Pacific island countries and communities today face an unprecedented set of security challenges, many of which will intensify over coming decades: climate change, geopolitics, a contested ocean, promoting human development and dealing with transnational crime. In response, the Pacific is drawing together to take collective action; developing innovative national security strategies, collaborating on security initiatives through an evolving regional architecture, and advocating for Pacific priorities on the global stage.
The course will critically analyse some of the key challenges before the region, and the policy responses. Students will learn about the key regional organisations and security agreements, including the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent, the Boe Declaration on Regional Security and the Ocean of Peace Declaration. Students will learn how members of the Pacific Islands Forum are applying the regional frameworks in their national security policy-making, and the key elements in successful Pacific national security policy-making. A highlight of the course is a futures exercise, in which students will apply these learnings to chart the journey to 2050.
The course is presented as a collaboration between the National Security College and the Pacific Security College, and consistent with NSC’s signature pedagogy, will be delivered by an academic convenor and policy practitioners, including a number of Pacific representatives. Students will finish the course with an excellent understanding of the Pacific security environment – and have developed their own recommendations on the next steps for governments and other stakeholders.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
- Demonstrate an understanding of Pacific security priorities, how to engage the regional security architecture, and how national security policy-making works.
- Critically discuss and debate academic and policy literature relating to Pacific security challenges and opportunities.
- Create recommendations for how national governments and regional organisations can manage Pacific security issues.
- Integrate knowledge of current and future security issues, and Pacific national and regional policy-making, to examine how the Pacific security environment might evolve between now and 2050.
- Develop and communicate ideas, analysis and argument in a range of forms for professional and scholarly audiences, reflecting the need to be influential with many stakeholders in Pacific security policy-making.
Indicative Assessment
- Blog/opinion piece (750 words) (15) [LO 1,2,3,5]
- Government policy submission (1000 words) (20) [LO 1,3,5]
- Research essay (2,500 words) (50) [LO 1,2,3,5]
- Reflection on futures exercise (750 words) (15) [LO 3,4,5]
The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.
Workload
The standard workload for a 6 unit course is 130 hours including class time and independant study.
Prescribed Texts
none
Preliminary Reading
Transform Aqorau, Fishing For Success: Lessons in Pacific Regionalism, Canberra: ANU Department of Pacific Affairs, 2019.
George Carter, ‘Establishing a Pacific Voice in the Climate Change Negotiations’, in Greg Fry and Sandra Tarte (eds), The New Pacific Diplomacy, Canberra: ANU Press, 2015.
Cook Islands Government, National Security Policy 2023-2026, Rarotonga: Cook Islands Government, 2023.
Greg Fry, Framing the Islands: Power and Diplomatic Agency in Pacific Regionalism, Canberra: ANU Press, 2019.
Epeli Hau’ofa, ‘Our Sea of Islands’, The Contemporary Pacific 6(1) (1994): pp.148-61.
Henry Ivarature, In Brief 2023/01: National Security Strategies in the Pacific — Some Challenges, Canberra: ANU Department of Pacific Affairs, 2023.
Henrietta McNeill, ‘Border security cooperation to combat transnational crime in the Pacific Islands’ in Joanne Wallis, Henrietta McNeill, James Batley and Anna Powles eds., Security Cooperation in the Pacific Islands: Politics, Priorities, and Pathways of the Regional Security Patchwork, London and New York: Routledge, 2025, pp. 263-277.
Anna Naupa ‘Cultural security in the Pacific: Why it matters for regional security’, Lowy Interpreter, 2023 https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/cultural-security-pacific-why-it-matters-regional-security
Pacific Islands Forum, Boe Declaration on Regional Security Action Plan, 2019.
Pacific Islands Forum, 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent, 2022.
Pacific Islands Forum and Pacific Fusion Centre, The Pacific Security Outlook Report, 2025.
Dave Peebles, Pacific Regional Order, Canberra: ANU Press, 2005.
Joanne Wallis et al, ‘Introduction: Security cooperation in the Pacific Islands’ in Joanne Wallis, Henrietta McNeill, James Batley and Anna Powles eds., Security Cooperation in the Pacific Islands: Politics, Priorities, and Pathways of the Regional Security Patchwork, London and New York: Routledge, 2025, pp. 263-277.
Hugh White. ‘Hard New World’, Quarterly Essay, June 2025.
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
Commonwealth Support (CSP) Students
If you have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). More information about your student contribution amount for each course at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 14
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are a domestic graduate coursework student with a Domestic Tuition Fee (DTF) place or international student you will be required to pay course tuition fees (see below). Course tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
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