BY INDY MAEALASIA

PACIFIC universities are no longer just centers of learning—they are becoming hubs of cultural revival and innovation.

Vice Chancellor of Solomon Islands National University (SINU), Professor Transform Aqorau highlighted this during his recent address at the University of Otago in New Zealand.

“Universities have the responsibility to decolonize knowledge and promote innovation that fits our context. For far too long, Pacific knowledge systems and indigenous ingenuity were undervalued by formal education. That is changing,” he said.

Aqorau lauded the efforts in which pacific universities are incorporating Pacific studies, local languages and traditional ecological knowledge into their programmes.

“We recognise that our custom and modern science can complement each other. As one young climate activist put it recently, our indigenous knowledge must be respected as a form of science.”

“Whether it’s Polynesian navigation techniques or agroforestry practices in Melanesia, our ancestors developed sophisticated solutions adapted to our environment,” he added.

Aqorau stressed that universities should invest in documentation, research and teach these alongside Western science.

“This is part of decolonising the curriculum – validating our ways of knowing and learning from them to forge innovative approaches. For example, in agriculture faculties, students might study both the latest agronomy and the traditional methods of yam cultivation that promote soil health,” he said.

He pointed out that in regards to climate research, Western data models can be enriched by local observations passed down over generations and by marrying the best of both worlds, we can innovate in a way that is truly Pacific.

 “This fusion can help us address everything from climate adaptation like restoring traditional resilient crop varieties to modern tech solutions like adapting apps for local languages,” he added.

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