“The role of physics in the Pacific is more critical than ever”: Associate Professor Ramendra Prasad, Head of the Department of Science at the University of Fiji.

It’s been a hundred and four years since IUPAP was founded, and it has not had formal representation from the Pacific Islands – yet. At last, that may be in the process of changing. In November 2025, IUPAP and UNESCO jointly held the Pacific Physics Week in Nadi, Fiji. The IUPAP-UNESCO Pasifika Physics Summit drew together representatives of Papua-New Guinea, New Caledonia, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Samoa and Fiji in Nadi, Fiji, for two days in November 2025.

Three major issues became absolutely clear. Firstly, the islands have gems among researchers, but are facing difficulty attracting students in terms of perceived career prospects – and both graduates and staff can find better salaries away from home. Secondly, a spirit emerged for forming and extending existing collaboration across the Pacific. Thirdly, the islands are facing existential threats from climate change and disasters, and physics has multiple roles to play.

In parallel with the Physics Summit, UNESCO, with IUPAP support, held a young scientists’ entrepreneurship and innovation 5-day event, with physics and climate-change flavours. This intense bootcamp, organised by Surya Raghu of ET Cube, was led through lively team design of an innovative product to a competition for the most compelling pitch, judged by four venture capitalists from the region, including New Zealand.  The International Association of Physics Students, IAPS (IUPAP AC5), contributed to the winning team’s prize, which was greeted with warm applause.

The elation at both events was palpable. As Ramen Prasad, University of Fiji, commented, “The support of UNESCO and the involvement of IUPAP have been pivotal in getting the required leverage”, and on bringing Pacific physicists together to talk physics: “This rarely happens, because it is expensive and time consuming to travel among the islands. They were enthusiastic about working together to overcome the challenges of the state of physics in the region”. The entrepreneurship event added Tonga and Kiribati to the island nations represented.

Plans were initiated in 2018 by IUPAP Vice President for Membership and Development (2018-2024), Nithaya Chetty. Gabriel Bioletti, of National University of Samoa and OpenSTAR Technologies, a vigorous fusion startup in New Zealand, chaired the LOC from Samoa and Fiji with boundless imagination and patience; Igle Gledhill chaired the Summit IOC as IUPAP VP for Membership and Development (2025-2027) and WG21 Secretary, and Surya Raghu chaired the joint committee. From UNESCO Pacific, Susan Schneegans, in Samoa, and Artika Devi in Fiji provided essential advice and indefatigable encouragement. ICTP became an indispensable partner by sponsoring alumni from PNG, New Caledonia and Vanuatu and sending Riccardo Farneti, Earth Sciences, as an envoy. Cather Simpson, former chair of C17, and Halina Rubinsztein-Dunlop mobilised support. Physical societies and institutes from around the world stepped forward to help with airfares and accommodation [1] and every islander was fully sponsored.

In both events, Joe Niemela, IUPAP C13 Chair, and Manjula Sharma, C14 Chair, provided vigorous enthusiasm and insight. Dhrisha Charan represented the South Pacific Physical Society. Two task teams were founded on the spot, and are already moving forward: one to consider formal collaboration and IUPAP membership (with Prof Sushil Kumar, U. South Pacific, Fiji), and the other to submit proposals for supporting events (chaired by Manu Rawali, PNG).

Dr Awnesh Singh, of the University of the South Pacific (USP) and a Coordinating Lead Author for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC’s) 7th Assessment Report, has been appointed to IUPAP WG21, Physics for climate change action and sustainable development, which is deeply involved in the preparations for the International Conference of Physics in 2027.

The island nations of the Pacific are truly on the frontline of climate change and are facing rising sea level, disastrous storms and floods, economic hardship as fish stocks move east across the Pacific, and a profound need for stable energy supplies and energy storage systems. Tsunamis and earthquakes are frequent. Disaster risk and recovery is a major focus; practical and accessible early warning and rescue communications are needed in rural areas. Little computational physics was mentioned, and medical physicists appear to be almost unheard of. At the Physics Week, a wealth of roles of physics in education, innovation, sustainability and resilience became clear.

At the networking dinner, Minister for Education in Fiji, the Honourable Aseri Radrodro, called for positive change in physics and basic science education and research in the Pacific. The Permanent Secretary of Education, Mr Navin Raj (a physicist), deplored – in very strong terms – the drop in the number of physics graduates from his alma mater from 120 in the year when he graduated, to just 5 last year, and said “I’m encouraged when I see these forums to inspire. When I move to schools, when I move to communities, and tell them about what you are doing, and I can inspire students as well as to generate curiosity in physics”.

[1] APS, DPG, ICTP, the Australian Institute of Physics, the Australian Academy of Science, the Photon Factory, the Dodd-Walls Centre, the MacDiarmid Institute, U. Auckland; in kind, South African Institute of Physics, Fiji National University, University of Fiji, National University of Samoa; IUPAP Working Group 21 Physics for climate change action and sustainable development.

Igle Gledhill