Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu have been undergoing tremendous cultural and social change as they are swept by the currents of modernization. In both countries the cultural heritage has not been appropriately safeguarded and is endangered. Moreover, because research on these countries' cultural heritage has been carried out by Western scholars and experts, there are few local human resources. History education has lagged since independence, and there is a need to both retrieve history and inform educators of it.
This year, field studies were conducted on the islands of Manus, Papua New Guinea, and Malakula, Vanuatu, with the permission of both the central government and the local community. Almost 50 people involved with the protection and management of cultural heritage took part on each island. The field studies were publicized through special radio programs and newspaper features, and lecture meetings were held in local schools and communities. Three Japanese specialists, one each from Sophia University, the University of British Columbia, and the University of Hawaii, and a young researcher from Taiwan studying at Chiba University shared their expertise regarding scholarly research and ways in which the local community can contribute to the protection and management of cultural heritage.