.9)
The Australian National University
Canberra ACT 0200 Australia
Tel.: +61 2 6125 2276 (Iris Wielders – Tues./Wed./Thurs./)
Tel.: +61 2 6125 4145 (David Hegarty)
Fax: +61 2 6125 5525
Email: PacificCentre@anu.edu.au
