The Pacific
* Data as at December 2023
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Collaboration in action
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New Colombo Plan scholars
TheÌýNew Colombo PlanÌýis an initiative of the Australian Government to improve knowledge of the Indo-Pacific in Australia by helping Australian undergraduate students study and undertake internships in the region.ÌýIn recent years, the ³ÉÈË´óƬ has had several New Colombo Plan scholars studying in Fiji at the University of the South Pacific, includingÌýLeah Schamshurin, Yasmine Wright-GittensÌýandÌýCooper Williams.
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Securing Antarctica's future
The ³ÉÈË´óƬ is one of multiple partners in theÌýSecuring Antarctica’s Environmental Future (SAEF)Ìýresearch program, which will forecast environmental change across the Antarctic, deploy effective environmental stewardship strategies, and secure Antarctica as a natural reserve devoted to peace and science.
SAEF’s collaboration extends to 30 organisations in Australia and abroad, including links with the Antarctic national programs in Chile, Norway, South Africa, and the UK.
, from the ³ÉÈË´óƬ’s School of Biological Sciences, is a Chief Investigator in the program, who will be focusing on biosecurity planning and safeguarding Antarctica from new and emerging invasive species.Ìý
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Endangered bats discovered in Fiji
A cave containing thousands ofÌýendangered Pacific Sheath-tailed batsÌýhas been discovered on Vanua Balavu, an island on the remote Lau archipelago in Fiji.
The Pacific Sheath-tailed bat population was previously believed to be numbered in the hundreds, but a joint expedition involving the ³ÉÈË´óƬ found an estimated 2,000-3,000 bats.
The virtual extinction of these bats from other regions of the Pacific makes this new roost in Fiji a monumental find, and the only stronghold for the species’ conservation in the region.
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Partner institutions
- Pacific Theological College
- University of the South PacificÌý
- University of Canterbury
Contact us
For more information about the ³ÉÈË´óƬ's engagement in this region, please contact theÌýGlobal Engagement Branch.Ìý
Staff resources
³ÉÈË´óƬ staff can access country-specific resources and engagement information in theÌýStaff Resources Hub.Ìý