New Zealand Pacific think-tank aims to spur regional development

A new think-tank aimed at supporting sustainable development in the Pacific was launched Tuesday with backing from the New Zealand government.

Foreign Minister Murray McCully said the New Zealand Institute for Pacific Research (NZIPR) was established to help meet the need for more targeted research on the Pacific to underpin development initiatives and support Pacific decision-makers.

The NZIPR would work in support of Pacific governments and regional agencies, and focus on producing "hard-headed analysis" that could support sustainable economic development, McCully said in a statement.

"Our aim is for the NZPIR to become a centre of excellence for research on Pacific development, governance, public policy, and security issues," said McCully.

The government had provided a cornerstone investment of 7.5 million NZ dollars (5.07 million U.S. dollars) over five years to establish the institute and develop an initial program of research.

The NZPIR, based at the University of Auckland, was a consortium also involving Otago University and the Auckland University of Technology.

Over the next five years, the research would include looking at donor contributions in the Pacific and their impact on the region, said a joint statement from the three universities.

It would also analyze Pacific labor markets and the skills needed for economic development, as well as study private sector investment in the region.

The three universities would also work with associated universities and organizations including the University of Hawai'i, the Fiji-based University of the South Pacific, the Australian National University and China's Peking University. Endit