Pacific Chapter

The Pacific Hub of AFRAN aims to actively promote and support cooperation in research and innovation between France and Pacific Island nations, in close partnership with Australia. It serves as a strategic platform for researchers, innovators, industry leaders, and policy makers from the Pacific region to engage with French and Australian expertise to address regional challenges and opportunities.

The Pacific Hub provides frameworks and tools to initiate, grow and sustain multilateral collaboration in science, technology, and innovation, with a focus on Pacific-led priorities such as climate resilience, digital transformation and Indigenous knowledge systems.

Through events, mentoring, strategic dialogues and expert networks, the Pacific Hub fosters transformative thinking and joint action with global impact grounded in Pacific contexts.

Pacific hub activities

The Institut Pasteur in New-Caledonia organised the SPOP Workshop in April 2025, which focused on the genomic surveillance of pathogens in the Pacific with a One Health approach. Held at the SPC Headquarters in Noumea, New Caledonia, this event marked a significant step towards greater collaboration among the PICTs. See the report.

News & Events in the Pacific

Stay informed about upcoming events, calls and opportunities in the Pacific

Pacific, Climate & Environment Profile Series: Ms Jessica Coldrey

As part of AFRAN's 10th anniversary celebrations, we continue to showcase the diverse people, perspectives and collaborations that have shaped our network over the past decade. Today, we are delighted to feature Jessica Coldrey, a multidisciplinary artist and sustainability practitioner whose work explores the connections between people, culture and the ocean. Rather than communicating through scientific publications alone, Jess collaborates with researchers, policymakers, ar

Applications Open for the Second Asia-Pacific Edition of My Thesis in 180 Seconds

Young French-speaking researchers across the Asia-Pacific region are invited to showcase their research in one of the world's most engaging science communication competitions. The Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF) has officially opened applications for the second regional edition of My Thesis in 180 Seconds (MT180), with submissions open until 15 August 2026. Inspired by the internationally recognised Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) competition, first launched at the U

Pacific, Climate & Environment Profile Series: Dr Florence Boulard

Over the past decade, AFRAN has brought together a vibrant community of researchers, educators, practitioners and innovators committed to strengthening collaboration between France, Australia and the Pacific. Together, they are advancing research, fostering partnerships and developing solutions to some of the region's most pressing environmental, social and technological challenges. As AFRAN celebrates its 10th anniversary—and in the lead-up to COP31—we are proud to launch ou

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Meet Pacific hub leaders

Reach out if you want to be part of this great team.

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Florence Boulard

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Florence Boulard is an interdisciplinary scholar with extensive experience and a strong dedication to the Pacific Island communities. Her areas of expertise are in education and cross-cultural collaboration. Originally from New Caledonia but currently based in Australia (Townsville), she is an Associate Professor at James Cook University who brings extensive experience in education and community engagement across the Pacific region.

Fluent in both French and English, and deeply connected to Pacific and Francophone cultures, Dr Boulard brings a unique perspective to her role as the new leader of the AFRAN Pacific Hub. She is focused on building stronger research and innovation connections between the Pacific Islands, Australia and France. In this role, she is particularly committed to supporting early-career researchers, promoting fair and inclusive partnerships, and ensuring Pacific voices are at the centre of future initiatives.

Chris Chapman

Globe

Chris is a senior lecturer in oceanography based in the School of Science at UNSW-Canberra. His research spans a broad range of topics, from physical and biological oceanography, to meteorology and remote sensing and even ecology, but focuses on disentangling how our oceans influence weather, climate, and marine ecosystems. He uses observations, field campaigns (including on board the RV Investigator, Australia's premier blue-water research vessel) and numerical modelling to tackle a wide range of problems. Chris joined UNSW-Canberra in May, 2026. Prior to rejoining academia, he was a research scientist in oceanography and climate at the CSIRO's Environment Research Unit from 2017. He was a visiting scientist at the Department of Geoscience and Remote sensing and at the Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) in the Netherlands from January-July 2025. From 2014-2017, Chris was a postdoc at the Laboratoire d'Océanographie et du Climat: Expérimentations et Approches Numériques (LOCEAN), hosted at the Sorbonne University in Paris. He continues to collaborate internationally, particularly with Dutch and French institutions.