Developing capacity for research and policy formulation in the Pacific Island economies
Pacific Islands Centre for Development Policy and Research (PICDPR) ’s predecessor, the South Pacific Centre for Central Banking (SPCCB) was founded in 2016 following the inaugural Deputy Governors’ Central Banking Symposium hosted by Griffith University, where discussions were held to elevate the region's study group (South Pacific Study Group) into a research centre for central banking. The SPCCB was formed to bring together world-class economic and finance experts, with a clear aim to help build capacity for research and policy formulation and has been committed to developing capacity for research and policy formulation at the South Pacific Central Banks.
The PICDPR expands SPCCB's capacity development goals and objectives to policymaking and research institutions and organisations beyond the central banks in the region to government departments and industry. The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated yet again the need for various institutions to collaborate within the country and regionally.
Sustainable Development Goals
Griffith University is aligned with the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and is committed to fostering partnerships to create synergies, best practices and amplifying our impact in achieving the SDGs for a more sustainable and inclusive future for all.
PICDPR's Four-Pillars Program
Joint policy research working papers
We mentor and co-author partner institute researchers in producing working papers and publishing in well-ranked international journals. These are available on the PICDPR website. Working papers include publications from 2014 to 2023.
Training and development
We provide face-to-face and online training and workshops to enhance research skills and have a co-funded PhD program available in 2024 and onwards. We also hold research seminars, symposiums and conferences for and with the region, in collaboration with stakeholders.
Project based activities
We organise workshops, symposiums and training, with international experts, on areas and issues relevant for PICs for greater awareness and capacity building. We also provide technical assistance on request. Find out about our upcoming 5th Annual Pacific Research Conference and Leaders' Forum in 2025, as well as our previous events from 2021 to 2024.
Global visibility
Via media, publications, interviews, etc. we are making the region increasingly visible to the rest of the world with regard to its research-to- policymaking endeavours.
Vision
Entrenching academic rigour, analysis and evidence in economic policy making in the Pacific Islands through research, training and policy outreach.
Mission
Strengthening local and regional capacity for conducting independent, rigorous inquiry into the problems facing the management of economies in the Pacific Islands, founded on two basic premises:
- that development is more likely to occur where there is sustained sound management of the economy
- that such management is more likely to occur where there is an active, well-informed group of locally based professional economists to conduct policy-relevant research.
Objectives
- to build a credible local capacity for policy-oriented research
- to generate research results for use by policy analysts and policy makers
- to promote links between research and policy
- to encourage retention of high-quality researchers
- to enhance global visibility of the region’s research and policy-making endeavours.
PhD Candidates
Louisa K Baragamu
Ms Louisa Baragamu joins the Griffith-Pacific PhD program in 2024. She will be on study leave from the Central Bank of Solomon Islands (CBSI) where she was the Chief Manager for the Economics Research and Statistics Department. She has been with CBSI for more than 10 years, holding various positions within the Economics and Financial System Regulation departments. Prior to her appointment as Chief Manager, Louisa was the Manager for the Monetary Policy and Research Division with the Economics Department. Before this, she worked as Manager Applied Research Policy and Regulation within the Financial Regulations department. Her areas of research interests are in finance and economic development. Ms Baragamu holds a Masters of Economics degree from Ohio University, Athens USA.
Mark Ofoi
Mark Ofoi is a PhD candidate (Financial Economics) on study leave from the Bank of Papua New Guinea. Mark’s experience is in macroeconomic policy specialising in financial, monetary and macro prudential policy areas, with almost 20 years of working experience at the Bank. He currently holds a Masters degree in International Economics and Finance from the University of Queensland and a Bachelors degree in Economics from the University of Papua New Guinea. His research interest is in monetary economics, macro prudential policy, international economics, econometrics and macroeconomic policy, having authored several working papers and journal publications.
Key Funding Partners
Griffith currently has research and policymaking capacity development MoUs with the central banks of Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Timor-Leste, Tonga and Samoa—that includes all Pacific central banks, plus MoUs with government departments, including the Palau Ministry of Finance and the, Solomon Islands Ministry of Finance and Treasury, as well as with the Republic of the Marshall Islands Office of the Banking Commission.
You may follow the links below to the respective websites.
Key stakeholders
Our policy focused research is supported by key stakeholders including, central banks of Australia and New Zealand, Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australian Federal Treasury, Asian Development Bank, The World Bank Group and International Monetary Authority.
