Konai Helu Thaman


Konai Helu Thaman is a poet and academic from Tonga.

Background

Thaman was born in Nukuʻalofa, Tonga, in 1946. Growing up she attended the Free Wesleyan Primary School, Tonga High School, and Epsom Girls' Grammar School in Auckland, New Zealand. In 1972 she met her husband Randy Thaman and traveled with him to the United States where she undertook her post-graduate education. She has received a BA in Geography ; Teaching Diploma ; MA in International Education and a PhD in Education.

Career

Between 1969 and 1972 Thaman was a teacher in Tonga. She has worked at the University of the South Pacific since 1974 and currently holds a Personal Chair in Pacific Education and Culture, a position she has held since its establishment in 1998. She has also held management positions at the university including Director of the Institute of Education, Head of the School of Humanities, and Pro-vice-chancellor.
As an academic researcher, Thaman has been widely published, with a focus on education, curriculum development, and sustainable development.
Thaman has held several positions with UNESCO. Between 1998–2006 she was the UNESCO Chair in Teacher Education and Culture. She is currently a Fellow of the Asia-Pacific Programme of Educational Innovation for Development and member of the Committee of Experts on the Application of the Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers.

Published works

Works by Thaman have been used in primary and secondary education across the Pacific region. Her collections of poetry include:
Her poems have been translated into multiple languages, including German by Renate von Gizyckia, in the collection of poems titled Inselfeuer. Her poems are also in several anthologies including Fire in the Sea: An Anthology of Poetry and Art and Nuanua: Pacific Writing in English since 1980.