Ngā Motu Whakahī
Nurturing Future Māori and
Pacific Research Leaders
Charting a Course for Future Research Leaders
Our Kaupapa
Ngā Motu Whakahī is a holistic and long-term initiative to nurture our future Māori and Pacific research leaders through tuākana-teina cohort building.
The Ngā Motu Whakahī programme aims to develop a new mentoring programme in the research space. Aligning with the University’s Strategic Plan to embrace values of equity and inclusion, Ngā Motu Whakahī is an important vessel to grow the number of Māori and Pacific research students and research-active academic staff in the Faculty of Science.
Using a navigation metaphor, the programme aims to be a journey between and across the following three ‘islands’, with waves connecting them:
Poipoia te kākano
Our team hosts a range of existing and developing initiatives to support pre-university level Māori and Pacific participation in science (and their schools and families) to grow a strong foundation for a future in science.
Tairangatia
Working with current Māori and Pacific students in the Faculty of Science, we are cultivating a cohort of confident, connected and thriving students interested in research, through research scholarships and internships for undergraduates.
Pūtaiao Herenga Waka
We enable postgraduate research students and early career academics to flourish by hosting annual symposiums to showcase our Māori and Pacific research and engage with external stakeholders, provide opportunities to connect, collaborate and supervise summer scholarships.
Te Painga Ngaru – The ripple effect
The waves connecting our islands are symbolic of the actions we take to ensure that all students and research-active staff feel included and can thrive in their environment. This work is fluid, like waves, and the intention is that its effects will ripple throughout the Faculty and beyond towards transformative cultural change.
