Upholding rigour, reciprocity, and relationality in Oceania scholarship
Every year, the Oceania Comparative and International Education Society (OCIES) relies on the generosity, expertise, and scholarly commitment of its members to uphold the academic quality of its annual conference. One of the most important—but often invisible—forms of service is the peer review of conference abstracts.
For the 53rd OCIES Conference in Ōtautahi Christchurch (2025), a diverse group of scholars from across Oceania and beyond dedicated their time to carefully reviewing the submitted abstracts. Their work ensured that each proposal was treated with intellectual care, cultural awareness, and disciplinary rigour. These reviews also helped the Programme Committee shape a rich, coherent, and meaningful programme aligned with our collective aspirations for Indigenous, critical, and comparative education scholarship.
Importantly, this review work is not paid. It is a voluntary service, often undertaken in addition to heavy teaching, research, and community responsibilities. Yet, it is foundational to maintaining the standards that OCIES is known for. Reviewers help ensure that emerging researchers are supported, that senior scholars are constructively challenged, and that the ethics and values of Pacific and Oceania knowledge traditions are upheld.
The reviewing process for 2025 saw strong participation and timely completion rates across multiple reviewers and categories of abstracts, contributing to a high-quality and well-balanced final programme.
OCIES extends its profound appreciation to the reviewers acknowledged below. Their service sustains our academic community, strengthens our scholarly waka/vaka/vaʻa, and ensures that the conference remains a place of intellectual generosity, cultural humility, and transformative dialogue.
Below are profiles of the reviewers who were honoured and presented with a certificate of recognition by the 53rd Conference Convenor, Dr David Small, and OCIES Co-President, Dr Sonia Fonua.
Dr Tanya Wendt Samu
Dr Tanya Samu is a senior Pacific education scholar whose work has shaped teacher education, curriculum development, and Pacific pedagogies across Aotearoa and the region. Born and raised in Samoa, and of Samoan and Ngāti Kahungunu heritage, she brings deep cultural grounding to her scholarship. With over 30 years of experience at the University of Auckland, her contributions span Pacific research methodologies, Māori and Pasifika education initiatives, social sciences curriculum design, and the advancement of Indigenous perspectives in education research. Her longstanding commitment to Pacific learners and educators continues to enrich the OCIES community.
Tofilau Dr Faguele Suaalii
A scholar and educator at the National University of Samoa, Tofilau Dr Faguele Suaalii teaches across undergraduate and postgraduate levels in science education, globalisation, and issues in education. His work strengthens the pedagogical and disciplinary foundations of science teaching in Samoa and supports the development of local educators equipped to respond to their communities’ needs. His contributions reflect a commitment to contextualised teaching, culturally aligned learning, and the advancement of Samoan educational aspirations.
Dr Anne Shinkfield
Dr Anne Shinkfield is a practitioner-scholar whose work centres on creating learning pathways that are responsive to learners’ lived realities. Her extensive experience spans adult education, workplace learning, support for children with specific learning difficulties, and collaboration with Indigenous families seeking culturally rooted ways to prepare their children for schooling. Anne’s contribution to education is characterised by relationality, adaptability, and a commitment to honouring the knowledge of the learner.
Grace Ji
Grace Ji is a business educator and PhD candidate researching education policy in China. Her work explores the intersections of education policy, globalisation, and business education, and she has published within the Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand (AFAANZ). Grace’s analytical and policy-focused lens brings a valuable comparative dimension to the OCIES review community.
Dr Sofia Ali
Dr Sofia Ali is an Assistant Professor at the Fiji National University’s School of Education within the College of Humanities and Education. She teaches undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in primary education and brings expertise in teacher development and Pacific education systems. Her contributions to both teaching and research support FNU’s commitment to strengthening education quality across Fiji and the Pacific region.
Dr Hongzhi Zhang
Based at Monash University, Dr Hongzhi Zhang is a senior lecturer whose scholarship sits at the intersection of cultural studies, curriculum studies, and education policy. He is a leading voice in advancing Asia as Method—a transformative approach that mobilises Asian intellectual traditions to challenge Western dominance in educational theory. His works, including Asia as Method in Education Studies (2015) and Equity Issues in Chinese Higher Education Policy (2023), have contributed globally to discussions on cultural pluralism, massification, and the politics of educational reform. His scholarship advances epistemic justice and intercultural dialogue across Asia and Oceania. The award was accepted by Yaqing Hou on behalf of her supervisor, Dr Hongzhi Zhang.
Dr Ritesh Shah
Born in the United States to Indian immigrant parents, Dr Ritesh Shah is a leading scholar in Education in Emergencies (EiE) and the political economy of education in crisis contexts. His academic journey spans Stanford University, classroom teaching in Los Angeles, and postgraduate study in New Zealand as a Fulbright scholar. Now an Associate Professor at the University of Auckland, he interrogates the humanitarian architecture, challenging saviourism, racial capitalism, and neo-imperial practices within global education systems. His work with UN agencies, donors, and INGOs across the Pacific, Asia, Africa, and Latin America positions him as a thought leader in crisis-responsive education. As Co-Director of the Centre for Asia Pacific Refugee Studies, he champions meaningful refugee participation and critical reflexivity in academia. The award was accepted by Manal El Mazbou on behalf of her supervisor, Dr Ritesh Shah.
Dr Philip Wing Keung Chan
Dr Philip Chan is a senior lecturer and programme leader for the Master of Education and Master of Inclusive Education at Monash University. His research focuses on AI in education, education policy, leadership, and network governance. A pioneer of Asia as Method in educational research, he advocates for multi-referential, non-Western frameworks for understanding educational systems across Asia. Dr Chan has held academic roles across Hong Kong institutions, co-leads Monash’s Globalisation, Education and Work research group, and serves as co-senior editor of the International Education Journal: Comparative Perspectives, OCIES’s official journal. His international appointments and editorial leadership contribute significantly to shaping comparative education scholarship in the region.