Welcome to the Oceania Regional Network

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Upcoming events
Previous events and recordings

Oceania Map. Credit: Dr. Erin Walsh

Who we are

The ITD Alliance Oceania Regional Network is a network of individuals and institutions that aim to increase connections and knowledge sharing among people engaged in inter- and transdisciplinary practice, research and education in the Oceania region and to strengthen our global voice about the unique characteristics of Oceania.

The network was co-founded in August 2024 by the ITD Alliance and NITRO-Oceania (Network of Leaders of Interdisciplinary and Transdisciplinary Research Organisations in the Oceania region). The ITD Alliance is grateful to NITRO-Oceania for funding the administrative support for the network. Activities to achieve the aims and expand the network are being developed by our organising team.

What we do

To increase connections and share knowledge throughout Oceania, our current activities include:

  • Sponsoring seminars and other events, especially in conjunction with existing events sponsored by others.
  • Promoting relevant events in the region and the network via regular communication to subscribers.
  • Sponsoring informal, virtual meetups to strengthen relationships and explore topics of interest.

How you can participate

  • Subscribe to the ITD Alliance Oceania Regional Network and receive communications about events and opportunities in inter- and transdisciplinarity in the Oceania region.
  • Share information about the network and related events within your own networks.
  • Participate in sponsored meetups and seminars to gain insight, make new connections, and contribute your voice (open to all, usually online).
  • Propose and help plan activities (contact us).

Upcoming Events

Working with plurality: What does it ask of us?

Date: Thursday, 19 November, 2026
Time: 1-2:30 AEDT/Sydney (Convert to your time zone)
Register now (Meeting link will be sent to registrants)

How can we work productively across multiple knowledge systems without reducing differences, forcing consensus, or privileging one perspective over another?

In this webinar, Mindy Blaise (Centre for People, Place, & Planet, Edith Cowan University, Australia) and Melissa Robson-Williams (Maiangi Taiao Bioeconomy Science Institute, New Zealand), will explore the work that scholars and practitioners, particularly those from non-Indigenous backgrounds, must do when working across different knowledge traditions: questioning assumptions, examining inherited research practices, building relationships, and learning how to engage respectfully across difference.

Drawing on examples from transdisciplinary, feminist, decolonial, and cross-knowledge-system research, our speakers will reflect on experiences of working across Indigenous, community-based, experiential, embodied, and academic forms of knowing.

The discussion will explore practical questions such as:

  • How do we recognise the limits of our own assumptions and methods?
  • How can we navigate tensions and contradictions without erasing difference?
  • What habits, relationships, and forms of reflexivity help us work across knowledge systems responsibly?

The session will provide practical insights for transdisciplinary researchers and practitioners interested in engaging seriously with plurality, while reflecting on how different ways of knowing can challenge, enrich, and transform our practice.

Moderation will be by Giedre Kligyte of the Transdisciplinary School at the University of Technology Sydney. This hour-long webinar will be followed by a 30-minute open discussion – a Talanoa – where you can connect with others across Oceania who are passionate about inter- and transdisciplinarity. A recording of the webinar will be available from the ITD Alliance Oceania Regional Network web page after the event.

Download the flyer for details and speaker biographies.

Previous Events

July 28, 2026: “Complex identities: Navigating transdisciplinary research as PhDs and ECRs”

The abstract and details are available in the webinar description on YouTube. The flyer is also available with speaker biographies. 58 people attended and around 30 stayed for the Talanoa. View the guiding questions.

May 7, 2026: “Talanoa and Community Engagement Partnerships: Indigeneity and Science Lessons from the Pacific”, A dialogue between Indigenous iTaukei (Fijian) practitioner, Adi Vasulevu Merewalesi Levu, and a Brazilian scientist based in Australia, Leo Dutra (CSIRO).

The abstract and details are available in the webinar description on YouTube. The flyer is also available with speaker biographies. 33 people attended and many stayed for the Talanoa.

February 27, 2026: “Lessons learnt for leading transdisciplinary centres and programs“, A dialogue between Peat Leith (CSIRO, Australia) and Lorrae van Kerkhoff (Australian National University).

The abstract and details are available in the webinar description on YouTube. The flyer is also available with speaker biographies. 54 people attended and around 30 stayed for the Talanoa.

31 July 2025: “Grappling with Transdisciplinarity: Tips and Challenges“, A dialogue between Allan O’Connor (Adelaide University, Australia) and Allanah Ryan (Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa Massey University of New Zealand).

The abstract and details are available in the webinar description on YouTube. The flyer is also available. More than 50 people attended and around 25 stayed for the Talanoa (not counting speakers and organisers).

1 May 2025: “Transforming undergraduate learning: Teaching transdisciplinarity on a university-wide scale”, A dialogue with Giedre Kligyte (University of Technology Sydney) and Chris Browne (The Australian National University)

The abstract and details are available in the webinar description on YouTube. The flyer is also available. More than 50 people attended and around 20 stayed for the Talanoa (not counting speakers and organisers).

7 November 2024: Inaugural seminar “On the Nature and Practice of Crossdisciplinary Integration”, Michael O’Rourke, Michigan State University

It was great to engage with those of you who joined us on 7 November. 25 people participated in all or part of the seminar, and 10 people stayed for the following “talanoa” (a word from Fiji meaning “free-flowing conversation”). During the talanoa, participants discussed key points from the seminar and identified activities they would like the Oceania Regional Network to organise to strengthen relationships among transdisciplinary scholars and practitioners in the Oceania region. During the talanoa, participants suggested that future activities include opportunities to present works in progress and to support early career researcher pathways in the region. If you have additional ideas for Oceania Regional Network events in the coming year, or any other comments or questions, please email them to Caryn Anderson (caryn.anderson@itd-alliance.org).

Many thanks to the Network of Interdisciplinary and Transdisciplinary Research Organisations – Oceania (NITRO-Oceania) and the Institute for Sustainable Futures (ISF) at University Technology Sydney (UTS) for their collaboration to make this event possible.

Subscribe for news and events

Subscribe to the ITD Alliance Oceania Regional Network and receive communications about events and opportunities in inter- and transdisciplinarity in the Oceania region. Let us know if you would like to help plan and develop activities.

Organising Team

Co-chairs:

  • Giedre Kligyte (TD School, University of Technology Sydney, Australia)
  • Gabriele Bammer (ITD Alliance President, Australian National University, Australia)

Members:

  • Mindy Blaise (Centre for People, Place, & Planet, Australia)
  • Saskia de Klerk (University of the Sunshine Coast)
  • Beth Fulton (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Australia; President of NITRO-Oceania)
  • Iain Gordon (Australian National University; Past President of NITRO-Oceania, Australia)
  • Melissa Jackson (Griffith University, Australia)
  • Peat Leith (CSIRO, Australia)
  • Payal Maharaj (University of Queensland, Australia, country of origin: Fiji)
  • Melissa Robson-Williams (Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research, New Zealand-Aotearoa)
  • Linda Wilson (Australian National University, Australia)

Former members:

  • Jason Prior (Institute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology Sydney, Australia)

Contact Us

If you have questions about the ITD Alliance Oceania Regional Network, please contact Caryn Anderson, Executive Secretary of the ITD Alliance at: caryn.anderson@itd-alliance.org.

Oceania Map

Thanks to Dr. Erin Walsh, National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health (NCEPH) at The Australian National University (ANU) for producing the image. The countries included are taken from the online version of the United Nations publication “Standard Country or Area Codes for Statistical Use” (https://unstats.un.org/unsd/methodology/m49/; see geographic regions in the left hand side menu).