Māori And Indigenous PhD Scholars Gather At University Of Auckland

Over 120 Māori and Indigenous doctoral candidates are gathering in Auckland in November to connect and showcase their research.

The tauira have travelled from all over Aotearoa, as well as from around the Pacific and Australia to attend the MAI Te Kupenga Hui-a-Tau. The annual hui creates the opportunity for candidates to present their PhD research as well as make connections and network with their peers.

“Our key kaupapa is manaakitanga. The reason this gathering is important is because this PhD journey can be quite lonely, so the Hui-a-tau is the opportunity for Indigenous PhD researchers to gather in one place. It’s a time to talk about ideas, to network, as well as support each other through our common struggles and experiences of doing a PhD,” says Hui-a-tau coordinator Abigail McClutchie.

She says the hui-a-tau is a unique opportunity for candidates to enhance their professional capacity. “They can make connections with other Māori researchers, not just from their own fields, but also with those outside their own specialty. That sets them up with the ability to think about research with a more broad and holistic view, and it means when it comes time to collaborate or conduct future inter-disciplinary research, they have already made those connections,” says Abigail.

“It is marvelous to go to this hui-a-tau and see how our incredible Māori scholars have flourished. You see them grow from their first year doing a PhD to finally finishing and they are outstanding, confident scholars who are ready to serve their communities.”

Abigail says the experience of doing a PhD is often very different for Māori. “The average age for a Māori PhD candidate is 48 years. Research shows we often don’t go straight from an undergraduate degree, to a masters, then on to a PhD. We have a lot of experiences along the way, and people of all different ages are part of the MAI network, so having the annual hui-a-tau is a way we can support each other throughout our academic journeys,” she says.

MAI Te Kupenga Hui-a-Tau: November 7-10, 2024

MAI Te Kupenga is the national Māori and Indigenous Scholar Network which has sites located at all universities in New Zealand. It is supported by Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga.

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