5 June 2007: The Tertiary Education Commission’s announcement of continued funding for Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga, the Māori Centre for Research Excellence, is an endorsement of how much the Centre has achieved, Professor Michael Walker, Joint Director of the Centre, said today.
“We are absolutely delighted with this decision, which is a welcome vote of confidence in the vision of the Centre and the benefits it is delivering for New Zealand,” he said.
“It will enable us to support more excellent research that starts from a Maori perspective, much of which is already winning considerable international recognition for projects that range from leading-edge science to the creative arts.“
Last year, new findings on evolution by a researcher supported by the Centre, Dr Shane Wright, were published in the United States’ leading scientific journal, the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, and widely reported in general media such as The Economist and the Guardian in the UK.
In the Fine Arts, work supported by the Centre, Aniwaniwa, by Brett Graham and Rachael Rakena, has recently been invited to show at the world's most prestigious art event, the Venice Art Biennale. In Education, work by Professor Russell Bishop with the Ministry of Education is delivering significant improvement in Maori student achievement.
Across many disciplines and over 40 projects have been recognised for environmental protection, new understanding of Maori health issues, preserving traditional knowledge and advancing fresh perspectives on a wide range of social issues, he said.
Importantly, programmes run by the Centre have met a key target of supporting 500 graduate and candidate Maori PhDs over the last five years.
“While New Zealanders can celebrate the very high level of achievement of Maori in sports together with the creative and performing arts, our aim at Nga Pae o te Maramatanga is to foster this same contribution in creating new knowledge,” Professor Walker said.
“At the heart of what we are doing is a determination to unlock the potential for much greater participation by Maori in all aspects of society and the economy.
“This latest funding decision confirms very welcome support for this vision and for ensuring Maori play a full role in shaping a positive future for the whole country.“
|