More than ever, the Pacific is of vital strategic importance to Australia. For people working on and in the Pacific, it is critical to develop a robust understanding of the region to fully understand the region and grasp the challenges it faces.

Programs and courses offered by the Department of Pacific Affairs (DPA) are designed to facilitate broader and deeper education on the Pacific region amongst policymakers, program designers, researchers, analysts and others who want to focus on the region.

DPA is proud of its teaching expertise and academic excellence. Our researchers investigate some of the most pressing development issues in the contemporary Pacific. We prioritise study of the relationships between state structures and capabilities, society and societal transformations, and governance in the Pacific. Our research is broadly structured around a number of research programs, including politics and the nature of the state; geopolitics and regionalism; gender; social change and inclusion; and security, stability and resilience.