Beyond Empires' Science: Inter-Imperial Pacific Science Networks in the 1920s

Abstract

The examination of the Pan-Pacific Science Congress (PSC) contributes to making the history of international organizations more global. This chapter argues that in the region where independent nation states were few, the PSC expert network developed fora for inter-imperial cooperative schemes in the 1920s. Although the USA dominated, the PSC’s focus on the inside of the Pacific prompted continental European participation, and fora-participants were predominantly imperial/colonial experts. New powers, such as Australia and Japan, also reinforced this imperial nature. These inter-imperial schemes played a significant role in the making of regional governing mechanisms. Their efforts were framed under the banner of the “development” and “protection” of human and material resources, and the “welfare” of the people in the region. Their exploitive objective was clear, while these inter-imperial schemes also meant the making of a governing infrastructure for the region beyond the interests of specific empires. Show more