Introducing Dr Marco De Jong

Marco is one of our new cohort of kaihoe, recruited in 2023 by the Eke Tangaroa programme and appointed as a lecturer in the AUT Law School, starting in late November 2023.

_{Marco in attendance at the 52nd Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting, held in the Cook Islands, November 2023.}

The year of 2023 had already started well for Marco as he completed his doctoral thesis with no amendments required, under the supervision of Professor James Belich, at Balliol College, University of Oxford, UK. Marco’s doctoral research was on the environmental movement in the Pacific - his thesis title is ‘O le Moana Fa’atasia – Kotahi te Moana – Only One Ocean: Pacific Environmentalism 1950 – 1995.’

Being appointed to a permanent academic position at AUT meant that Marco could look forward to working on publishing his doctoral thesis in book form. But ‘life’ hadn’t quite finished dishing out surprises! In early December 2023, Marco found out that he had won the most prestigious history prize in New Zealand and would be the 2024 Judith Binney Fellow. Here at AUT, we are so proud of all his achievements, and to be able to call Marco one of ours.

Professor Khylee Quince, Dean of the AUT Law School, says it was a privilege for the AUT Law School to have Marco join the team in late 2023.

“Despite the disappointment that he won't be directly contributing to our programme for a year, we acknowledge the incredible opportunity this fellowship affords him. As a former student of Dr Binney myself, I'm thrilled Marco has the ability to undertake this important project in her name.”

Read more about Marco winning the Judith Binney fellowship

Marco tells us about his work in more detail

What do you hope to achieve through this fellowship?

Right now, I am turning my doctoral thesis on environmentalism in the Pacific into a book. Having the freedom to commit to it full time is a real privilege and it has allowed me to expand its scope and fill out some of its arguments. Ultimately, history is about doing justice to the subject matter. When people share their stories with you, there is a responsibility involved, it’s important to represent them faithfully and with respect to their aspirations. The late Judith Binney epitomised those principles as a historian.

But what I have also come to understand is that there is real power in those stories. They show how the Pacific contributed to and challenged global environmental governance. They demonstrate Pacific peoples’ commitment to environmental stewardship in perpetuity. In the context of intertwined political and ecological crises, when our motu and moana are threatened, this commitment allows us to speak with authority. The difficulty so often is that this history is hidden, deliberately obscured, or lost. Sometimes our elders themselves don’t know of the impact they had. I think doing justice often means accessing what is untold potential.

What are your initial impressions of the AUT Law School, and AUT overall?

I have found a real home for my work within the AUT Law School as it engages questions of environmental justice, international law, and regional governance. I get a lot of feedback from colleagues and I’m looking forward to sharing some of the findings with the students. I came to AUT wanting to contribute meaningfully in the provision of opportunity rather than the credentialling of privilege. Ever since I have felt proud to work in such a diverse and committed institution, knowing we do so much more with a lot less.

Do you have any other comments you’d like to make?

I want to thank Eke Tangaroa and recommend it to those considering next steps in academia. Come change the game!

_{Marco in attendance at the 52nd Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting, held in the Cook Islands, November 2023.}