Kabini Sanga

Associate Professor Kabini Sanga is a Pacific Islands regional educator and mentor at Victoria University of Wellington's School of Education. Born in the Solomon Islands, he has formal schooling from the Solomon Islands, Fiji, and Canada, and brings extensive regional experience to his academic work. Currently serving as Program Director for MEd & Post Graduate Studies (since February 2024) and previously as Deputy Head of School (2018-2020), Sanga has held significant leadership positions including Director of the Institute of Education at the University of the South Pacific and Chief Executive of the Solomon Islands College of Higher Education (now Solomon Islands National University).

His educational background includes a PhD in Educational Administration from the University of Saskatchewan, a Master of Education from the University of Regina, and a BA from the University of the South Pacific. He also completed graduate training at the University of the South Pacific.

Sanga's research focuses on Indigenous Pacific Intellectual Traditions, educational leadership in Solomon Islands, writing projects with Solomon Islands students, Oralities research in Oceania storying and Melanesian Tok stori, public ethics and leadership in the Pacific, and Indigenous Mala'ita Clan research. His work bridges theoretical frameworks with practical applications in Pacific educational contexts, particularly emphasizing indigenous epistemologies and leadership negotiation in complex cultural environments where kastom, church, and institutional domains compete for influence.

His publications reveal a consistent focus on contextualized educational approaches that honor indigenous knowledge systems while addressing contemporary challenges. The research demonstrates increasing sophistication in applying the Oceania Oralities Framework to various educational contexts, with particular emphasis on how indigenous methodologies like Tok stori can support sustainable education that aligns with local ontological positions. Recent work shows expansion into virtual applications of traditional knowledge systems and cross-cultural comparative studies.

Sanga actively supervises doctoral and masters students on topics including teacher leadership in China, early childhood education in Indonesia, and digital tools in educational mentoring. His mentorship extends through the Solomon Islands Research Mentoring Tok Stori (SIRMT) initiative, which creates connected academic communities through virtual means.

His current research projects include Indigenous Pacific Intellectual Traditions collaborations, Educational leadership in Solomon Islands, Writing projects with Solomon Islands students, Oralities research in Oceania storying, Public ethics and leadership in the Pacific, and Indigenous Mala'ita Clan research. He has received external grant funding for projects including the Community-Led Approaches to Teaching Australian South Sea Islander History, Leadership and Education Authorities Project (LEAP), and the Solomon Islands School Leadership Project.