Our Journey

Our journey can be traced back from the early 2000s when the pioneer Filipino staff at the University of Auckland organised an informal group to provide pastoral care for incoming Filipino scholars and international students. Through the years, the group expanded, supporting and linking various advocacies, such as the Philippine Business Council, and welcoming visiting academics, artists, and government officials from the Philippines. It also inspired the formation of the Filipino Student's Association (FSA) that continues to grow and connect Filipino students in different New Zealand universities to this day.

Drawing inspiration from these previous efforts, two Filipino academics from different generations and fields of research were connected in 2017 by a shared aspiration to continue supporting Filipino researchers and develop knowledge resources on the Philippines. A network was envisioned to advance Filipino scholarship in New Zealand, reflecting as well the growing presence and contributions of diverse Filipino communities throughout the motu (country). Seven years later, a working group composed of Filipino academics and doctoral students came together to helm an inaugural forum and launch what was envisioned - the PH Studies Network NZ.  

From its incubation, our journey as Filipinos from the lens of PH Studies Network NZ is reflected by the logo.  Evoking the notion of overseas, the logo* embodies the conditions of its founding and future members who take root in the Philippines or engage the ‘Philippine’ as a critical area of study and a relevant site of praxis. As a descriptor, Philippine brings to the fore the bodies of knowledge generated by the Philippines as a referent. In addition, the logo imagines the itineraries of a legion of Filipinos implicated in the global migration and diaspora, many of whom regard New Zealand as their second home. 

As a conduit for myriad exchanges and a carriage by which to navigate vast oceans, a vessel was chosen as an emblem of the Network and a metaphor of aspirations anchored on Filipinos' transnational positionings. Taking cues from ancient voyaging such as the Philippine balangay/vinta/lepa and Māori waka, the symbol references Austronesian ties and Pacific connections as well. Intimating a transition, such as the drift from sea to shore, or the symbolic crossing from earthly realm to the afterlife, a vessel’s passage signals a journey and a possibility, with all its perils and promises.

Sailing ahead, the ideas and hopes steering the course of the Network will continue to be honed, nurtured, and expanded through collaborations, knowledge and resource exchange, and various advocacies.