Maori Academy reaches fellows nationwide
'Boy' and '1080 uptake in watercress and puha' - two topics of many from the celebrated MANU AO seminar series, supported by KAREN.
MANU AO, the National Inter-University Māori Academy for academics and professionals, is using a high end video conferencing system over KAREN to connect hundreds of Māori professionals and academics in every university in New Zealand with a series of weekly seminars. The contemporary topics have ranged from a study of the phenomenal success of the movie “Boy” to research on the uptake of 1080 poison in puha and watercress.
KAREN extends MANU AO's reach to every university in NZ
In 2010, MANU AO held 39 weekly seminars, starting with The Honorable Sir Edward Taihakurei delivering a talk on Treaty claims and self-determination. The Access Grid supplies high-end video conferencing suitable for large groups and is a major component of the MANU AO initiative.
MANU AO Director Dr Selwyn Katene says KAREN connects them with fellow Māori academics in every university and helps advance Māori scholarship and leadership. “Each week a presenter is selected from one of the participating Universities or Māori Professional Bodies and delivers a lecture on their work, research, or area of interest. These seminars are inter-active and designed to encourage dialogue and conversation, disseminate information and research findings, obtain feedback, develop presentation skills, promote collaboration, and profile important work.”
More than 300 people across the country have participated in the seminars during the year, with between 18 and 70 participants at any one seminar. The seminars are streamed live to all New Zealand universities and then made available online on the MANU AO website.
Wide variety of Māori academic interests
Seminar subjects have varied widely in 2010 and included:
- 1080 uptake in watercress and puha - Dr Shaun Ogilvie, Lincoln University
- Tobacco control for Māori - Dr George Laking, Auckland University of Technology
- Climate Change and Māori Health – Dr Rhys Jones, Auckland University of Technology
- The Strength of “Boy”: Māori movie writing grows up - David Geary, Victoria University of Wellington
Seminars on research in education and preserving the Māori language were also popular, with many lectures delivered in Te Reo.
MANU AO is based at Massey University in Palmerston North and is supported by the New Zealand Vice-Chancellors' Committee (NZVCC) in association with all eight New Zealand universities.
2011 Seminar Series
Seminars are scheduled for every Wednesday, 12.00-1.00pm, during the academic year. If you would like to present at a seminar please contact your regional coordinator or MANU AO Administrator Taniya Ward on T.M.Ward [at] massey.ac.nz.
