Air Tahiti Nui Powers a New Era of Science Education in French Polynesia Through ProScience Partnership

For more than three decades, access to science has been widened across French Polynesia through the work of ProScience – Te Turu‘ihi. That mission has been supported by Air Tahiti Nui, whose long-standing backing helps visiting researchers and speakers reach local audiences. The Air Tahiti Nui ProScience partnership has enabled public lectures, professional exchanges and educational events to be organised on subjects affecting island communities.

From climate change to artificial intelligence, important ideas are being brought into informed public discussion. The collaboration matters because science education in French Polynesia is being strengthened through direct contact between specialists, students and residents.

Airline Support Connects Visiting Experts with Polynesian Audiences

The airline’s contribution has been described by the association as essential to the continuity of its activities. Through the collaboration, distinguished speakers can be invited to French Polynesia to share expertise on subjects of local interest. Meetings with researchers and professionals based in the territory can also be arranged, allowing specialist knowledge to be discussed beyond lecture halls.

For Air Tahiti Nui, the arrangement represents one of the Air Tahiti Nui community initiatives supporting learning and public engagement. Its role is not presented as the delivery of research itself, but as support for access to people who can explain it.

The Air Tahiti Nui ProScience partnership also provides a means through which scientific research in French Polynesia can be placed in conversation with wider international developments. According to the association’s president, Elodie Cinquin-Beigbeder, reliable scientific information is needed so that local audiences can understand the effects of discoveries and changing global issues.

A Scientific Association with More Than Three Decades of Service

ProScience was founded in 1992 at the request of the then High Commissioner of French Polynesia. It was initially tasked with organising Science Festivals across the territory. Public-interest status was granted to the association in 2011, reflecting its established role in the community.

Its remit has since been broadened. Local scientists and their work are promoted, while the public is encouraged to engage with scientific questions. Particular attention is given to younger audiences, whose curiosity is viewed as a starting point for scientific discovery.

The association’s educational contribution was recognised with the Education Prize at the 2024 Overseas Excellence Awards. Its work in science education in French Polynesia is therefore rooted in a history of public access, rather than a single event or campaign.

By helping researchers communicate with communities, the association also supports wider understanding of scientific research in French Polynesia. Its activities are organised by committed volunteers, with external partnerships helping the work continue.

Workshops and Specialist Training Make Science Accessible

The ProScience educational programmes cover public lectures, interactive workshops, exhibitions, school activities, science competitions, seminars and planetarium presentations. Activities are intended for different audiences, including students, residents and working professionals. Complex subjects are presented through opportunities to listen, ask questions and take part.

During the first half of 2026, three public lectures were held on the brain, the potential of algae and regenerative medicine. Healthcare professionals were offered a lecture on stem cells and training on neurovisual disorders in children. Two lecture-debates on algae were also organised in schools.

Such a range reflects the importance placed on education across age groups and professional backgrounds. Through the ProScience educational programmes, classroom learning is complemented by access to specialists, while subjects of practical interest are introduced to adults.

These sessions form part of Air Tahiti Nui community initiatives by which the airline’s support helps public scientific engagement remain possible across the territory.

Climate Lectures, Artificial Intelligence and Plans for 2027

Three important climate change lectures have been planned for the second half of 2026. Among them is Polynesia 2100: What Will the Climate Be Like Tomorrow?, scheduled for Thursday, 19 November. It will be delivered by Jérémie Guerbette, a PhD-qualified engineer at Météo-France, and will address future climate conditions in Polynesia.

Another public lecture is scheduled for Tuesday, 15 December. Human Intelligence & Artificial Intelligence: The Great Challenge for Our Brains will be presented by Sylvie Chokron, a neuropsychologist and research director at France’s CNRS. She also founded the Institute of Neuropsychology, Neurovision and NeuroCognition at the Rothschild Ophthalmological Foundation in Paris.

Two further courses on neurovisual disorders in children, covering Levels 1 and 2, are scheduled for healthcare professionals in December. Separately, work is under way towards acquiring a new planetarium in 2027; its acquisition has not been announced as complete.

Conclusion

Across French Polynesia, access to scientific knowledge continues to be supported through a partnership linking an airline with a volunteer-led educational organisation. Public talks, specialist training and school activities are being used to make research understandable and relevant to local communities.

The Air Tahiti Nui ProScience partnership is particularly significant because visiting experts can be brought into discussions with local professionals and residents. Recognition of ProScience’s work and its planned activities reflect a sustained commitment to education. With further lectures scheduled and a planetarium being pursued, the association’s mission remains focused on curiosity, learning and wider public participation in science.

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