Mike Bourke

Dr. Mike Bourke is an Adjunct Senior Fellow at the School of Culture, History & Language and an Honorary Associate Professor at the College of Asia and the Pacific, Australian National University (ANU). He has held roles such as Agronomist in Papua New Guinea's Department of Primary Industry (1970–1983), Postgraduate Student at ANU (1983–1988), and self-employed consultant (1988–2008). His research focuses on Papua New Guinean agriculture, rural livelihoods, food security, and environmental interactions. He has conducted fieldwork across all rural districts of PNG and edited the definitive book Food and Agriculture in Papua New Guinea.

Education:

• Postgraduate studies at ANU (1983–1988).

Research Interests: Village agriculture in PNG, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu; sustainability of land use; root crop agronomy; adaptation to climate change; and rural poverty reduction. He is affiliated with research groups on Biodiversity, Water and Flooding, and Adaptation in Asia-Pacific.

Awards:

• Fellow of the Australian Institute of Agriculture
• Officer of the Order of Logohu (Papua New Guinea)

Consultancy and Leadership: Over 50 years of consulting, training, and development projects in PNG and the Pacific. Currently engaged in PNG-focused initiatives with ANU and international collaborators.

Labs/Teams: Part of the Institute for Climate, Energy & Disaster Solutions and contributes to cross-disciplinary projects on food security and sustainable development.