Ngā mihi ki a koutou katoa nō ngā hau e whā. Ahakoa, ka tū te Wānanga nei kei waenganui o te mana whenua o Ngāti Awa – ka haere ngā mihi ki ngā hau e whā.
Ngā whakaaro ki a rātou kua hinga atu, hinga mai i runga i ngā marae maha o te motu, haere, haere rā.
No reira, te hunga mate ki te hunga mate, te hunga ora ki te hunga ora, tēnā koutou.
Every year, our Graduation Day provides some of the most memorable moments of academic life. Supporters deliver karanga, waiata and haka with unconcealed pride and emotion as our graduates walk proudly across the stage to receive their qualifications. They are confident, competent and skilled in two worlds – well equipped to help build the social, cultural and economic wellbeing of Māori, iwi and community interests.
Such unforgettable scenes, replayed year after year, demonstrate how education creates a legacy that can uplift entire communities. An Awanuiārangi education can profoundly change your life.
On behalf of Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi, I extend a warm welcome and proudly present our prospectus for 2012. As our nation faces a challenging era of transformation, Awanuiārangi also focuses on change, innovation and growth. We have set ambitious plans for re-development and have high expectations of ourselves as a young institution that aspires to advance Māori and play a defining role in indigenous development.
As a tertiary education provider, and as an indigenous-university, we are breaking new ground in many areas: developing and updating career-focused programmes shaped by the needs of business and industry, and the aspirations of our people; cementing a growing international reputation as a site of indigenous educational excellence; finding innovative ways of delivering programmes that reach deep into our communities, building capabilities from a grassroots level; providing a unique learning environment enriched by āhuatanga Māori and tikanga Māori; leading the way in indigenous research through the pioneering work of our four national research institutes.
Our concern to advance Māori cultural, social and economic wellbeing underpins all we strive for. Many of our talented staff have PhDs and are actively engaged in research. Our programmes seek to address local, national and international needs: diminishing food supplies globally translate to a need to re-focus on primary industry education; daily advances in technologies challenge our experts to equip students with the latest skills, and to encourage that knowledge to be used in creative ways; and the emerging Māori economy, with assets of more than $36.9 billion in 2010, creates a need for a specialised Māori workforce to realise the potential of that economy.
We make it our business to respond to those trends, and to prepare our students for the challenges of the future. Our curriculum approach is nurtured by our three schools: the School of Iwi Development, the School of Undergraduate Studies and the School of Indigenous Graduate Studies. Soon we plan to establish a School of Education and a School of Science and Humanities. At our three main sites in Whakatāne, Auckland and Northland, and through our marae-based learning centres, study options are diverse, ranging from certificate to doctoral level, from zero-fee bridging courses to business studies, from science to performing arts, from multimedia graphic design to teacher education.
Our partnerships with other tertiary institutions and organisations expand the range of opportunities for students in the Eastern Bay of Plenty and beyond. And our Whakatāne campus redevelopment is creating stimulating, first-class facilities for our students and an iconic set of buildings for Awanuiārangi’s home town.
In choosing Awanuiārangi, you will have the opportunity to play your part in the Māori renaissance. We look forward to welcoming you to Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi indigenous-university.
Distinguished Professor Graham H. Smith
PhD (Auckland), D.Litt. (Hon. Causa), M.A. Hons, Dip.Tchg
Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Apa, Ngāti Kahungunu, Kāti Mamoe
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi indigenous-university