July 2017
Tess was invited to present as part of the University of Queensland School of Public Health seminar series.
“Tess presented on regional public goods in the Pacific at the School of Public Health on Tuesday 18 July, 2017—an interesting and very different systems analysis in a Seminar series that is dominated by epidemiological studies. Using a series of some 20 case studies of regional initiatives from a 2013/2014 ANU Development Policy Centre study undertaken with Dr Matthew Dornan, she showed the complexities of adopting a regional ‘pooled resources’ approach to the delivery of public goods in the Pacific. The study allowed an exploration of the enabling and impeding factors that impact on what at face value is an imperative for the multiple states of the Pacific, and examined key global and regional developments that have occurred since then that are likely to affect future endeavours of this type. With the introduction of the SDGs and their added complexity in both implementation and reporting compared to the MDGs, the lessons learned from these cases should inform both regional directions and potential research collaborations.” ~ Peter S Hill, Associate Professor, School of Public Health, University of Queensland
June 2017
On behalf of a combined ANU/USP research team I presented at the 2017 Pacific Update held in Suva, Fiji. The presentation was on our current research which examines the role of ‘Green Growth’ as a policy driver in the Pacific island region.
You can see the slides from the presentation here.
May 2017
Tess contributed to the learning and development programme of Abt Associates in Brisbane. She presented on development challenges and opportunities in Vanuatu, through the lens of kava.
“Abt Associates, Australia, recently had the opportunity to hear from Dr Tess Newton Cain as she spoke about her development observations in Vanuatu through a kava lens. This approach, while novel, was also extremely engaging bringing culture into the conversation in ways that had not been presented to Abt teams previously. Tess’s deep knowledge of development in the Pacific region and her very close affinity to the development issues facing Vanuatu in particular were clearly apparent. Her presentation was interactive and highly relevant. Abt Associates, Australia highly recommend Tess as a presenter with sound and extensive knowledge of her subject area and someone who engages with her audience at the outset and keeps them captivated until the end”. ~ Karen Harmon, General Manager Australia & the Pacific and Principal Policy Adviser
March & April 2017
Tess provided expert resource inputs to two ‘The New Pacific Diplomacy’ intensive courses convened by Professor Greg Fry of the Australian National University. The courses were held in Canberra, Australia (March) and Honiara, Solomon Islands (April). She covered the challenges faced by the Melanesian Spearhead Group and the regionalism/sub-regionalism interfaces.
Tess Newton Cain provided an excellent guest lecture by Skype to my postgraduate class on Pacific Diplomacy at the Australian National University in March 2017. The topic was the future of Pacific sub-regionalism and its impact on broader regionalism focusing particularly on the Melanesian Spearhead Group and the Parties to the Nauru Agreement. Tess presented the lecture and the following Q and A in a vital and compelling manner which made the topic live for the students. They particularly liked her up to the minute accounts of contemporary developments and her ability to clarify the politics underlying these developments.
I can highly recommend Tess as a guest speaker on any aspect of contemporary Pacific developments at the national or regional level. She is thoughtful, smart, up to date and a very clear speaker. ~ Greg Fry, Honorary Associate Professor, Asia-Pacific College of Diplomacy, Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs, The Australian National University
September 2016
At the 2016 State of the Pacific conference at the Australian National University, Tess took part in a panel entitled ‘The New Pacific Diplomacy’. Her presentation looked at challenges facing the Melanesian Spearhead Group. Listen to a podcast of the session here.
July 2016
At the Pacific Update held at the USP campus in Suva, I presented in a session devoted to governance. My presentation was looking at the challenges that are currently facing the Melanesian Spearhead Group and what the future might hold. View the slides here.
July 2016
Tess co-presented a research seminar with Dorosday Kenneth Watson (Director of the Department of Women’s Affairs, Vanuatu) to examine the experiences of women municipal councillors. You can view the slides here.