Cresantia Vaku’uta

Biography

I have two decades of teaching experience at secondary and tertiary level. Since first joining USP in 1998, I have reviewed, developed and taught seven courses at undergraduate and postgraduate level in traditional face to face mode of delivery, as well as distance modes including blended, print and online course delivery. I have taught thirteen courses in Fiji, Tonga, Cook Islands, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and Marshall Islands at the certificate, diploma, bachelors and postgraduate level. I have held a number of administrative positions at the University including Website Management for the School of Education, Head of Secondary Education, Coordinator of Education for Sustainable Development, Acting-Director at the Oceania Center for Arts, Culture and Pacific Studies, and am currently the Associate Dean Research & International at the Faculty of Arts, Law and Education and Acting-Manager of the Pacific Heritage Hub, A UNESCO Project based at USP. I am also an adjunct staff member to the Oceania Center for Arts, Culture and Pacific Studies, and serve on the Research Committee for the Pacific Center for Environment and Sustainable Development. Professional engagements comprise national and regional engagement; in education, culture and the arts and includes policy advice and writing, training and support. Policy writing has included the Regional Culture Strategy 2010 – 2020, Regional Culture and Education Strategy 2010 – 2015, Fiji National Curriculum Framework and Curriculum Writing initiative 2013, the draft Fiji National Policy for Culture 2016, the draft Fiji National Culture and Education Strategy 2016, and the development of the Higher Education Strategy for Fiji 2017.A poet and artist, I am interested in the potential role that the arts can play in formal and non-formal education with reference to issues of resilience, sustainability and crisis in the Pacific islands. I have worked with the Fiji Arts Council and the Fiji National University on numerous Art initiatives and have collaborated with the Commonwealth foundation in working towards strengthening literary arts in the Pacific, as well as, sustainability and environment education. In the last ten years, I have co-edited 5 books, delivered 6 keynote presentations and 25 conference presentations, and published 15 chapters and 8 peer reviewed journal articles.

Research Interest

Curriculum and Pedagogy Citizenship Education Multicultural Education and Education for Social Justice and Diversity Pacific Island education Pacific Research and Evaluation Pacific indigenous research methodologies Education for Sustainability in the islands Pacific Island Arts, Art as a social learning tool Protest Poetry