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The Political and Legal Studies Division conducts quality applied research into contemporary political science, public policy, public administration, criminology, law, defence studies, international relations, and internal and international security affecting Papua New Guinea, its neighbours, and the Asia-Pacific Region.  Divisional research concentrates on those issues and activities which affect the progressive development of Papua New Guinea.

Divisional studies analyse the impact of modernisation of society as rural-urban migration continues, and Western-style governmental, legal, political, and economic systems, as well as social activities, replace traditional Melanesian ways of doing this.

The Division carries out research into areas such as contemporary social, political, criminal and legal frameworks, money laundering, and gambling.  It also carries out research into other forms of crime such as computer crime, internet crime, piracy, human smuggling, child abuse, drug trafficking, arms dealing, squatter settlements, women’s crime issues, terrorism, white-collar crime, rural crime, military politics and strategies, and Melanesian cultural criminology.

 

Divisional Staff               

 

Professorial Research Fellow: vacant

Senior Research Fellow:      Dr Ray Anere

Senior Research Fellow:      Dr Alphonse Gelu

Research Fellow:                Albert Ayius

Senior Research Officer:      Fiona Hukula

Senior Research Officer:      vacant

 

Focus of the Division    The Division’s projects and programs cover a wide range of political, legal, and criminology issues.  The Division’s main areas of focus are:

  • governance in Papua New Guinea;

  • the impact of political decision making on the people of Papua New Guinea;

  • the governance process as it relates to power, influence, and the authoritative allocation of public resources;

  • the internal and international bilateral cooperation, treaties, and memberships, and their impact and benefits to Papua New Guinea;

  • trends in Melanesian cultural criminology and its influence on the formulation of government policies and programs;

  • analysing transnational criminology issues with neighbouring Asia-Pacific countries, with a view of the formulation of international crime policies and programs for Papua New Guinea;

  • providing practical options and solutions to public policy makers concerning the escalating crime, and appropriate crime control mechanisms, with the aim of reducing the negative constraining impact of crime on the process of national development; and

  • provoking dialogue between agencies of the State and crucially analysing and commenting on the political policies of the Government.

 

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