Koro
A KORO MENTORING PLATFORM
A KORO MENTORING PLATFORM FOR STUDENTS AND
SUPERVISORS OF THE PACIFIC THEOLOGICAL COLLEGE.
A. Name and Definition of the Platform
KORO – Knowledge Of Research & Orientation
The Fijian word KORO means ‘village’. This platform resembles a village coming together to talanoa (as
villagers always do) on issues that matter. In this context, we are referring to issues of ‘research’ and
‘orientation.’ The KORO as a metaphor for organizing and mentoring research should imply the following:
• First, KORO is a ‘village of stories’ both formal and informal where research can be freely discussed with
others without fear of being discriminated against. This space translates and transforms ‘stories of the village’
(research) into ‘village of stories’ (thesis, publications), allowing for dialogue and story-telling between peers,
between past, present and future, between students and lecturers/supervisors, between Pasifika and non-
Pasifika cultures, and between researchers and the divine. This space is both academic and sacred, both
personal and social, both traditional and imaginative.
• Second, KORO is a ‘relationship framework’ that allows the village of researchers to collaborate and
acknowledge the fact that research is not just an individual concern, but more importantly a collaborative
village responsibility and undertaking. Village people always help out each other when it comes to issues that
matter. As villagers always see relationships as primary, issues are addressed together through gifting and
sharing. In other words, KORO is a communities-based model of research and mentoring.
• Third, KORO is an inclusive ‘itulagi of thinking.’ Each researcher has a particular itulagi (‘side of the
horizon’, or ‘side of the heavens’), with a particular KORO identity, connected, rooted, and bonded to a
contextual, cultural, or faith tradition that inform their perspective of life and learning. This itulagi needs to be included in any research. While a itulagi is of course limited, it is central to research. The KORO is constituted with multiplicity of itulagi. Therefore, one itulagi must not control the other nor it should be the only horizon of understanding. The KORO implies researchers ‘living out’ a itulagi-driven research awareness that respects multiple itulagi and relationships, whether with one’s topic and area of study, with supervisor, with students, with context, with culture, with oneself, or with God.
• Fourth, the KORO is a ‘space of orientation’ where researchers could effectively orientate or re – orientate
themselves to address old and new issues and challenges as they emerge. Through village talanoa, researchers
are encouraged to orientate themselves towards solving problems and seeking possibilities and solutions
together.
• Finally, the KORO is a ‘self-reflective track’ that allows researchers a deeper level of orientating and
positioning themselves to reflect on their own individual itulagi, attitudes, directions, intentions, mindsets,
consciousness, and beliefs for the sake of a quality institutional research culture.
Like the proverbial saying “it takes a village to raise a child” so is the spirit of the KORO, that it takes a
village to raise a good researcher.
B. Basis
This initiative is based on the PTC Strategic Plan 2020-25, in particular Priority Area 1, “Quality Theological
Education” and Priority Area 2, “Strong Research Culture.” It is also based on the village of stories and
memories of issues and experiences of PTC researchers being raised from time to time both in the past and
present.
C. KORO Platform Objectives
Rooted in the oral storytelling traditions of Pasifika people (talanoa, tok stori, faasoa, talatalaga, etc) the
platform provides researchers a space to,
1. Encourage telling and engaging research stories to improve research culture and skills;
2. Freely share research issues and challenges without fear of being discriminated against;
3. Stimulate developing holistic and alternative perspectives of research, learning, and supervision;
4. Encourage collaboration and interaction between different disciplines, students, and supervisors;
5. Address and translate issues raised to inform improving institutional policies and structural changes.
D. Key Responsibilities
The KORO provides assistance in,
1. Walking together with the researchers to improve key academic and research skills in areas such as analysis,
art of arguing, writing and reading skills, literature reviews, surveys, methods of data collection, selecting and
organizing materials, language and expression, to name a few.
2. Addressing psychological issues during the research and writing process.
3. Facilitating inter and transdisciplinary collaboration to manage research topics and processes outside of the
formal programmes and helping articulate from different disciplinary perspectives key concepts in research
areas and focuses.
4. Facilitating trainings for quality supervision and mentoring including improving socio- cultural and sociolinguistic
consciousness and awareness skills;
5. Achieving competency in linking institutional vision and mission of the college with research focus;
6. Mentoring researchers, both students and supervisors, to achieve institutional Graduate Attributes;
7. Orientating research topics and processes towards achieving Pasifikaness;
8. Mentoring researchers on effective research methodologies and frameworks as well as communities’
processes and protocols;
9. Mentoring researchers on decolonial approaches, in particular addressing dominant colonial concepts that
are already embedded in our own thinking structures;
10. Improving relationship and collaboration between supervisors and students and any mitigating issues and
risks;
11. Improving time management, concentration, commitment, as well as completion rate;
12. Mentoring researchers to improve online capacity and IT skills;
13. Mentoring researchers towards publishing their research;
14. Supporting the current PTC Academic and Research Skills programme;
15. Improving and transforming institutional research culture.
E. Structure of the KORO
There are two Fale (meeting platforms) in the KORO platform. First is the Fale of Research Students (FORS), a
platform for students to engage with peers on research topics and issues. Second is the Fale of Supervisors (FOS),
a platform for supervisors/lecturers to attend further trainings and guidance on supervision skills and orientation.
The two Fale will be invited from time to time to meet and talanoa on key research and orientation issues to inform
academic and institutional changes. This common space should be flexible and non-hierarchical as much as
possible.
F. KORO Platform Activities
The Principal will be responsible, in consultation with the Academic and Research Skills discipline with two
facilitators selected from each Fale, to organize and facilitate talanoa and training sessions, including allocating
time and selecting suitable venues. These KORO talanoa sessions and activities will mainly happen outside of
formal learning hours, with the exception of formalized trainings, evenly spread throughout the academic year.
G. Reporting and Updates
The college Principal reports to and updates the faculty from time to time. Should there be any issues that require
attention or action, the Principal will address this with academic discipline concerned, with monthly faculty
meetings, with any discipline in the college, or with the SBA executives.