SOLOMON Islands academic, Professor Tacisius Kabutaulaka, is one of 22 fellows in China’s Transpacific and Asian Dialogue – an initiative on the Future of US–China Relations.
The fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania brings together scholars from the US, Asia, and the Pacific to examine changing geopolitical dynamics due to growing Chinese influence.
Associate Professor Tarcisius Kabutaulaka said he hoped the initiative would create actionable policies for governments and other stakeholders to understand the challenges and opportunities presented by China.
“A lot of our discussions take place in academia but never make it into the policy space,” Kabutaulaka said.
“This project is about creating mechanisms through which scholarly work can inform decisions made by governments and other institutions as well.”
Kabatualaka is based at the University of Hawaii, Manoa. He said the university’s unique role as an Asia-Pacific–facing institution strengthened its relevance and importance in global conversations.
“My involvement in the project reflects not just my individual participation, it is the involvement of UH Mānoa, which gives the university and the islands we live in more prominence on the global stage,” Kabutaulaka said.
Kabutaulaka’s research focuses on international relations, Pacific Islands regionalism, and natural resource development, and he recently examined geopolitical competition linked to China’s expanding role in Oceania.
Source: University of Hawaii News