Individual Deliverable #1 (01 December 2025): Delivered a presentation and facilitated discussion for the Catalpa Design team and DFAT Staff, and produced a comprehensive strategic policy brief, both informed by the PhD research findings on national universities.

Building on Pacific Thought Network's (PacTNet) Annual Pacific Lecture given in June 2025 by Professor Transform Aqorau, Vice Chancellor of Solomon Islands National University, the tok stori or talanoa (panel discussion) will focus on his call for us to re-imagine a future of the Blue Pacific Continent built on transformative leadership, regional solidarity, and the power of universities, especially the recent growth of national universities located in the heart of the Pacific. Listen to the Annual Pacific Lecture 2025 by Professor Transform Aqorau We will hear perspectives and responses from panellists: Leading Solomon Islands scholar on development, politics and leadership in the Pacific, Associate Professor Gordon Nanau (Head of Pacific Studies, University of Auckland) Pacific and Indigenous Studies scholar and esteemed Tongan educator, Dr Telesia Kalavite (Te Tumu, University of Otago) Higher education, leadership and international partnerships researcher and policy analyst for over 20 years, Ben Levy (PhD Candidate, University of Waikato; International Academic Programme Development Advisor, University of Otago) Facilitated by notable Fijian philosopher and scholar, Dr Tui Rakuita (Sociology, University of Otago; PacTNet Committee Member). Refreshments will be provided. Please join us for this enjoyable and thought-provoking evening proceeding the annual Pacific Voices Symposium happening the following day. Brought to you by Pacific Thought Network (PacTNet) in partnership with Pacific Development Office, University of Otago.

In 2025, I was awarded a grant to present at the Higher Education Research and Development annual conference in Perth, Australia. Here is my short reflective contribution to their blog, along with a resources pdf on the topic. I welcome any thoughts or comments.

A podcast series by Dr Suren Ladd that features the interesting work independent and emerging academic scholars. The series speaks with scholars from a variety of disciplines. In this episode of Half Time Scholars, our guest is Mr. Ben Levy, a scholar-practitioner with over 24 years of experience in higher education internationalisation, decolonisation, and indigeneity. Ben's career has spanned six continents, where he has demonstrated a strong commitment to fostering equitable and sustainable partnerships across diverse contexts and cultures. As a Senior International Officer at a U.S. public tertiary institution, he played a pivotal role in advancing comprehensive internationalisation strategies and securing federal grants to support these initiatives. Currently a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Waikato, Ben's research focuses on the intersections of national, regional, and international priorities in the tertiary education systems of Oceania's island nations, including Samoa, Tonga, and Fiji. His work critically examines how global rankings and internationalisation often perpetuate colonial legacies, advocating instead for strategies that center Indigenous Oceania values and knowledge systems. By employing context-bound methodologies such as talanoa, Ben aims to contribute to a more equitable and transformational approach to internationalisation in higher education. Join us as we explore the complexities of higher education in Oceania and discuss Ben's vision for decolonising and contextualising internationalisation to benefit Indigenous communities.