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
I was first welcomed into what has become our OCIES community at the 2008 ANZCIES conference in Auckland. I’ve loved working with colleagues around our region in serving as Secretary, Vice President, IEJ: CP Senior Editor and Co-President, and currently contribute to the work of the EC as the Immediate Past Co-President.
It’s been a special privilege to have been part of the society’s changes and growth in these roles since 2014.
Based at the University of Sydney’s Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences in the Sydney School of Education and Social Work, I have explored issues of equity and decolonising processes through education policy actors and work at multiple scales in my research, teaching and engagement/governance roles .
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 | 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.
Senior Lecturer | Faculty of Education | Monash University
Dr Zhang’s work lies at the intersection of cultural studies, curriculum studies, and education policy.
At the heart of Dr Zhang’s scholarship is a deep engagement with cultural perspectives in education, particularly those rooted in Asian philosophies and traditions.
His work challenges the dominance of Western epistemologies in education by advocating for Asia as Method—an approach that mobilises Asian intellectual resources to rethink educational theory, research, and practice.
He is also the co-senior editor of the International Education Journal: Comparative Perspective, the official journal of Oceania Comparative and International Education Society (OCIES).
Senior Lecturer | Course Leader of Master of Education and Master of Inclusive Education | Faculty of Education | Monash University
Dr. research work is focused on AI in education, education policy, network governance, and leadership.
He served as an UNESCO Chief Specialist on ICT in Education for Rural Transformation.
He is the co-series editor of Education in the Asia-Pacific Region: Issues, Concerns and Prospect (Springer) with Professor Rupert Maclean, AO.
He is also the co-senior editor in the International Education Journal: Comparative Perspective, the official journal of Oceania Comparative and International Education Society (OCIES).