Samoan Studies Centre praised
The National University of Samoa’s (N.U.S) Measina conference is a wonderful example of how Pacific Universities contribute, a keynote speaker on the second day of the Pacific Island University Research Conference at N.US, Dr. Cresantia Frances Koya Vaka’uta said.
Dr.Koya Vaka’uta, an Associate Dean Research & Internationalization, from the University of South Pacific (U.S.P), Suva, Fiji said, that the Samoan Studies Centre is another example of universities helping keep language and culture alive.
It was not only to be talking language but how people of Samoa acknowledged themselves by showing their culture and tradition. According to N.U.S’ Samoan Studies Centre Director, Leasiolagi Dr.Malama Meleisea, the Measina Conference was established about ten years ago for those studying Samoan language and culture.
“I think it’s a good initiative to have a Measina conference, so that we can get to have research of where and why we get our culture and how Christianity has been involved into our culture,” Dr. Vaka’uta said.
Dr. Koya Vaka’uta said that linguistic human rights are part of our cultural rights and language plays an important part of education policy and practice.
“We know that each language contributes value to linguistic science,” Dr. Vaka’uta said.
She also acknowledged that deeply tied to our cultural heritage and identity are also links to biodiversity knowledge and we also know our ecology through our language.
The Measina conference is held every two years at N.U.S and will take place in November this year.