The Pacific is Here: Talanoa Across Queensland and Oceania

The Pacific is Here: Talanoa Across Queensland and Oceania Connecting Communities, Education and Research

The Pacific is often imagined as a region beyond Australia's eastern horizon. Yet the Pacific is also present within Queensland's communities, classrooms, universities, and everyday relationships. As Australia's closest neighbours, Pacific nations share longstanding histories, cultural connections, environmental vulnerability and sustainability challenges and contemporary relationships with Queensland, and Pacific communities are integral to the social and educational life of our region.

Despite these connections, Pacific voices, histories, languages, cultures and knowledge systems remain insufficiently visible in Australian education and educational research. This research dialogue provides a space for researchers, educators, students and community members to explore how Pacific presence and recognition can be strengthened across educational contexts, especially in North and Far North Queensland.

Building on informal conversations among colleagues and friends, our own 'meetings on the beach' in the spirit of Dening (2004),this gathering extends those discussions into a broader collective space. Through talanoa, research sharing, and collaborative mapping, participants will identify existing strengths, explore emerging research directions, and develop future opportunities for collaboration.

While the workshop is centred on education as a broad field of inquiry and practice, we adopt an expansive understanding of education that extends beyond formal schooling. We welcome participants from a wide range of disciplinary backgrounds whose research, teaching, professional practice, or community engagement focuses on the Pacific. We believe that bringing together diverse perspectives will enrich conversations about knowledge, relationships, and collaboration across Queensland and Oceania.

The workshop is grounded in the places where we work, learn, and live. It recognises that the Pacific is not only a region to study, but a network of relationships, communities and knowledge systems that already shape Queensland's educational futures.

Face to face attendance is preferred but a Zoom link will be provided on request - florence.boulard@jcu.edu.au. Please note that online participation will only be possible from 9:00am until 12:00pm.

This event is proudly organised by the College of Arts, Society and Education. The Organising Committee: Dr Greg Burnett | Dr Wili Suluma | Dr Bryan Smith | Dr Tamra Jones | A/Prof Florence Boulard with the support of CASE Associate Dean of Research A/Prof Ines Zuchowski