Newcastle Institute for Energy and Resources
Pacific Node
The University of Newcastle is working with Pacific partners to deliver collaborative solutions to environmental, social and economic challenges, and to build equitable prosperity, social cohesion and healthy communities guided by our Pacific Research Roadmap.
Through our ‘Looking Ahead’ Strategic Plan 2020-2025 and its Asia Pacific focus, we are committed to ensuring that our nearest neighbours are supported in the face of significant challenges.
In partnership with the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), we have established the Pacific Node in Apia, Samoa to provide a flexible research framework for collaborative engagement between academia, industry, government and communities to deliver impact in national priority areas including:
- climate resilience
- ecosystem and biodiversity protection
- waste management and pollution control
- environmental governance
Active projects show the breadth of research excellence, innovation and training being applied in the region to help understand key areas of priority - climate resilience, terrestrial and marine ecosystem monitoring and restoration, biodiversity conservation, restoration, disaster waste management, plastic pollution, environmental governance, gender and social inclusion, food security and healthy communities.
A number of targeted scholarships have been awarded to Pacific Island Nationals for projects tied to the environmental protection priorities of SPREP and other regional organisations. The PhD candidates are involved in research with project outcomes set to directly benefit their communities in areas including the effects of marine plastics, bioremediation of oil in WWII wrecks, ecosystem-based adaptation to climate change, coral reef adaptation to ocean acidification, and the impact of invasive species on ecosystem recovery.
Research for Thriving Communities in the Pacific
News
News • 30 Sep 2022
Associate Professor Iftekhar Ahmed presents at the Asia Pacific Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction
The Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), a key partner through the University’s Pacific Node initiative, recently ran a partner event on ‘Disaster Waste Management for a Resilient Pacific’ at the Asia Pacific Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (APMCDRR) in Brisbane.
News • 28 Feb 2022
The future of plastic pollution in the Pacific
The fifth session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA) will begin on Monday, February 28, however negotiations are already underway in the drafting of an international treaty to curb plastic pollution.
News • 10 Jun 2020
Coastal Clean-up for World Oceans Day
Through its Pacific Node, the University of Newcastle, in partnership with the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE) conducted a coastal clean-up of the Moata’a mangrove environment, in Samoa on Monday, 8 June 2020, to celebrate UN World Oceans Day under the banner “Innovation for a Sustainable Ocean.”
News • 29 May 2018
Pacific partnership deepens ties with island nations
With a shared vision to support the resilience and sustainability of some of the world’s most at-risk communities, the University of Newcastle (UON) is proud to partner with the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) to advance critical environmental research in the Pacific.
Case studies
The University of Newcastle acknowledges the traditional custodians of the lands within our footprint areas: Awabakal, Darkinjung, Biripai, Worimi, Wonnarua, and Eora Nations. We also pay respect to the wisdom of our Elders past and present.