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The Solomon Islands National University (SINU) is proud to announce that Associate Professor Eric Katovai, Pro Vice-Chancellor Academic (PVCA), has been elected a Fellow of the Pacific Academy of Sciences (PAS). He joins 12 other leading Pacific researchers and innovators who have been recognised by the Academy for their outstanding contributions to science, education, and leadership across the region.
Established in 2024 and based in Apia, Samoa, the Pacific Academy of Sciences brings together Pacific scholars and knowledge holders to strengthen regional research capacity and ensure that Pacific science and innovation inform global conversations. The 2025 cohort includes eminent Pacific academics and leaders from medicine, ecology, mathematics, public health, gender studies, and higher education โ with Associate Professor Katovaiโs inclusion marking a growing recognition of Solomon Islandsโbased scholarship on the regional stage.
Speaking on his election, Associate Professor Katovai described the appointment as both โa recognition of scholarly contribution and a responsibility to serve the region through scientific leadership and mentorship.โ He added, โBecoming a Fellow means being part of a collective that values scientific excellence, integrity, and inclusivity in addressing Pacific challenges. The Academy has the potential to redefine the regionโs scientific landscape by amplifying Pacific research, innovation, and knowledge sovereignty. Its impact lies in elevating our visibility globally and nurturing the next generation of Pacific scientists.โ
Associate Professor Katovai is a terrestrial ecologist and higher education leader whose work sits at the intersection of biodiversity conservation, restoration ecology, and Pacific higher education development. As Pro Vice-Chancellor (Academic) at SINU, he oversees academic quality, research and postgraduate studies, curriculum development, and the Universityโs regional and international partnerships.
Beyond his leadership role, Associate Professor Katovai is actively engaged in several regional and multi-partner research initiatives that advance Pacific-led science. His work on forest and ecosystem recovery, restoration, and monitoring in the Pacific explores how tropical and island forest systems recover after disturbance, and how traditional ecological knowledge can inform conservation, sustainable land use, and the monitoring of spatialโtemporal changes in natural forests across Melanesia.
He also contributes to restoration and livelihoods research that connects ecosystem recovery to community benefits, food security, and resilience โ ensuring that environmental science delivers tangible outcomes for Pacific peoples. Through the Pacific Women Lead (PWL) research stream on womenโs leadership and gender equity, he collaborates with regional colleagues to build evidence on barriers and enablers to womenโs advancement in universities and public institutions, particularly within STEM fields. This supports institutional reform, gender-responsive policies, and the creation of inclusive academic environments โ aligning closely with PASโs emphasis on community-grounded and socially just science.
Associate Professor Katovai also collaborates widely with regional universities and agencies to enhance research training, postgraduate supervision, and locally led science in Small Island Developing States. Importantly, he is a strong supporter of the Pacific Islands Universities Research Network (PIURN) and its mission to connect Pacific universities, promote southโsouth collaboration, and ensure that research agendas reflect Pacific priorities rather than external ones. Through all of these platforms, he has consistently advocated that Pacific science must be led from the Pacific, rooted in local contexts, and made visible on global platforms โ the very mission PAS was established to advance.
SINUโs leadership has warmly welcomed the announcement, noting that this honour underscores the Universityโs growing role as a national and regional knowledge institution. Associate Professor Katovaiโs appointment will help raise SINUโs research profile, strengthen partnerships with other Pacific universities and development partners, and create new opportunities for Solomon Islanders to engage in postgraduate research, innovation, and leadership in science.
The 13 new Fellows of the Pacific Academy of Sciences will be formally inducted at the Academyโs inaugural Congress, to be held from 16โ18 February 2026 in Apia, Samoa.