UQ New Colombo Plan Scholar Liam Lyttle is Australia’s inaugural Pacific Fellow, currently studying at the University of the South Pacific (USP) in Fiji.
Among other significant experiences, his short documentary Mudgumbo – Bikini recently premiered at the 4th Pacific Human Rights Film Festival in Suva. In this film he explores the scale and impact of more than 300 nuclear tests conducted by the US, UK and France in the Pacific region between 1949 and 1996.
Liam is an artist and musician who is close to completing a Bachelor of Arts at UQ (majors in political science and peace and conflict studies, with a minor in sociology).
An audio engineer by training, he decided to study at UQ when his interest in politics, explored in film and music, left him feeling unsure about the legitimacy of his message.
“I wasn't confident that I had an authoritative voice to talk about the threat of nuclear war,” Liam said.
“I was looking at my options with that in the background. I decided on political science because it is something that I was really engaged with.
“After I came to UQ, I found peace and conflict studies as a discipline,” said Liam.
When he heard about the NCP Scholarship, he pursued an application to study in the Pacific as his core focus. The Pacific Islands had attracted his interest after a news item in 2020 prompted the newsreader to note, ‘Governments change; geography doesn’t'.
“I looked at the map of Australia and all of our neighbours are Pacific Island countries. Our region will forever be the Pacific. I thought, ‘Well, if this is our neighbourhood, what's going on, what's the history?’ As I started to delve into that I became aware that we have a lot of dark moments in that history.”
To put together the strongest NCP Scholarship application possible, Liam took courses at UQ that were both relevant and pertinent – in the areas of international relations, anthropology and Asia Pacific politics.
"Each of these courses prepped me to write an application in light of the issues that the Australian Government might also be considering in terms of Indo-Pacific strategy.
"I wanted my application to be as strong as possible. And here I am, in Suva, the inaugural Australian Pacific Fellow."
NCP Scholar Liam Lyttle talks about the value of his experience and building connections in the South Pacific
Studying at the University of the South Pacific (USP) has deepened his engagement considerably, in both Fijian language and culture, with an internship to follow. He has almost completed a course in the Politics of Governance and Development, and another in the Politics of Human Rights. The latter, convened by Dr Milla Vaha, is Liam’s favourite.
“Dr Vaha is a tour de force! An incredible lecturer who puts a lot of thought into course design and has also been a Visiting Scholar at UQ. She sets a lot of readings by UQ Professor Alex Bellamy (Director of the Asia Pacific Centre for the Responsibility to Protect).
“I do see this link between our 2 universities. In my courses there’s so much learning about the way that Australia interacts as a partner that I haven’t been exposed to at home.”
He has already met the Fijian Deputy Prime Minister Biman Prasad and Fijian High Commissioner to Australia Ajay Amrit, to urge a more deeply integrated Pacific and connections between UQ and USP.
As a direct result of his experience in Suva, Liam is all too aware of the urgency of change.
“Pacific island states face challenges that have been brought about by a long history of colonialism.
"We, in Australia, have a responsibility to our friends, to our Pacific family, to rectify past mistakes, to have a deeper engagement with the Pacific that reflects the closeness of our historic connections and the importance of those connections going forward, in particular with climate change.”
“The climate crisis is an impending existential threat that the Pacific Island states will be hit by first, worst and longest. As a larger nation, we need to step up for them, to use our platform and voice, to help make sure they're protected.”
Liam’s study will finish at the end of 2024, but he will remain in Fiji until the end of 2025. He anticipates that his future will continue to be connected to the Pacific.
“Australia is stepping up, and I would love to be paying back what I've learned by serving my country in that capacity.”
For students considering an NCP Scholarship, his advice is to apply. The Australian Government New Colombo Plan Scholarship supports undergraduate students to work and study at universities in 40 locations across the Indo-Pacific region, including study, internships, mentorships and language training.
Expressions of interest for the 2026 NCP Scholarship open in early 2025.
