Associate Professor Frances C. Koya Vaka‘uta  is Team Leader Culture for Development at the Pacific Community in Suva, Fiji. Prior to joining SPC, she was Director of the Oceania Centre for Arts, Culture and Pacific Studies, at the University of the South Pacific (USP). Frances spent the last two decades in higher education at the University of the South Pacific teaching and researching in the areas of teacher education, curriculum studies, Pacific approaches to research, Pacific methodologies, Pacific studies and Pacific arts and culture. She is passionate about Pacific arts and artists, the cultural and creative industries and is an advocate for contextual education, development and research. She believes that contextual social policy is critical if we are to realise the potential of culture for resilience building and sustainable development in the islands.