Dr Naomi Faik-Simet is currently the Assistant Director – Dance at the Institute of Papua New Guinea Studies, a government cultural research institute under the National Cultural Commission. Naomi has extensively researched and published on Papua New Guinea’s indigenous dance forms and cultural knowledge. Her research focuses on indigenous dance as pedagogical knowledge systems embedded in diverse and complex knowledge systems in Papua New Guinea communities. In her PhD thesis, Naomi explored Buai as a pedagogical knowledge system for teaching and learning creativity amongst the Tolai people of East New Britain. She is pursuing similar studies on dance, pedagogy, creativity and education that draws on Papua New Guinea’s vast cultural heritage.

Naomi has a Bachelor in Arts, majoring in Theatre Arts and a Bachelor of Arts with Honors (Literature) from the University of Papua New Guinea. At present, Naomi holds a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Dance Studies from the University of Auckland.

Further, Naomi is the Papua New Guinea team leader for INTRACOMP (Intercultural and Transcultural Competence through Collaborative Cultural Expression) funded by the European Union through Horizon Europe (2025 – 2027) and the Project – Co Lead for the Nambawan Piksa project, funded by the London School of Economics (2025 – 2027).