Sydney, June 2025
Last week, the Pacific Women’s Professional and Business Network (PWPBN) had the privilege of attending the Australian Association for Pacific Studies (AAPS) Conference 2025, held at the University of Sydney. Convened by the brilliant Professor Jioji Ravulo, the conference brought together leading academics, researchers, practitioners, and community voices from across Oceania and beyond.
At its heart, the AAPS Conference is a space for rigorous academic research and critical inquiry—challenging dominant narratives and reimagining Pacific futures through Indigenous knowledge systems, decolonial frameworks, and community-engaged research.
The key focus areas included:
• Indigenous-led research and Pacific epistemologies
• Social justice and policy
• Education and language revitalisation
• Gender and identity in the Pacific
• Health, wellbeing, and resilience
• Climate change and environmental governance
For PWPBN, the experience reinforced our commitment to evidence-informed advocacy, Pacific women’s leadership, and intergenerational knowledge sharing. The sessions were intellectually rich and deeply grounded in our shared responsibility to honour and protect Pacific ways of knowing and being.
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Prof Jioji Ravulo, the AAPS Committee, and all who shared their research and stories. Fa’afetai tele lava for holding space for critical, hopeful, and transformative conversations.
May our scholarship continue to serve our people with integrity, care, and courage.
#PWPBN #IndigenousKnowledge #DecoloniseTheAcademy #TalanoaMoLeLumana’i #WomenInResearch
