Samoa’s Minister of Education and Culture, Hon Aiono Dr Alec Ekeroma, has officially launched the Pacific Research Hub, an online research platform powered by artificial intelligence, during welcome cocktails at the inaugural Pacific Academy of Sciences Congress at the Sheraton Hotel on Monday 16 February 2026.
Speaking to delegates after the opening day of the congress, Ekeroma said the gathering reflected the Pacific’s intention to lead scientific discovery and diplomacy that delivers outcomes for Pacific people, particularly as the region navigates the digital age.
He told guests the Pacific has a long history of exploration, deep knowledge and innovation, pointing to ancestral navigation across vast oceans and the way Pacific communities have sustained complex governance systems, cultural life and environmental practices over generations.
Ekeroma said research across the region is already advancing work on climate resilience, ocean science and marine biodiversity, alongside the continued importance of traditional knowledge. He said too much Pacific knowledge remains fragmented, difficult to access, and often invisible in global scientific agendas, despite its direct relevance to island nations and communities.
He said Pacific research and scholarship needed stronger recognition in global debates that have direct impacts on the region, and that decisions about the Pacific should be informed by evidence and data produced by Pacific people.
The minister said the Pacific can and should work in partnership with international scientists and scholars, but stressed that research only makes sense for Pacific communities if it can be applied locally in ways that benefit Pacific peoples.
The Pacific Research Hub, he said, is intended to provide a shared platform for Pacific researchers, practitioners and knowledge holders to publish and connect, and to make regional expertise easier to find and use in policy and decision-making.
The Pacific Academy of Sciences has described the Pacific Research Hub as the first Pacific-specific AI-powered online research platform, with the public website operating at pacificresearchhub.org.
The International Science Council said the platform was designed by Pacific software engineer Sonny Lemalu in collaboration with the Pacific Academy of Sciences, and is intended to enable researchers, academics and practitioners across the Pacific to connect, collaborate and share their work, with integrated AI tools to help users discover Pacific research and identify collaborators.
In his speech, Ekeroma said the platform is inspired by the concept of ResearchGate but “not a copy”, describing it as tailored to the realities and needs of Pacific peoples. He said its development model was central to its purpose, with Pacific ownership and governance designed to ensure the platform can adapt as regional priorities evolve.
He also acknowledged UNESCO’s support in helping move the project from concept to delivery.
Ekeroma said the platform’s priorities and features were developed with leading Pacific ICT experts, including Pacific Academy of Sciences Founding Fellow Professor Ioana Tuugalei Chan Mow.
He urged researchers and academics to create profiles and share work that can be made public, called on universities and institutions to support staff and students to use the platform, and encouraged policymakers to use it to identify and engage experts from within the region.
The launch took place as part of the Pacific Academy of Sciences inaugural congress being held in Apia from 16 to 18 February 2026 under the theme Harnessing the Knowledge of the Pacific. The Pacific Academy of Sciences has said the congress is being held as a free event, supported by the International Science Council Regional Focal Point for Asia and the Pacific, funded by the Australian Government Department of Industry, Science and Resources.
Ekeroma closed by describing the Pacific Research Hub as more than a website, framing it as a new vessel for the region’s knowledge to travel across islands, disciplines and generations.
On behalf of the Government of Samoa and the Pacific Academy of Sciences, he declared the Pacific Research Hub officially launched.
Article based on a speech by Hon Aiono Dr Alec Ekeroma, Minister of Education and Culture, delivered at the Welcome Cocktails for the inaugural Pacific Academy of Sciences Congress in Apia on 16 February 2026.
