Department of Pacific Affairs ANU

Established in 1996 and funded in partnership by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and ANU, the Department of Pacific Affairs (DPA) – formerly the State, Society and Governance in Melanesia Program – is the leading international centre for applied multidisciplinary research and analysis concerning contemporary governance issues in Melanesia and the broader Pacific. Situated within the Bell School, DPA seeks to set the international standard for scholarship on the region. DPA comprises over 60 research active scholars, with a staffing profile of 21 academics, supported by 15 visiting fellows and 30 PhD scholars. Over the past decade the unit has evolved into a fully integrated university department, undertaking a comprehensive suite of research, education and outreach activities. DPA’s strengths lie in its critical mass of expertise and knowledge, the applied and long-term nature of its research, its extensive engagement with policy communities.