Stay up to date with what's happening in the Pacific region
The Pacific Hub was established at the Griffith Asia Institute in 2020. Led by Dr Tess Newton Cain, Adjunct Associate Professor, the Pacific Hub adds to the established profile of the Institute by providing a suite of activities, including research, events, commentary, and professional services, focused on the Pacific islands region. Our work draws on Queensland’s very particular geographical, historical, commercial, and cultural ties with the Pacific Island countries. We contribute to local, national and international conversations and debates about how power, diplomacy, and development are playing out in the Pacific islands region. The Pacific Hub provides a platform to promote and share the related work of academics from Griffith University and an intersection point for us to meet and learn with the wider community, including Australia’s near neighbours in the Pacific.
WELCOME
Welcome to the Pacific Hub at the Griffith Asia Institute. We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land and pay our respects to their elders past, present, and emerging. Here at the Griffith Asia Institute we recognise the importance of the Pacific islands region and are delighted to share with you what we are learning from each other, from our colleagues in the region, and from the diaspora communities here in Queensland and elsewhere in Australia. Whether you are looking for commentary from a Pacific perspective, hunting down our latest Pacific research, seeking a Pacific expert or needing professional inputs to a Pacific project or program, you are in the right place.
Need to know more? Please contact our Program Leader: Dr Tess Newton Cain
GRIFFITH ASIA LECTURE 2019
Secretary General, Pacific Islands Forum, Dame Meg Taylor gave the 2019 signature Asia Lecture, focusing on the geopolitical and geostrategic issues of economy, security and climate change challenging the Asia-Pacific. Her insights delivered an important and much-needed Blue Pacific perspective to the way we understand and engage with our Asia-Pacific neighbourhood.
“The Blue Pacific represents our recognition that as a region, we are large, connected and strategically important,” said Dame Meg. “It speaks to our collective potential and our shared stewardship of the Pacific Ocean.” She reiterated the economic trials facing the Forum, noting some of the most critical challenges are finding sustainable and cost-effective infrastructure development in the face of extreme climatic vulnerabilities.
MELANESIA MEDIA FREEDOM FORUM 2019
The Melanesia Media Freedom Forum was developed to respond to increasing media repression in Melanesia and to future-proof press freedom, though transnational regional co-operation and knowledge-sharing among Melanesian journalists, editors, publishers, press-freedom advocates and journalism scholars. This forum provided a safe space for media leaders who work in Melanesian countries and territories to collaboratively formulate strategies to counter increasing incidences of curtailment of media freedom. It enabled them to create pathways to enable mutual support in the face of existential threats to freedom of expression and communication. Scholars with expertise in this area presented their research and joined the forum to provide knowledge resources and support for this work.
Meet our researchers
Our experts are available to help provide a wide range of services to government and industry. Our skills and networks enable us to provide expert briefings on up to date issues in the Pacific, provide media commentary, undertake consultancy and commercial research, deliver specialist training and participate on expert panels.
Pacific research
South Pacific Centre for Central Banking
The South Pacific Centre for Central Banking (SPCCB) was founded in 2016 following the inaugural Central Banking Symposium hosted by Griffith University, where discussions were held to elevate the region's study group into a research centre for central banking. The SPCCB was formed to bring together world class economic and finance experts, with a clear aim to help build capacity for research and policy formulation and is committed to developing capacity for research and policy formulation at the South Pacific Central Banks.
Griffith Climate Change Response Program
The Griffith Climate Change Response Program (GCCRP) leads Griffith University’s research into climate change adaptation and mitigation. As climate change issues cut across many fields of study our research projects are transdisciplinary, bringing together the wealth of Griffith research expertise from across the University. GCCRP projects in the Pacific look at ecosystem based adaptation, regional management of climate change and the evaluation of cyclone-proof community buildings.
Pacific focused tourism research
The Griffith Institute for Tourism (GIFT) leads Griffith University’s research into resilient, regenerative and sustainable tourism futures. Their transdisciplinary projects provide innovative solutions to help tourism businesses and communities achieve their sustainable development objectives. GIFT’s research in the Pacific works through a culturally grounded and strengths-based lens, partnering with local stakeholders to maintain local autonomy and agency. With a focus on adaptive capacity, resilient destinations and the need for tourism to provide net benefits for people and places, GIFT researchers are tackling some of the biggest tourism challenges in the Pacific.
February 11, 2021
The Torres Strait Treaty, a journey of Islander autonomy
“We are happy to share what we have in the Torres Strait, but we will not give – not a teaspoon of water, not a grain of sand.” This was the war cry of Torres Strait Islander Getano Lui Snr in 1976. Lui Snr was one of the leading political agitators that pressured the Australian ...
February 03, 2021
Cairns charts course for major Pacific hub status
Shipyards in the port city of Cairns in far-north Queensland are set to boom, with hundreds of millions of dollars projected to be spent on naval infrastructure, all with a view to making the town a major Pacific maritime hub. There has been no let-up in work during COVID-19 pandemic for the more than 4,000 ...
January 28, 2021
Queensland – the Pacific state
When it comes to connections with the Pacific islands region, Queensland is the Australian state that can lead the way. By virtue of geography, history, demography, cultural links, sporting connections and much more, Queensland has a wealth of resources to draw on and share to build deep and meaningful relationships with the Blue Pacific continent. ...
February 11, 2021
The Torres Strait Treaty, a journey of Islander autonomy
“We are happy to share what we have in the Torres Strait, but we will not give – not a teaspoon of water, not a grain of sand.” This was the war cry of Torres Strait Islander Getano Lui Snr in 1976. Lui Snr was one of the leading political agitators that pressured the Australian .....
February 03, 2021
Cairns charts course for major Pacific hub status
Shipyards in the port city of Cairns in far-north Queensland are set to boom, with hundreds of millions of dollars projected to be spent on naval infrastructure, all with a view to making the town a major Pacific maritime hub. There has been no let-up in work during COVID-19 pandemic for the more th...
January 28, 2021
Queensland – the Pacific state
When it comes to connections with the Pacific islands region, Queensland is the Australian state that can lead the way. By virtue of geography, history, demography, cultural links, sporting connections and much more, Queensland has a wealth of resources to draw on and share to build deep and meaning...
COVID-19 aid to the Pacific
COVID-19 Pacific Aid Tracker
Working as a region to help our Pacific neighbours recover from the fallout of coronavirus
Click on a flag on the map below for a summary of aid to that country or view our searchable aid tracker database for more details.
Other resources
For information about economic responses to COVID-19 by Pacific island governments, see the Pacific COVID Economic Database from the Development Policy Centre at Australian National University.
The International Monetary Fund's Policy Tracker summaries the key economic responses governments are taking to limit the human and economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Publications
Pacific islands tourism during COVID-19: Time for a rethink
Ross Westoby, Johanna Loehr and Chris Fleming
Policy Brief: Strengthening Australia’s relationships with countries in the Pacific region
Tess Newton Cain and Wesley Morgan
Policy Brief: Activating greater trade and investment between Australia and Pacific island countries
Wesley Morgan and Tess Newton Cain
Oceanic hydro-politics: Exploring contemporary geopolitics of the Blue Pacific
Wesley Morgan
The state of the step-up: Australia's engagement with the Pacific
Tess Newton Cain
Griffith University-South Pacific Central Banks Joint Policy Research Working Papers
South Pacific Centre for Central Banking
Pacific news
Pacific update: Politics, issues and people in the Pacific
Micronesian nations split with Pacific Island Forum
Former Cook Islands PM Henry Puna elected to Pacific Islands Forum
Is a Pacific travel bubble a realistic expectation for 2021?
Will 2021 prove to be as unpredictable as 2020 in the Pacific and the world?
No labour movement deal in new PACER Plus free trade agreement
Climate change and regionalism in the Pacific islands
A climate for change in the Pacific
Griffith and ADB host forum on Pacific Island COVID-19 impacts
Australia joins US and Japan to fund Palau highspeed internet cable
Calls for a COVID 'kava bubble' as supply from Pacific to Australia dries up
Is Australia failing Faamanu Faamanatu?
New Caledonia votes for independence a second time
Independence would offer New Caledonia more choice - Goa
Media under strain in Melanesia during challenging era
Events
Pacific outlook regional commentary
The Pacific Outlook brings focus to the Pacific region through a weekly bulletin as well as expert commentary from experts in the field... Pacific voices on Pacific issues.