Under the joint chairship of Christian Reus-Smit (ANU) and Alex Bellamy (UQ), an organising committee comprising scholars from around the region was formed to establish the OCIS.

The purpose of OCIS is to bring together the growing community of international studies scholars in the Oceanic region (Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific), to help build satisfying and productive networks and relationships, and to showcase the variety of world-class research being conducted in the region.

The first OCIS was held on 14-16 July 2004 and hosted by the Department of International Relations in the Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies at the Australian National University. The conference was highly successful and it was resolved at the end of the conference that it should become a regular event, and that it should be held every two years. Some groups of scholars also agreed to form working groups. The Ethics and War Working Group held its own workshop at Monash University in July 2005 and has published its proceedings (link to working groups page)

The second OCIS was hosted by the Department of Political Science at the University of Melbourne on 5-7 July 2006. Robyn Eckersley chaired the organising committee which included representatives from the majority of Melbourne’s universities. It too was a resounding success, with a marked increase in participants especially from overseas. It was so successful that the Melbourne organising committee decided to constitute a new national committee to oversee the future widening and deepening of OCIS.

The third OCIS will be hosted by the School of Political Science and International Studies at The University of Queensland, on 2-4 July 2008.      

OCIS Committee Members