The Pacific is a region of diverse and complex island states and territories. While made up of mostly small islands, collectively it spans one-third of the planet’s surface and almost a quarter of the world’s languages are spoken in the Pacific Islands. The region is on the frontlines of climate change, encompassing the countries most vulnerable to sea level rise and natural disasters in the world, yet it is also a site of pioneering forms of climate adaptability and resilience.
The Pacific is, and has always been, an important area for Australia’s interests. The Australian Constitution sets out the special relationship, specifically mentioning relations with the islands of the Pacific as part of parliament’s mandate. Today, with a fast-growing Pacific population in Australia and a renewed interest in the region as a site of geopolitical importance, this relationship remains significant.
The course examines the domestic and regional politics of the contemporary Pacific, and the important developmental challenges facing the region. It is based on case studies from cutting-edge research conducted by Pacific experts at the ANU. The lectures, seminars and assessments are designed to help students gain a better understanding of how research can be translated into evidence-based policy.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
- Demonstrate an understanding of the cultural and political diversity of the contemporary Pacific and the key social and developmental challenges facing the region.
- Show familiarity with the academic and policy debates around key issues facing the contemporary Pacific.
- Conduct scholarly research, express ideas and construct evidence-based arguments in both written and oral form.
- Effectively communicate research findings to a policy audience.
Indicative Assessment
- Course participation (10) [LO 1,2]
- Oral presentation (10) [LO 1,2,3]
- Policy brief (1,000 words) (25) [LO 1,2,3,4]
- Individual research project - proposal (1,000 words) (15) [LO 1,2]
- Individual research project - final report (2,500 words) (40) [LO 1,2,3,4]
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
This course comprises some 130 hours of activity over 12 weeks, including some 24 hours of lectures or an equivalent activity and some 12 hours of tutorials or equivalent activity. The course comprises a maximum of 6k words of assessment or the equivalent. Please note this is a general guide, averaged over the semester and the final hours ultimately depend on the individual's ability in reading and writing.
Inherent Requirements
Not applicable
Requisite and Incompatibility
Prescribed Texts
There is no textbook for this course. All required readings (3-4 per week) will be available on Wattle.
Majors
Minors
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 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2024 | $4080 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2024 | $5280 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.
Class summaries, if available, can be accessed by clicking on the View link for the relevant class number.
First Semester
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3889 | 19 Feb 2024 | 26 Feb 2024 | 05 Apr 2024 | 24 May 2024 | In Person | View |
