George Tereapii Greig - Sociology graduate
George Tereapii Greig's Arts degree set him up for a strong start as a professional communicator.
Key facts
Career: Ministerial Advisor
Programme: Bachelor of Arts / Bachelor of Laws
Subjects: Sociology; Media, Film and Television
"I am a Ministerial Advisor to Hon Kelvin Davis: Minister for Children, Minister of Corrections, Minister for Crown/Māori Relations, and Associate Minister of Education (Māori Education). A large part of my role involves working with the Minister’s portfolio agencies, engaging our stakeholders, and collaborating with other offices and government officials.
"It’s critical to have an understanding of New Zealand society, how its people and institutions interact with one another, and how we might connect and engage the New Zealanders that our office serves. Studying Sociology and Media, Film, Television provides some of the necessary tools for this work.
Sociology builds a social and political knowledge that’s key to supporting a Minister’s office. Having a media background helps you understand how to communicate with, and engage people in our mixed media environment.
"Communication is key in Parliament. A liberal arts degree, when properly exhausted, puts you in front of a cross-section of subjects and discourse. While course material and assignments are important, extracurricular activities like publishing work, volunteering your time with the Faculty’s various arts students’ organisations and offering assistance to student groups build that critical communication toolkit.
"The course work can teach us things, application is key. Applying my arts degree in university set me up for a strong start as a political advisor."