It’s been a while since I’ve been posted but I hope to post regularly from now on:
- there have been staff changes with a new student advisor, Carlos Tupu; a new research assistant, Fine Koloamatangi; and a new Executive Assistant, Catherine Haslem;
- we are missing Fuimaono Ben Taufua, our National Project Manager (Senior Pasifika Advisor) who has been taken ill;
- the highlight so far for the year has been our Albany celebration to honour Pasifika graduates. It was a great night, with great achievements and company. Look forward Manawatu and Wellington taking their turns;
- the Pacific Futures symposium, run jointly with the Pacific Research and Policy Centre and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, was great with presentations on natural resource security in the Pacific;
- I continue with my weekly radio programme on PlanetFM in the vernacular, as well as regular comments on Radio New Zealand International on Pacific politics;
- On the research front: I am looking forward to doing some work with high school teachers and senior students in Tonga on civic education based largely on a book I wrote on the topic titled: Fakahalafononga ki he Temokalati (Pathway to Democracy); I am writing several pieces for various publications including a book on kava, a Foreword for a work on Tongan tradition, a new Journal of Pacific Research and Policy, and a series on the idea of ‘grafting’ and ‘crafting’ in academic research
Until next time…