Decolonising Development: Institutional Transformation, Legal Innovation, and the Practice of Pacific Governance

Masterclass brought to you by Pacific Thought Network (PacTNet)

Facilitator: Professor Transform Aqorau, Vice-Chancellor of Solomon Islands National University

This Masterclass will provide an in-depth, practice-oriented dialogue on how Pacific Island countries can reframe development from within — drawing on context-specific models of governance, leadership, and legal innovation. Anchored in real-world examples from the Solomon Islands, it will explore how institutions like the Solomon Islands National University (SINU) are being reformed to align with national priorities and regional aspirations.

Participants will engage in interactive discussions on:

• The application of international law (especially the Law of the Sea and fisheries law) in Pacific contexts;
• The tensions between imported legal and governance systems and customary structures;
• Institutional transformation strategies in post-colonial settings;
• Governance models for managing natural resources and maritime spaces;
• Ethical leadership and accountability in small island developing states (SIDS);
• The development of locally grounded higher education systems and curricula.

The Masterclass will be structured as a facilitated talanoa, with active engagement encouraged from participants, particularly Pacific postgraduates, early-career researchers, and professionals in law, development, or public policy. The session will blend theoretical insights with practical cases and invite critical reflection on how to "do development differently" in the Pacific.

About Professor Transform Aqorau

Professor Transform Aqorau (PhD) is Vice-Chancellor of the Solomon Islands National University. He is a leading international expert in fisheries law, regional governance, and development, and has worked extensively across the Pacific with the Solomon Islands Government, the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency, the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, and as the inaugural CEO of the Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA) Office. A pioneering Pacific scholar and practitioner, he has been central to reshaping the political economy of tuna fisheries through the design and implementation of the Vessel Day Scheme, and the successful global branding of Pacifical tuna. He played a major role in establishing the Fisheries Information Management System (FIMS), a transformative digital innovation in fisheries monitoring. Professor Aqorau is the author of Fishing for Success: Lessons in Pacific Regionalism (ANU, 2019), which chronicles the PNA’s rise as a world-leading fisheries management bloc, and Development and Governance Challenges of a Small Island State (USP, 2011), a collection of reflective essays on leadership, governance, and the future of Solomon Islands. His work draws from the intersection of indigenous Pacific values, international law, and development policy, championing greater self-determination and innovative leadership for the Blue Pacific Continent.

In-person attendance only. Lunch provided.

Limited spaces so please register via email:
Email charles.radclyffe@otago.ac.nz