The 2016 program Pacific-Dialogues was in charge to inaugurate a working link between ANU and University of French Polynesia (UPF) in the field of Pacific political sciences. In UPF: the Centre GDI (Governance and Development in the [Pacific] Islands); in ANU: SSGM State, Society and Governance in Melanesia (it will soon be renamed SSGP "…in the Pacific", as this Centre works also in Polynesia [Samoa, New Zealand etc.]).
http://www.upf.pf/fr/thématique/equipe-daccueil-gdi
Only few members have already their CV listed within the website. For more details, see below the download SGPI 2016 – UPF- GDI.
A first exchange was held when both Centres were participants to the 2nd PIURN symposium in Samoa in September 2016 (see the operation "PIURN – 2012-2018"), to prepare a workshop that would be held at UPF, as a first event for the future Maison des Sciences de l'Homme du Pacifique (see the operation "MSHP 2016-2017"). The workshop, SGPI (Society and Governance in the Pacific Islands / Société et Gouvernance dans le Pacific Insulaire) was held at UPF during two days (22-23 November), before the symposium "Oceania Coveted" (24-26 November) organised by the same UPF Centre GDI. Thus ANU colleagues could take part in both events.
This SGPI workshop was the first stage of a program that will carry this name et will foster a collaboration between ANU scholars working in political sciences, law, economics, with UPF scholars working in these fields. If the initial link is between ANU and UPF, the SGPI program will include as much as possible other colleagues from the Pacific area. Already, at this workshop of November, we had the participation of colleagues from UNC (Noumea), U of Otago and of Waikato. The year 2017 and onwards will hopefully see the enlargement of the network. In comparison with the professional association PIPSA that brings together political scientists (mainly Anglophones), SGPI will aim at creating a network between specialists of law and economics as well as political sciences specialists, and will enhance the collaboration between the Francophone and the Anglophone Pacific, in line with the MSHP (see that operation) and our general Pacific Dialogues program.
The Oceania Coveted symposium (OC 2016) organised by UPF-GDI was the second part of a program initiated in Paris in September 2015:
http://www.tahiti-infos.com/L-Oceanie-au-centre-des-convoitises-mondiales_a136703.html with the participation of a number of scholars and diplomats. OC 2016 had a wide program, with presentations from political sciences, law, economics, history specialists, addressing issues about various foreign powers "coveting" Oceania, from old times (Europe, etc.) but more importantly today (China, India, etc.). Influences and economical take over were examined. The presentations will be published in 2017 by GDI.
Download the program (with the initial call for proposals, and the program and the call for proposals of the 2015 1st OC )
As this program does not include abstracts, we have added here the abstracts that we had from our guest speakers from Australia and New Zealand.
See the opening speech by the French Polynesia President:
http://www.presidence.pf/index.php/discours/3246-allocution-du-president-edouard-fritch-lors-de-l-ouverture-du-colloque-de-l-oceanie-convoitee
See also on UPF website, with picture of the opening:
http://www.upf.pf/fr/content/colloque-international-«-l'océanie-convoitée-oceania-coveted-à-lupf http://www.upf.pf/fr/content/ouverture-du-colloque-international-«-l'océanie-convoitée-»-le-24-novembre-2016
and other sites
http://la1ere.francetvinfo.fr/polynesie/upf-colloque-avenir-oceanie-grandes-puissances-419811.html https://www.radio1.pf/trente-huit-chercheurs-pour-expliquer-loceanie-convoitee/amp/ 
