Australian Association for Pacific Studies (AAPS) Conference

The Australian Association for Pacific Studies biennial conference is an opportunity to create and sustain critical conversations and collaborations across the transdisciplinary field of Pacific studies.

Hosted in 2025 by The University of Sydney, the gathering will focus on exploring and navigating the concepts of discourses and destinies, and how they relate to the Pacific, its people and places.

Much attention – locally, regionally and globally – continues to be placed on the Pacific. Whether it’s being contested through geopolitical endeavours, to being celebrated for its traditional cultures, the Pacific is no stranger to attention. However, who determines how the region is understood is key to this conversation. Is it the highest bidder for the natural resources that control these narratives, or the local communities that generally don’t benefit from such financial investments and exploitations? Is it the military power that exercises more diplomatic prowess, or Indigenous wisdoms from across the region? This conference strives to explore these various tensions, whilst also showcasing Pacific strengths and solutions in trying to make sense of the underlying discourses that determine the possible destinies of the Pacific region and beyond.

The conference will encourage an intersectional talanoa, provoking participants to be mindful of how their disciplinary perspectives and practices interact with the complexities of Pacific discourses and destinies. Sub-themes supporting these discussions will include panel presentations, papers and performances from the following areas:

• Pacific Studies

• Pacific Education

• Pacific Social Work

• Pacific Employment

• Pacific Health

• Pacific Sports

• Pacific Visual Arts

• Pacific Performing Arts

• Pacific Literature

• Pacific Media

• Pacific Fashion

• Pacific Finance

• Pacific Tech and Innovation

• Pacific Climate and Environment

• Pacific Sciences

Learn More