ABOUT US
DevNet is the Aotearoa New Zealand International Development Studies Network. For over 30 years we have connected academics, students, development policy-makers and practitioners to facilitate dialogue, debate and knowledge-sharing.
CONFERENCES
DevNet’s conferences have been held biennially since 1998. Aotearoa New Zealand’s largest, regular conference on international development, provides a great opportunity for people from Aotearoa, the Pacific and others to learn from each other and from international experts. Keynote speakers have…
GRANTS & AWARDS
DevNet provides field research grants to support postgraduate students and researchers based in New Zealand and the Pacific who are studying development issues relevant to New Zealand’s development cooperation and Pacific development.
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DevNet News
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DevNet–MFAT New Zealand Postgraduate Development Field Research Awardee Spotlight: Rebecca Thomas
Congratulations to Rebecca Thomas, Master of Arts in Development Studies at the University of Auckland, on the successful completion of her research: Climate Mobility, Adaptation and Community Resilience in Fiji: Findings from the Villages of Galoa and Yadua.
Rebecca shared:
“My Master’s research explored climate mobility in the Fijian villages of Galoa and Yadua. Using the Fijian Vanua Research Framework and participatory visual methods, including Photovoice, mobility mapping and creative artworks, I examined how communities understand environmental change and make decisions about staying, moving temporarily, or relocating. It found that attachment to Vanua (land, people, ancestry, obligation and belonging), gendered resilience, and everyday micro-mobilities shaped climate adaptation in ways often overlooked by relocation-focused policy. Fieldwork in Fiji was relational and reciprocal, highlighting the value of community-led, culturally grounded approaches to Pacific climate mobility research and adaptation planning.”
For more information, please read Rebecca’s policy brief here: devnet.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Rebecca-Thomas-NZPG-Revised-Policy-Brief-2026-1.docx
Great work.
Congratulations!!
Congratulations ❤
Pacific Research Grant Awardee Spotlight: Dr Apisalome Movono
Research topic: Integrate or Bust: Exploring Resilience Building in the Pacific Tourism Space: A Case Study of Fijian Tourism, Savusavu & Taveuni, Fiji
Fiji’s tourism sector continues to face deep structural challenges arising from fragmented governance arrangements, which have undermined resilience and limited equitable participation in development. Over time, overlapping mandates, competing institutional interests, and inadequate coordination among central government agencies, provincial administrations, and community bodies have created inefficiencies that hinder the implementation of coherent tourism policies.
As a result, Fiji’s tourism system struggles to deliver consistent and equitable outcomes for both investors and Indigenous landowning communities. Strengthening coordination among government ministries, traditional institutions, and local communities is therefore critical to building a more resilient and inclusive tourism sector.
A cohesive governance framework would support more effective policy implementation, strengthen shared accountability, and enable more inclusive decision-making that reflects both national development priorities and the aspirations of local communities.
Find out more about the policy brief here: devnet.org.nz/apisalome-movono-university-of-the-south-pacific/
Pacific Research Grant Awardee Spotlight: Emelda Calista Ariku
Congratulations to Emelda Calista Ariku, Solomon Islands National University and Pacific Research Grant Awardee, on the successful completion of her research on “Challenges and Barriers that Students Faced in Transitioning from Secondary Schools into Higher Tertiary Education: The Perspectives of Divine Word University Students, Madang Province, Papua New Guinea.”
Her study examined the academic, technological, social, and institutional challenges students experience when transitioning from secondary school to tertiary education, with particular attention to students from rural and disadvantaged backgrounds.
The findings highlight the need for more inclusive, structured, and responsive transition support to help students adjust, participate, and succeed in higher education. The research also provides valuable insights that can inform government policy and institutional strategies, while supporting Divine Word University in strengthening programs that promote students’ academic success and overall well-being.
Ultimately, addressing these barriers can contribute to improving the quality, accessibility, and inclusiveness of higher education in Papua New Guinea.
📄 For more information, please read Emelda’s policy brief here: devnet.org.nz/emelda-calista-ariku-solomon-islands-national-university/
📢 Call for Papers & Presentations – DEVNET Conference 2026
Just a gentle reminder that submissions of paper and presentation abstracts for the 2026 DEVNET Conference are due on Monday, 31 August 2026.
We welcome submissions from academics, practitioners, policymakers, community organisations, and students that engage with the conference theme:
🌏 Rebalancing Worlds – Remaking Practice
Abstracts can be submitted to one of the conference sessions, the Open Session, or the dedicated Student Session for postgraduate students wishing to have their presentations adjudicated.
📝 Submit your abstract via the conference webpage:
www.wgtn.ac.nz/sgees/about/events/devnet-2026-conference
Please share this opportunity with your networks.
We look forward to receiving your submissions and welcoming everyone to Wellington in December!
#DEVNET2026 #CallForPapers #CallForAbstracts #DevelopmentStudies #Conference2026 #Research
Conference event page/abstract submission link: www.wgtn.ac.nz/sgees/about/events/devnet-2026-conference
We are delighted to celebrate the outstanding results of the writing retreat facilitated by Alice Rore and Doni Wainiqolo, both graduates of the DevNet Training of Trainers Programme (2025).
With support from the DevNet Pacific Writing Retreat Grant, the retreat brought together 13 doctoral scholars from the Norway-Pacific Ocean-Climate Scholarship Programme (NPOC) for a four-day intensive writing retreat based on the NIU Writing Approach—a Pacific adaptation of the Pomodoro technique grounded in the values of solesolevaki, collective accountability, relational learning, and peer support.
The retreat exceeded its objectives. Together, the scholars wrote an impressive 56,112 words, surpassed their collective writing targets, achieved significant thesis and publication milestones, strengthened peer support networks, and gained confidence in applying and facilitating the NIU Writing Approach within their own institutions and professional contexts.
Beyond the writing achievements, the retreat fostered a supportive Pacific learning environment where scholars learned from one another, shared challenges, encouraged each other, and developed practical skills in scholarly writing, publishing, research communication, and the responsible use of artificial intelligence in research.
Congratulations to Alice, Doni, and all the participants on this remarkable achievement. Your dedication to advancing Pacific scholarship and collaborative learning is truly inspiring.
Lolomas to the Fiji writing retreat leaders, Doni and Alice, who are doing a great job of faciliating supportive, productive, culturally-grounded writing retreats!
Amazing! Well done everyone!