A Tongan senior researcher is calling for more Pacific researchers as many institutions and government agencies embark on studies focused on the wellbeing of Pacific families.
Seini Jensen is the Director of Performance and Evaluation for Pasifika Futures, the Whānau Ora Commissioning Agency for Pacific families.
Her organisation gathers data and research to inform important decisions on how to provide the best service for the 19,000 Pacific families they support across their network of fifty partners.
Jensen says having Pacific researchers to engage with families and collect data allows the process to be seamless and most importantly, comfortable for the participants.
“It’s valuable to have our own people leading the research and evaluations because we bring our own world view, our own lived experience of being in the culture and understanding Pacific communities and families from the inside.”
She says the inaugural Pacific Health Research Symposium next Monday 30 November is a great opportunity for students interested in Pacific community engagement and data research. The theme is “Collaboration for Better Pacific Health” and the event is a partnership between the Pasifika Medical Association (PMA) and the University of Auckland, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences. Associate Professor and senior PMA member, Dr Colin Tukuitonga, DMS, MPH, FAFPHM, FRNZCGP will be hosting the symposium.
This will be a chance for Pacific students to connect with renowned researchers and hear about studies that are impacting Pacific communities. It is also an event where researchers across diverse disciplines will present their work, discuss projects, and foster new collaborations.
Jensen will be one of the presenters at the symposium and will share about her work and research she has collated at Pasifika Futures around the health and economic aspirations of Pacific families.
“In my job, we collect and evaluate evidence from the 19,000 Pacific families engaged in our networks and see how they are achieving their goals through health, education and economic initiatives.”
What: Pacific Health Research Symposium
When: Monday 30 November 2020
Time: 9am – 4pm
Venue: South Auckland Campus (University of Auckland) – Te Papa Ako o Tai Tonga – 6 Osterley Way, Manukau
To register please click Here.
#pmafamily #pacifichealthRS
Date: Wednesday 25 November 2020