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Art

PACIFIC ARTISTS

COLLECTIVE FOCUSES ON

CULTURAL RECOVERY

Pacific Education Research Bank: Advancing

Educational Research and Knowledge Sharing

In celebration of this year’s International Literacy Day, the Pacific the Pacific Data Hub portal, offering a secure and robust digital platform that
Community’s (SPC) Educational Quality and Assessment Programme (EQAP) provides advanced content management and security capabilities. Countries
and the SPC-coordinated Pacific Data Hub are proud to unveil the Pacific’s in the region can voluntarily deposit their research products into the bank,
own Education Research Bank. The bank is a Pacific-developed digital maintaining full control over what is shared and how it is accessed.
infrastructure designed to transform the way education-related research is A Pacific-led community good, the Pacific Data Hub (pacificdata.org) is an
stored, accessed and shared across the region. online gateway to comprehensive data and information ‘about the Pacific,
Education ministries from the Blue Pacific continent voiced a shared by the Pacific’. As well as the education research bank, the SPC-coordinated
concern at the 2021 Pacific Education Research Network (PERN) meeting. platform serves as a single-entry point to Pacific datasets, publications,
These representatives were concerned about the loss of knowledge products dashboards and other tools, with financial support from New Zealand’s
including reports and data sets due to inadequate storage, staff turnover, and Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
weak information management practises. One of the key features of the research bank enabled by the Pacific Data
These challenges, accompanied by the high cost of accessing research Hub is its flexibility in access control, allowing contributors from Pacific
publications, highlighted a critical gap in the region’s educational Island countries to determine whether their research is fully open to the
infrastructure. The idea of designing and launching a regional research bank public or subject to restricted access. In cases where resources are restricted,
was borne out of this shared regional concern. anyone wishing to view the content can request for permission, and the
The proposal for a centralised repository for education-related research decision to approve or deny the request lies with designated focal point of
was met with widespread enthusiasm and support. This initiative has now the respective country.
come into fruition with the finalisation of the research bank, signifying a leap Another key feature of the research bank is that it incorporates a quality
forward in the preservation and promotion of educational research in the assurance process, where all materials submitted are reviewed to meet the
Pacific. standards set by the contributing countries. This vetting process, combined By Rowena Singh and music, as well as in visual arts and cultural education,
With two primary goals, the research bank aims to safeguard the wealth with regular updates on metadata, site access, and downloads, ensures that their activities include community events, performances,
of knowledge produced by Pacific education ministries and to make these the Research Bank remains a reliable and valuable resource for the Pacific
resources accessible to policymakers, scholars and students. region. Rako Pasefika, a collective of Pacific Island artists workshops, and educational programs designed to celebrate
By providing a secure and open-access digital platform, the research bank As of its launch, the Pacific Education Research Bank houses 25 research originating from the island of Rotuma, a dependency of Fiji, and maintain the Pacific’s cultural traditions while also
ensures that knowledge products such as reports, journals, publications, papers from eight Pacific Island countries, with 17 more papers currently is emerging as a powerful force of cultural recovery and engaging with broader audiences.
videos, and datasets are preserved for future use and are readily available. being reviewed for publishing in the near future. This early accomplishment creativity in the evolving world of Pacific art. Co-founder Letila Mitchell said the Rako Pasefika journey
This initiative is also particularly important for researchers working reflects the enthusiasm and dedication of the region’s education ministries
outside of academia, who often struggle with restricted access to peer- to contribute their knowledge and support the collective advancement of Using various artistic projects and community initiatives began in 2004 after a group of artists from Rotuma returned
reviewed journals due to costly paywalls. The research bank aims to education in the Pacific. to revitalise traditional arts and cultural education while from the Festival of Pacific Arts in Palau.
overcome these barriers by offering a no-cost, regional platform dedicated Looking ahead, EQAP will continue to work closely with member countries supporting artists, the creative arts company is working to “We were very inspired by what we had witnessed in
to featuring Pacific research, empowering local researchers and ensuring to encourage regular updates and contributions to the Research Bank. This ensure that the rich traditions and practices of Pacific Islander Palau,” says Mitchell. “So, when we came back, we made the
that research outputs are accessible to all in the region. ongoing collaboration will help keep the platform up to date, relevant, and
Developed by SPC’s Pacific Data Hub team, the research bank is hosted on reflective of the latest research efforts conducted in the region. communities continue to thrive in a modern context. decision to form Rako and then in 2011, we set ourselves up
Engaged in the performing arts, including traditional dance as an actual company.
For more information and to explore the Pacific Education Research Bank,
visit: https://research-bank.pacificdata.org/education
Rako Pasefika artists perform the ‘Agai’ at the Woodford Folk Festival. Photo: Daniel O’loughlin

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