I consider this role to be an honour – I have been part of the OCIES family since 2014 (then ANCIES) and have always aspired to be as useful and helpful as I can in our region and in comparative and international education.
My first conference was in Brisbane in 2014, and that laid the foundation for a variety of opportunities to delve into topics such as positionality, relationality and regionalism. Since then, I have been mainly involved in attending and presenting at our OCIES conferences and developing our new and early career researchers of OCIES group, NERO, in 2017/2018 with other OCIES friends, as well as stints in the General Committee and our journal’s editorial board.
I am a Senior Teaching Fellow in the School of Environment, Faculty of Science, University of Auckland and currently the Associate Dean Diversity and Inclusivity for my faculty. My teaching focuses on creating space for Indigenous (science) knowledges, perspectives and values, power, equity and social justice in environmental issues, and and using art as a means to understand perspectives around important current issues such as climate change, climate refugees, social inequities, and as a means for students to express themselves and who they are as learners. My research interests are in Pacific Critical Education, with a particular focus on Tongan science learners, science education, Indigenous knowledges and pedagogies, engagement, success, and art-based practice in science education
Lecturer – Pasifika Success, Faculty of Education and Social Work | Senior Research and Policy Advisor, Office of the Pro Vice-Chancellor Pacific | Waipapa Taumata Rau | The University of Auckland | New Zealand
Tim’s research interests include equity policies and discourses, academic citizenship, institutional practices in academic support, Pacific research methodologies and Pacific/ Pasifika education. In addition to his current research, teaching and service, Tim has contributed as an international consultant to regional youth development projects across the Pacific.
Vice-Chancellor Research Fellow | Faculty of Education of Southern Cross University
Her research interests include analysing and evaluating policies and their implementation in the areas of education for sustainable development, climate change, and disaster risk reduction. Central to her research is the idea of cognitive justice—what, or whose knowledge, is emphasised or neglected in the process of policy transfer. Dr de Rivera has conducted research and development work in Singapore, the Philippines, Vanuatu, and Australia.
Lecturer, The University of Sydney
Neriman’sresearch is international and comparative education focusing on students’ experiences of migration, particularly of forced migration with its pre-, trans-, and post-migration stages.
During the twenty years that I’ve worked education, I’ve taught – and continue to learn – in schools internationally and in non-government, public higher education and private institutions, including work with NGOs supporting refugees with relocation in the UK and Australia, such as the University of Sydney’s Refugee Language Programme.
I grew up in four countries and have been in what is now known as Australia for the past two decades, drawing some of my motivation from these experiences of migration (and of being ‘first in family’ to university and of mixed backgrounds, amongst others) to work in areas of education concerning decolonising processes and issues relating to equity in policy approaches.
I’m currently a Senior Lecturer in the Sydney School of Education and Social Work, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Since 2014, I have served in the OCIES ‘family’ as the immediate past Editor of the Society’s journal, IEJ: CP and as a former Vice President and Secretary and look forward to continuing as co-President in 2024.
Deputy Principal – Avondale College | Research interest in science education
I have spent the last five years researching the barriers that students encounter when accessing science education in New Zealand state schools through Waikato University via postgraduate study.