DevNet connects academics, students and development practitioners to facilitate the exchange of ideas, information and research.
The Aotearoa New Zealand International Development Studies Network links people and organisations involved and interested in the broad field of international development in Aotearoa New Zealand and the wider world…
DevNet’s conferences have been held biennially since 1998. Aotearoa New Zealand’s largest, regular conference on international development, provides a great opportunity for people from Aotearoa, the Pacific and others to learn from each other and from international experts. Keynote speakers have…
eSocSci is an interactive knowledge space for communicating social science research and bringing together people who have common research interests in Aotearoa New Zealand. It includes an eLibrary of working papers on topic related to a variety of topics including migration, health, education…
Director of the Graduate School of Geography, Clark University, MA, USA
Director of the Governance and Civil Society Unit at the Ford Foundation
Great news! The deadline for the Pacific Development Field Research Grants has been extended to 15 April 2026 (11:59 PM NZT).
Please click on the video link here for instructions on how to prepare a good application and research proposal: youtu.be/AVUG9NZ1KhM
Meet our next 2026 DevNet Postgraduate Development Field Research Awardee!
Bill Burke is an Invercargill‑born Samoan with family from Si’umu, Letogo, and Manono. He is a postgraduate legal researcher and academic staff member at the University of Canterbury’s Faculty of Law. His doctoral research examines legal responses to methamphetamine in Pacific states.
Bill is grateful for the support of DevNet, which will enable him to undertake fieldwork in Samoa exploring the intersection of state law and custom, justice capacity, and regional development and cooperation — all areas increasingly impacted by methamphetamine. Bill welcomes contact from colleagues interested in drugs, crime, and Pacific regionalism. Please feel free to get in touch with him by email bill.burke@canterbury.ac.nz.
Congratulations Bill!
Meet our next 2026 DevNet Postgraduate Development Field Research Awardee!
Frederick D. Saeni, PhD Candidate in Law, University of Canterbury.
Research Title: Indigenous Law, Institutionalisation and Change: Epistemic justice for tribal land rights in Solomon Islands.
This research aims to understand legal pathways to promote indigenous authority by investigating whether maintaining the status quo Local Court system or alternatively, promoting the institutionalisation of chiefly authority, would more effectively address customary land disputes in Solomon Islands.
Just a gentle reminder that the Pacific Development Field Research Grants are open until 31 March 2026 (11:59 PM NZT).Please help us spread the word and encourage eligible candidates to apply for our prestigious grants. We would also like to thank the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade for supporting this programme.
Please click on the video link here for instructions on how to prepare a good application and research proposal: youtu.be/AVUG9NZ1KhM
Meet our next 2026 DevNet Postgraduate Development Field Research Awardee!
Khulani Dube is a PhD student at the Auckland University of Technology, where he is pursuing a Doctor of Philosophy in Health (PhD). His research focuses on strengthening HIV responses for vulnerable populations, particularly young women in Zimbabwe. His doctoral study, titled “Post-USAID Withdrawal: Strengthening HIV Programming through Sustainable Digital and Community-Led Models for Young Women in Zimbabwe,” seeks to co-design digital health solutions and community-led approaches that will enable young women to continue accessing HIV prevention services in Zimbabwe following the withdrawal of support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Through this work, he hopes to develop sustainable models that can be adapted across the Southern African region to support resilient HIV programming. The study also has relevance for New Zealand, as the digital and community-led approaches developed through the research could be adapted and scaled to support inclusive and culturally responsive HIV prevention and broader public health interventions among vulnerable and underserved communities.
Khulani is a development practitioner by both qualification and professional experience, with over eight years of experience working in the non-governmental organisation (NGO) sector. His work has largely focused on HIV prevention programs for young women, as well as initiatives that promote livelihoods and education within vulnerable communities. He holds a Master of Science in Development Studies and a Master of Arts in Monitoring and Evaluation, which have equipped him with strong analytical, program management, and evaluation skills that support his research and professional contributions in international development and public health.
Congratulations Khulani!
