AUSTRALIA joined Solomon Islands National University (SINU) to launch the SINU Security Studies Pilot, with a tok stori consultation workshop.
The pilot – delivered by SINU and with the support of the Solomon Islands Australia Partnership – will respond to the call from the Solomon Islands security sector for more locally-led academic research and tertiary education on national security issues.
Honourable Jimson Tanangada, Minister of Police, National Security and Correctional Services, along with His Excellency Rod Hilton, Australian High Commissioner to Solomon Islands, joined academics, senior officials and civil society representatives to open the workshop.
“We’re very proud to be partnering with SINU and listening to the needs of Solomon Islands’ academics and security professionals,” High Commissioner Hilton said.
“Many academics are writing and teaching about security in Solomon Islands, but much of that happens outside Solomon Islands”
“This pilot will work to build Solomon Islands’ capacity to produce analytical writing and high-quality teaching on national security right here in Honiara.”
In his remarks, Minister Tanangada underscored that national security is the backbone of sovereignty, extending beyond mere border protection to encompass the rights and well-being of all citizens.
The Minister highlighted the necessity for a comprehensive understanding of national security in an increasingly unpredictable world, noting that emerging threats such as climate change, cyber risks, and geopolitical tensions require a proactive and resilient security framework.
The workshop lays a strong conceptual foundation for the remainder of the pilot project, which will include the delivery of bespoke national security courses for security professionals at SINU, study tours, and exchanges between SINU and Australian universities.
High Commissioner Hilton said the project will help Solomon Islands to tell its own story about security – by Solomon Islanders, for Solomon Islanders, and to share this with the Pacific.
The first national security studies course is scheduled to be delivered in 2025.
