Universities from across the Commonwealth will gather in the Pacific region over the next few weeks to discuss their contribution to critical issues, as two new ACU Policy Networks are convened.

The Commonwealth Peace and Reconciliation Network will meet for its first scoping session at the University of Melbourne, Australia, from 8-10 October. Representatives from 26 universities in 19 countries will come together to explore the role of universities in truth-telling and reconciliation, and identify priorities and areas for collaboration.

Following its launch at the Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers earlier this year, the Commonwealth Climate Resilience Network will reconvene in Suva, Fiji, from 22-23 October. This network harnesses the combined resources of ACU member universities to address disaster risk reduction, climate adaptation, and critical infrastructure. The network connects universities in climate-vulnerable settings – such as the founding partners: Fiji National University, the University of the South Pacific, and the University of the West Indies – with each other and with universities across the Commonwealth that have relevant expertise.

Ahead of this meeting, the ACU will present to Commonwealth finance ministers on the unique and powerful role of universities in combating the effects of climate change, and to promote the value of the Commonwealth Climate Resilience Network. The 2018 Commonwealth Finance Ministers Meeting (CFMM) takes place in Bali, Indonesia on 11 October, in the margins of the IMF/World Bank annual meeting.

While the ACU is visiting the region, we will be taking the opportunity to meet with Australian universities, the Australian government, and other partners, including some of our scholarship and grant holders.

You can keep up-to-date with all the developments in real time on our Twitter feed.