The Pacific Islands region has long been of strategic importance to Australia, and Australia has played a significant role in addressing the security and development challenges in and to the region. The region faces non-traditional security challenges, including human security and the gendered dimensions thereof, climate change, environmental and resource security, transnational crime, and cybersecurity. Given the diversity of the region, these challenges affect Pacific Island states in different ways, and require varied responses. Australia is the largest donor to the region, and is a member of the Pacific Islands Forum. With the escalation of geostrategic competition, more partners have engaged with the region, creating a ‘crowded and contested’ security environment with increased militarisation and development assistance. Pacific Islands states are actively forging their own way, defining their own security priorities and avoiding becoming a ‘pawn’ between great powers. This has led to contested notions of security in the region, between the ‘Indo-Pacific’ and ‘Blue Pacific’ constructions. This course examines Australia’s history and traditional security and development role in the region; the range of security challenges facing the region and responses; differing understandings of security between Australia and Pacific Island states; and the implications for Australia’s engagement with Pacific Island governments and societies. Through innovating and practical teaching methods, this course will enable students to understand how Australia engages presently with the Pacific Islands region, and consider how it might engage with emerging security challenges in the future.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
- Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the significance of the Pacific Islands for Australia’s national security, and how Australia has responded over time to security challenges in the region.
- Analyse the range of intersecting security and development challenges faced in the Pacific Islands and Australia’s engagement with Pacific governments and societies on these challenges.
- Interpret how security challenges facing the Pacific Islands are understood by both Australia and the Pacific Islands, and their context within the global environment.
- Acknowledge the diversity of the Pacific Islands region and regionalism, and analyse how this affects patchworked security cooperation and Australia’s responses.
- Conduct scholarly research, express ideas and construct evidence-based arguments in written form.
Indicative Assessment
- Ministerial Briefing Note (20) [LO 2,3,5]
- Crisis simulation position paper (20) [LO 1,2,3,4,5]
- Research Essay (50) [LO 1,2,3,4,5]
- Participation (10) [LO 1,2,3,4]
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Workload
This course comprises some 130 hours of activity over 12 weeks, including some 24 hours of lectures or an equivalent activity and some 12 hours of tutorials or equivalent activity. The course comprises a maximum of 6k words of assessment or the equivalent. Please note this is a general guide, averaged over the semester and the final hours ultimately depend on the individual's ability in reading and writing. There may also be some requirement for students to respond (briefly) in writing to developments in the crisis simulation outside the lecture periods in weeks 10-12.
Inherent Requirements
Not applicable
Requisite and Incompatibility
Prescribed Texts
Key readings will be provided via Wattle.
Majors
Minors
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
Commonwealth Support (CSP) Students
If you have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). More information about your student contribution amount for each course at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 14
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are a domestic graduate coursework student with a Domestic Tuition Fee (DTF) place or international student you will be required to pay course tuition fees (see below). Course tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
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Class summaries, if available, can be accessed by clicking on the View link for the relevant class number.
First Semester
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2424 | 23 Feb 2026 | 02 Mar 2026 | 31 Mar 2026 | 29 May 2026 | In Person | N/A |