Michael Fusi Ligaliga is an assistant professor and Program Lead of Pacific Island Studies at BYU–Hawaii. He is currently teaching courses on peace and conflict in the Pacific, framing the cultures of Oceania and environmental issues and resource management. Michael has taught courses in Indigenous studies, pacific health, pacific politics, contemporary Pacific, and indigenous research methodologies. Outside of academics, Michael has also worked as a senior advisor for the Government Center for Dispute Resolution, Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment (MBIE), New Zealand Government. He also served as a Pacific advisor for Te Hiringa Hauora, a Health Promotion Agency for the New Zealand Government, to provide information, advice, research, and resources to help prevent issues associated with health, poverty, and personal and social harm. Michael is an Accredited Mediator with the Resolution Institute, New Zealand.

His research interests are family and domestic violence in the Pacific and the global Pacific diaspora. He also specializes in peace and conflict issues impacting the Pacific region.

He received his bachelor’s degree in political science and a minor in intercultural peacebuilding from BYU–Hawaii, and a master’s and PhD in peace and conflict from the National Center for Peace and Conflict Studies (NCPACS), University of Otago, New Zealand. Michael is the first Pacific Islander to graduate with a doctorate degree from NCPACS. His thesis entitled Fa’a Samoa:

Peace And Conflict, Indigenous Peacebuilding, Vābuilding, Decolonizing Pedagogy, Conflict, Conflict Management, Peace, Indigenous Peacebuilding,

Communication studies

Australia (area)
Melanesia
Micronesia
Polynesia

The Colonial time
20th century
21st century

Samoan