Bridging the Literature Gap: Teaching Cybersecurity in the PNG Context

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When preparing for our recent PG420 seminar series on cybersecurity and digital shifts in PNG, one of the most immediate challenges we encountered was the limited scholarly literature on this subject within the PNG context. While the global discourse on cybersecurity is rapidly expanding, academic work specifically focused on PNG remains scarce. As a result, we had to draw on international sources to ground our discussion and stimulate analytical thinking among our students.

To initiate the conversation, Seminar 5 focused on China’s evolving cyber capabilities and how these influence broader international security dynamics. Using the edited volume China and Cybersecurity: Espionage, Strategy, and Politics in the Digital Domain by Lindsay, Cheung, and Reveron, students explored critical questions about cyber espionage, innovation, and global governance. One of the central questions, drawn from Nigel Inkster’s chapter, asked: How does the evolution of Chinese intelligence tradecraft in cyberspace reflect broader shifts in China’s global security approach? The full recording of Seminar 5 is available here:
🎥 Watch Seminar 5

Students were also asked to examine the extent to which China’s cyber espionage offers a competitive advantage and how it impacts perceptions of China as a threat. Another central theme, drawn from Lindsay and Cheung’s analysis, focused on the limitations of converting stolen data into economic gains: How does China’s reliance on cyber espionage expose vulnerabilities in its innovation system? These readings enabled students to link strategic theory with real-world cases, using China as a lens through which broader cybersecurity questions could be understood.

Screenshot of the cover page.

The conversation then turned to international norms and internet governance. Li and Xu’s chapter prompted critical engagement with China’s advocacy for “Internet sovereignty” in contrast to multistakeholder models. This raised important questions: How does this perspective challenge existing global norms, and what are the implications for international cybersecurity cooperation? Students also examined the dual strategy of balancing security with informatization and how this shapes China's internal and external digital policy narratives.

In Seminar 6, the focus shifted to the Pacific context—specifically to the digital and cybersecurity challenges facing PNG. Due to the lack of locally grounded academic literature, students engaged with a chapter by Dr. Amanda Watson on telecommunications and security in the Pacific Islands. Her work, along with the Boe Declaration, served as a foundation for evaluating regional cybersecurity threats and strategies. Questions explored included: What steps can Pacific Island nations take to strengthen their cybersecurity frameworks, and how does this align with broader regional security goals?

Watson’s chapter also examined the sensitive issue of data sharing among Pacific Island countries, shaped by deep concerns about national sovereignty. This led students to explore: How can this challenge be addressed to improve regional cooperation on transboundary issues like illegal fishing and cyber-enabled transnational crime? The concept of a “networked security” approach, involving police, private security, and local leaders, was also discussed as a strategy for enhancing resilience within communities.

Urbanization, digital transformation, and the risks of over-reliance on donor support were also key themes. Watson raised essential questions such as: How should national and regional strategies adapt to urbanization and cyber threats? and What are the benefits and risks of depending on external donors to build national security capacity? These questions encouraged students to consider the tension between external assistance and internal ownership of security systems. The full recording of Seminar 6 is available here:
🎥 Watch Seminar 6

In the absence of sufficient local research, these global and regional readings have helped our students frame cybersecurity not just as a technical challenge, but as a deeply political and developmental issue. As I emphasized during the seminar, our students must be both consumers and producers of knowledge. They are the future analysts, practitioners, and scholars who can fill this literature gap by focusing on locally relevant cybersecurity research for PNG and the Pacific.

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