Pacific Islands Political Studies Association’s (PIPSA) Conference

Konrad Adenauer Stiftung - Regional Programme Australia and the Pacific (KAS Australia) was pleased to support the 2025 Pacific Islands Political Studies Association’s (PIPSA) Conference this year.

Themed “The Pacific Islands: Zone of Peace or Ocean of Discontent?”, the Conference was kicked off by an inspiring speech from the NZ Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Sir Winston Peters, giving an overview of New Zealand’s policies in its region.

The DPM inter alia stressed his country's ongoing commitment to needs based development assistance, the need to reset its relationship with the Cook Islands, and the challenges posed by New Caledonia's multiethnic society. He concluded that despite numerous challenges the Pacific family would always find a way ahead. The conference featured various expert speakers from all over the Pacific region, including the Norfolk Islands.

In the course of numerous panel discussions and roundtables the participants had ample opportunity to discuss Pacific affairs including China and Taiwan, the rise of defence diplomacy, and postcolonial relations as seen from the Pacific Islands.

The Vice Chancellor of the National University of the Solomon Islands, Transform Aqorau, gave a keynote speech that was pragmatic, passionate, and inspiring at the same time. He emphasized that the Pacific region was not a battle ground or a chess bord, advocated for Pacific voices and solidarity informed by independent Pacific research, and concluded that the Pacific region was a zone of peace and opportunities, not discontent.

https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/strategic-studies/about/pipsa-2025