About the Institute . . .

Because of its strategic position in the Pacific Islands, its relationship to the Brigham Young University-Hawaii Campus and its proximity to the Polynesian Cultural Center, the Pacific Institute has access to particular resources that enable it to play a significant role in the Pacific community.

Objectives of the Pacific Institute:

Our role and objectives have been defined for us by the nature of the community we
serve including our network of colleagues around the world. Our objectives may be
summed up as follows: To be a significant influence in shaping the agenda of academic
concerns in the Pacific Islands; to create a database of information on Polynesia which
will be of use to academics or other researchers working in the area; to provide
consultative and information services to students and others.

The Institute utilizes its resources in several ways: By underwriting research and
publications, such as Pacific Studies, a quarterly journal, sponsoring or co-sponsoring
conferences, and acting as consultant to the Polynesian Cultural Center and numerous
other groups as well as individual scholars. We assist BYU-Hawaii students in Pacificrelated internships and research projects, produce a limited number of documentary films and videos, and have placed collections of Pacific Island slides and photographs from
field research with the BYU-Hawaii archives.

The Institute maintains a Board of Fellows representing the BYU-Hawaii faculty and the
Polynesian Cultural Center staff of cultural experts that serves in an advisory capacity to
both institutions on matters pertaining to Pacific cultural exchange, scholarship, and
research. In addition to their individual research and teaching projects, Fellows come
together in a forum of intellectual dialogue unique to the BYU-Hawaii campus and
community particularly as many have lived and experienced a lifetime of traditional learning in all forms of Pacific cultural knowledge. With the Polynesian Cultural Center
as an extended classroom and the Fellows with expertise to direct and assist them both
academically and culturally, BYU-Hawaii students can graduate not only with academic
degrees but with full confidence to continue their work in higher education, professional
careers, and family life as they return to their Pacific homelands.

AN INVITATION:

The students that we serve come from more than 70 countries around the Pacific, Europe and the U.S. If you would like to assist our program, these students and others like them, for information on how to do so, please CLICK HERE.

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