Information for iwi

As the nation’s leading tertiary provider in engineering, architecture, and the built environment, we believe that we have a positive contribution to make to support Māori to live, to work, to learn, and to succeed as Māori.

The way we learn research and teach will also benefit from mātauranga Māori that in return, will be beneficial for all of our graduates. We believe that Māori success is Aotearoa’s success.

Our researchers are obliged to understand the relevance of their rangahau to Māori, and are encouraged to engage with Māori communities or organisations. What we do is supported by a publicly available policy that ensures that our work has a positive impact on the people of Aotearoa.

The Vision Mātauranga policy was developed in 2005 by Dr Charles Royal in his role in the Foundation of Research, Science and Technology, now the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE). It captures the intent for contemporary development of Māori people and the transformation of NZ through contribution of Māori knowledge.

The policy framework guides research investment decisions made by government agencies, of which we are a part of. Its mission statement is “to unlock the innovation potential of Māori knowledge, resources and people to assist New Zealanders to create a better future.”

It describes four themes:

• Indigenous innovation – contributing to economic growth through distinctive research and development
• Taiao – achieving environmental sustainability through iwi and hapü relationships with land and sea
• Hauora/Oranga – improving health and social wellbeing
• Mātauranga – exploring indigenous knowledge and research, science and technology

You can find out more about this policy and the original document on the MBIE website.