Dr Hai-Yuean Tualima joins NZCIEL as a research affiliate
NZCIEL welcomes Solamalemalo Dr Hai-Yuean Tualima, whose expertise spans traditional knowledge, intellectual property and customary law, with particular emphasis on Pacific legal systems. Dr Tualima’s research contributes significantly to international policy-making, focusing on practical measures to protect Indigenous culture and traditional knowledge.
The New Zealand Centre of International Economic Law (NZCIEL) is pleased to welcome Solamalemalo Dr Hai-Yuean Tualima as a research fellow. A specialist in traditional knowledge, intellectual property and customary law, Dr Tualima brings extensive expertise in Pacific legal systems and international negotiations. Her work is widely recognised for its practical approach to supporting Indigenous culture and traditional knowledge, and she is frequently invited to contribute to global discussions in this field.
Dr Tualima holds a PhD in Law from the University of New South Wales, as well as a Bachelor of Laws and Master of Laws (First Class Hons) from the University of Waikato. Her doctoral research, “Protection of Traditional Knowledge in Samoa: Understanding Traditional Knowledge informed by the Talanoa Research Methodology”, used a Talanoa Research Methodology (TRM) approach to explore traditional knowledge, intellectual property, custom and customary law in Samoa.
TRM, grounded in the principles of fa’asamoa, allowed participants to shape the research agenda, providing insights into how knowledge is regulated in a pluralist post-colonial legal order. Her study highlights the role of customary law in village governance, the limitations of international legal frameworks such as the TRIPS Agreement, the Nagoya Protocol and the Convention on Intangible Cultural Heritage and the challenges of aligning global intellectual property systems with local knowledge practices. Her findings offer practical recommendations for regulatory reform, not only for Samoa but for the broader Pacific region and international discussions on traditional knowledge and access and benefit-sharing.
In 2015, Dr Tualima became the first Pacific Islander appointed as the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Indigenous Fellow, contributing to negotiations on the protection of traditional knowledge, cultural expressions and genetic resources. She has also worked extensively on policy and law reform, including the establishment of Samoa’s first National Human Rights Institution and research into the feasibility of a National Heritage Board for Samoa.
Dr Tualima is a member of the Golden Key International Honour Society, the Law and Society Association of Australia and New Zealand, and the International Advancement of Teaching and Research in Intellectual Property. She is admitted as a barrister and solicitor of the High Court in both New Zealand and Samoa. NZCIEL is delighted to have her on board and looks forward to research collaborations.