Scholars under the Norway-Pacific Ocean-Climate Scholarship Programme (N-POC) at The University of the South Pacific (USP) participated in a three-day mini writing retreat from 19–21 August 2025.
The retreat was facilitated by two N-POC scholars, Alice Rore and Doni Wainiqolo, who earlier this year completed a Training of Trainers Writing Retreat organised by the Aotearoa New Zealand International Development Studies Network (DevNet) in collaboration with USP and Massey University.
Building on this training, Rore and Wainiqolo led their peers through a structured programme aimed at supporting focused writing.
The programme adopted the NIU approach, a locally adapted version of the Pomodoro method, which divided writing into productive sprints interspersed with breaks. Participants were encouraged to use the retreat to make significant progress on their final PhD chapters, journal manuscripts and policy briefs.
The three days provided a distraction-free, fully catered space that encouraged participants to set realistic writing goals and achieve tangible milestones.
N-POC scholars expressed their appreciation for the retreat’s peer-led and supportive environment, which enabled them to remain focused while also fostering collaboration.
Reflecting on the experience, Iliesa Koroi, a PhD scholar said, “I came in with a working draft of a manuscript I was working on. Really grateful for the Pomodoro writing as I found it really helpful, especially being free from distractions.”
Fellow PhD scholar, Viliami Vakapuna, added that the retreat not only advanced their writing but their confidence and motivation to complete their PhD journey.
The writing retreat achieved a remarkable collective output of nearly 50,000 words by 11 scholars in three days, demonstrating the effectiveness of focused, collaborative effort.
This initiative does not end here. The N-POC scholars have committed to meeting twice a week, stepping outside of their comfort zones to write together.
This has now become a permanent schedule, ensuring ongoing progress and peer support beyond the retreat.
The Norway-Pacific Ocean-Climate Scholarship Programme (N-POC) is an ambitious research and PhD training partnership between the University of Bergen in Norway and USP.
It is funded for 2021–2026 by Norway’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) and the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad).
