Mr Jayden Evett
Jay is a PhD candidate in the Department of Pacific Affairs at the Australian National University. Born and raised in Aotearoa New Zealand, he joined ANU in 2018 when he began a master’s degree. Before this, he studied at Te Herenga Waka–Victoria University of Wellington and the Diplomatische Akademie Wien. Jay also has a background in the parliamentary sector, in which he has worked for more than 7 years.
His current research straddles the intersections of Diplomatic, Pacific, and New Zealand Studies. It explores how shifting relations between Māori and Pākehā influence Aotearoa New Zealand’s relationships with the Pacific. Jay’s previous research focussed on foreign policy, conflict resolution, and indigenous diplomacies.
He is also affiliated with the Stout Research Centre for New Zealand Studies at Te Herenga Waka–Victoria University of Wellington.
Research Interest
Jay has two main areas of research interest:
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The intersection between identity and diplomacy in the Pacific region, a delicate understanding of the region’s complexities that is threatened to be lost in the flood of geostrategists from Beijing, DC, and Brussels into the Pacific basin, and
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Aotearoa New Zealand’s national identity, asking questions and encouraging conversations in a country so culturally adverse to indulging in self-reflection.
HDR Supervisor/s
Nicholas Hoare Paul D'Arcy George CarterThesis Title/Topic
The decolonisation of national identity and its impact on Aotearoa New Zealand-Pacific relations