Guam's research team to examine geopolitical developments in Micronesia

By Pacific Island Times News Staff

The University of Guam’s Richard Flores Taitano Micronesian Area Research Center (MARC) and the Pacific Center for Island Security (PCIS) have teamed up to launch independent research on geopolitical developments in the Pacific region.

The research will focus on Micronesia, which is caught in a tug-of-war between the United States and China.

According to a joint press release from MARC and PCIS, the partnership is focused on advancing a research agenda of geopolitical and political issues in Micronesia while promoting the University of Guam as a preferred choice for advancing geopolitical knowledge in the region.

Geopolitical issues, particularly aspects related to political status, are among the research priorities for the Micronesian Area Research Center. This partnership with PCIS covers a gap in that field, said Carlos Madris, MARC director of research.

Robert A. Underwood, PCIS chair, said the collaboration has the potential of expanding knowledge about geopolitical issues in Guam and the region "beyond the press releases of officials."

China's growing influence in the region has prompted Washington to revive its attention to the long-forsaken island nations.

"Questions need to be asked and research conducted from a regional point of view. This cooperation will make that possible," said Underwood, former UOG president and former congressman.

MARC is the primary repository of Micronesian history, knowledge, and cultural preservation in the region. Its full-time research faculty covers different fields ranging from Anthropology, History, and Archaeology. MARC has a research library that contains over 40,000 volumes of resource materials on Guam and Micronesia, and 800 unpublished theses and dissertations.

PCIS is a Guam-based foundation (501c3), whose mission is to provide independent analysis of the foreign policy and military-strategic activities between and among the actors in the emerging great power competition in the Asia-Pacific region.

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