Teaching Pacific knowledge in Australian universities between disciplines and contexts

This article explains how Pacific knowledge is being taught in Australian universities, even though most universities do not have proper Pacific Studies programs. Instead, Pacific content is often shared “in between” different subjects like Education, History, Migration Studies, Global Studies, and International Development. Drawing on my teaching across four universities, I show how these subjects have created small but important openings to introduce Pacific ideas—such as our ways of understanding wellbeing, our research methods, our material culture, and our migration stories.

Even though Pacific content is not always visible in official course outlines, Pacific knowledge is still being taught through creative and culturally grounded teaching approaches. This includes finding ways to decolonise and Indigenise lessons, and to bring Pacific voices and perspectives into classrooms that were not originally designed for us. By sharing these experiences, the article highlights both the challenges and the possibilities of keeping Pacific knowledge alive in Australian universities today, especially when working across many different disciplines and contexts.