To contribute to Inside AUT contact Clarissa Thompson

clarissa.thompson@aut.ac.nz

ISSUE TWO - 2015

NEWS FROM AUT | TE WNANGA ARONUI O TMAKI MAKAU RAU

Scaling the heights

Jordon Milroy - Page 5

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Project15 taking New

Zealand innovation global

Study reveals what makes

Kiwis awesome

Page 10

Page 15

Climate change,
environmental journalism
and better media ethics
Page 19

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Index
Notice something different?.............................................................................. 03
Woolf Fisher First-in-Family ............................................................................. 04

AUT remembers
This ANZAC Day, AUT was honoured to remember our alumni, staff and students
who served and to commemorate those who lost their lives and innocence.

Jordon Milroy scaling the heights.............................................................. 05

Vice Chancellors Doctoral Scholarships ................................................... 06
Measuring up on student satisfaction ........................................................ 07
Educating our young people for the future ............................................. 07

Muslims at Work summit opens up an important

conversation ................................................................................................................ 08
Law School hosts Public Defence Service workshop ........................ 09
Inaugural Entrepreneurship Symposium connects business
and research ................................................................................................................ 09
Project15 taking New Zealand innovation global ............................ 10

Sports science research delivers fast bowling gains .......................... 11

Digital technology lowers cost of Mori language learning ......... 12
Knowledge sharing enables indigenous language and
cultural revival ............................................................................................................ 13
Discovery and exploration of New Zealand told through
braille: Paul Moons The Voyagers ................................................................ 14
Health and wealth: the argument for investment................................. 14
Study reveals what makes Kiwis awesome ............................................... 15
Choosing the right poems for New Zealanders .................................... 15

Sharyn Graham Davies nominated for Ruth Benedict Prize ......... 16

Paramedicine team show skill in Baltimore ............................................. 16
Waste and recycling audit in Hikuwai Plaza ............................................ 17
Plastic bottle kayaks ............................................................................................... 18
Professor Paul Moon on Coast ...................................................................... 18
Climate change, environmental journalism and better
media ethics................................................................................................................. 19
Lifelike trauma simulations give AUT paramedics the edge......... 20
Vietnams Prime Minister visits AUT............................................................ 21
Polyfest 2015 ............................................................................................................... 22
AUT remembers ........................................................................................................ 23

More than 1000 staff, students and

alumni served and, in many cases, lost
their lives in World Wars One and Two.
These brave men and women were
nurses, soldiers, officers and technical
support people who
sacrificed their lives for
their country.
Auckland Technical
College (now AUT)
alumnus Cyril Bassett
VC was one of these
brave men who served
at Gallipoli and in
World War Two. Bassett
served as a sapper
(combat engineer)
in the New Zealand
Divisional Signal
Company, a division
of the Corps of New
Zealand Engineers
as part of the New
Zealand Expeditionary

Force (NZEF). He landed at ANZAC Cove

on 25 April 1915. For his hard work and
dedication to laying communication lines
in even the most hostile of situations he
was later appointed to the position of
Corporal. But it was for
his bravery under fire
at the battle of Chanuk
Bair in August 1915
that he was awarded
the highest of military
decorations; the
Victoria Cross Medal.
Bassett was the only
New Zealander to be
awarded this honour
for his service at
Gallipoli.
After being awarded the
Victoria Cross he was
promoted to the role
of Second Lieutenant.
Before being released
from the NZEF he was

appointed Lieutenant, a position he then

took up again in World War Two serving
for the National Military Reserve.
He was a reluctant hero, stating that
All his mates ever got were wooden
crosses, but 100 years on from his
landing at Gallipoli, AUT would like to
commemorate one of our bravest alumni
Cyril Royston Guyton Bassett, 3 January
1892 to 9 January 1983.

They shall grow not old, as we

that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the
years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and
in the morning,
We will remember them.

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Cook Islands Stage proudly sponsored by AUT.

Notice something different?

Inside AUT has been redesigned to reflect AUTs new visual
identity as part of the brand refresh rolling-out in 2015.
The Brand team have been working hard
to ensure the AUT brand represents New
Zealands newest and most contemporary
University, embodying the value of our
graduates and marketplace reputation.

Polyfest 2015
For many secondary school students in Auckland the ASB Polyfest is one of the most
important dates in the calendar year, and with it happening right across the road from AUTs
South Campus at the Manukau Sports Bowl, it made sense for AUT to go above and beyond
to make sure those attending knew all about what the university has to offer.
AUT had a strong presence this year,
after a three-year absence from being
a stage sponsor. We proudly sponsored
the Cook Islands Stage, in a significant
year for the Cook Islands with them also
celebrating 50 years of self governance.
Our integration of Cook Islands
Maori Language into our signage and
acknowledgement of the self governance,
was greatly appreciated by the elders and
Cook Islands community.

schools, in 15 minute workshops where

they found out about AUT courses and
some of the cool gadgets we have like
the 3D-Printers and Motion Capture labs.
Many were excited by the prospect of
one day getting to use some of the new
technology and no doubt will have AUT
in mind as they progress through high
school.

Thousands of people came through the

stand over the four days with over 700
people stopping to take an inspiring
selfie to share with their friends and
family through facebook and twitter,
with the AUT branded boards front and
centre.

With AUTs student ambassadors there to

answer questions on what to expect from
university, and the Student Recruitment
team there to answer more detailed
enquiries related to courses and entry
criteria, visitors seemed pleased to know
there was a university in their backyard,
that provided the training and education
they needed to help them get ahead.

We also hosted 120 year 6-7 primary

school students from several local

Events such as Polyfest are a great

opportunity to speak directly to the local

community and provide real examples of

what a difference education can make to
them and their families lives.
To see more of AUTs presence at the
event, check out the Polyfest video on
AUTs YouTube channel: https://www.
youtube.com/watch?v=sVcaWh8WwAo
Polyfest is the largest secondary
school festival celebrating the various
cultures of the Pacific, with 9500
students performing from 63 schools
in 221 groups, across four days. The
event features traditional music, dance,
costume and speeches and is now
recognised as an important showcase
of New Zealands diverse cultures and a
celebration of youth performance.

The refreshed brand was developed

in-line with the Universitys strategic
objectives and to support AUTs
continual growth by positioning AUT as
the University for our changing world.

The old visual system uses an outdated

mismatch of styles, graphics, colours,
logos and font, with over 140 sub-brands
and more than six identified versions of
the master brand logo in existence.

Two waves of
brand monitoring
research indicated
the need to
reposition our brand
to create distance
between AUT and
other competing
universities. The
brand refresh seeks to define and
articulate our point of difference to
increase our first choice ratings and
enrolments in target areas such as postgraduate, first-in-family or the South
Campus community. And, by making
our current students feel proud of and
connected to our brand, we are also
working towards increasing student
success and retention rates.

There is strength AUT having one

brand that is embedded throughout
our University and culture, which sends
a powerful message of unity to our
staff, students, potential students and
other stakeholders. Providing a shared
vision for AUT that is understood and
supported by staff drives a strong internal
culture of pride and confidence.

Director of Brand Georgina Hammond is proud of

the work her team has produced, Its rare for such
brand development work to be completed largely
in-house, but a testament to the high skill level of
the new brand team and an insight into whats on
offer as a service to the wider University.
From June, we will be AUT, not AUT
University. The refreshed brand
also introduces a dynamic and
contemporary visual identity across all
University promotional material and
communications, including new colours,
fonts, patterns and styles. But theres
more to it than just a new look with the
creation of brand values big-hearted,
transformational and spirited to support
the refreshed visual identity.

For more information about the brand

refresh and what this means for you,
please contact: brand@aut.ac.nz

AUTs Inspired at Polyfest 2015 selfies.

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Vice Chancellor Derek McCormack, Prime Minister Nguyn Tn Dng,

Minister of Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Steven Joyce
and members of the Vietnamese delegation.

Woolf Fisher First-in-Family

AUT Scholars lead the way
AUT is proud to announce 12 inaugural recipients of the 2015 Woolf Fisher First-in-Family
AUT Scholarship. The scholarships are aimed to support and encourage young people from
families with no history of successful university education to complete a university degree.
The Woolf Fisher Trust, established by
Sir Woolf Fisher, is one of New Zealands
largest privately endowed educational
trusts. Trust Chair Sir Noel Robinson says
they are thrilled to offer this First-inFamily scholarship.
We are proud to have awarded these
scholarships and we are excited to see
where the recipients academic study will
take them in the next few years, says Sir
Noel.
Vice Chancellor Derek McCormack says
AUT is delighted to have partnered with
the Woolf Fisher Trust to establish this
scholarship scheme.
Our goal is to encourage these young
New Zealanders to follow their dreams
by graduating with an AUT degree, to
enjoy career success in their chosen field
of study, and to provide encouragement
and support to others to also aspire to
university success, says Mr McCormack.
The 2015 Woolf Fisher Trust AUT
Scholarship recipients are:

Brendan Allan (Pukekohe) Bachelor

of Computer and Information Sciences
Mackenzie Bennett (Tauranga)
Bachelor of Business
Kaycee Botcher (Te Aroha) Bachelor
of Health Sciences Paramedicine
Alexandra Newman (Manurewa)
Bachelor of Visual Arts
Nikora Price (Whangarei) Bachelor
of Communication Studies
Stacey Purdon (Te Atatu) Bachelor
of Design
Roselyn Singh (Mangere) Bachelor
of Health Sciences Health Promotion
Thorne Williams (Warkworth)
Bachelor of Communication Studies
Sarah Bowyer (New Plymouth)
Bachelor of Arts Criminology
Rebecca Harris (Whitianga) Bachelor
of Business
Dana Lawrence (Hastings) Bachelor
of Computer and Information Sciences
Shae Miller (Waiuku) - Bachelor of
Health Science Physiotherapy

The Woolf Fisher Trust will invest more

than $2 million over the next 10 years,
which will support up to 40 scholarship
holders per year by 2017. Twelve
scholarships will be offered in 2015,
covering the direct costs of study for the
duration of their undergraduate degree
with a nominal value of around $20,000
per scholarship.
The scholarships are for undergraduate
degree study at any of our three
campuses and annual renewal of the
scholarship will be dependent on the
satisfactory academic progress of the
scholarship recipient.
The Woolf Fisher Trust considers AUT
the ideal partner for this endeavour
with its commitment to access and
opportunity, academic quality and the
wide range of relevant contemporary
degrees on offer.

Vietnams Prime Minister visits AUT

AUT marked the 40th anniversary of New Zealands bilateral relationship with Vietnam
by hosting Prime Minister Nguyn Tn Dng and signing an education Memorandum
of Understanding (MOU) with Vietnams Quang Ninh province.
Discussions with the Vietnamese
delegation, headed by the Prime Minister,
covered AUTs educational partnership
with the country, including training of
more than 300 Vietnamese officials
in 2014 in areas of human resource
development, public policy and English
language.
New Zealand Minister of Tertiary
Education, Skills and Employment,
Steven Joyce told the delegation the visit
to AUT was appropriate.
You are sitting in New Zealands
youngest and one of our most dynamic
universities which is appropriate given
Vietnams own youth, dynamism and
position in South East Asia.
Links created through education are
amongst the strongest links of all,
Minister Joyce said.

Ten of the recipients with their certificates.

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Prime Minister Dng told the delegation

that with a young people making up 40%
of Vietnams population there is a huge
demand for education and training.

Hospitality and Tourism and Aquaculture

Research as well as postgraduate
placements at AUT from Hue University,
said Mr McCormack.

Education is a high priority for social

growth and progress and improving
peoples lives, he said.

The MOU, signed in Quang Ninh in

March, sets the scene for AUT to become
a key training and consultancy partner
with Quang Ninh province with a focus
on hospitality and tourism; promoting
academic research and commercial
collaboration and the establishment of
the Ha Long University in the province.

Vice Chancellor Derek McCormack noted

Vietnam is an important trading partner
for New Zealand and AUTs relationship
with the country reflects this.
We are privileged to host Prime Minister
Dng. AUTs partnership with Vietnam
spans more than two decades and since
2009, we have had more than 1300
Vietnamese students at the University.
Partnerships include programmes with
six Vietnamese universities covering the
disciplines of Business, Engineering,

Members of the delegation visited AUTs Colab, where Prime Minister Dng
tried out an Oculus Rift brain visualisation part of an ongoing research
project by Dr Stefan Marks.

Work has already begun with AUT

being selected to train more than 20
industry and government leaders from
the province in a programme lead by
AUTs Professor Simon Milne of the New
Zealand Tourism Research Institute.

Derek McCormack and Prime Minister Nguyn Tn Dng.

21

2/06/15 12:19 pm

Jordon Milroy
scaling the heights
Works for the Cerebral Palsy Society
while finishing the last year of his
degree PR major in BCS.
Trains does steps each day for
example 1600 steps around the
Hillsborough coastal walkway. Sky
Tower climb took 25 minutes 1029
steps.
Believes that succeeding in his studies
is his ultimate way to thank his parents
for all their support and the sacrifices
they have made for him.
Has a Facebook page: www.facebook.
com/jordonsclimb

Jordan Milroy climbing towers.

Lifelike trauma simulations give

AUT paramedics the edge
Lifelike trauma and medical situations will allow AUT Paramedicine students to
apply their skills and gain vital practical experience before entering the workforce.
This has been made possible thanks to
a new state-of-the-art simulation suite
for undergraduate and post-graduate
Paramedicine students at the South
Campus.
Paul Davey, Head of Paramedicine at
AUT, says advanced clinical simulation
suites of this kind create an important
link for students between simulation
scenarios and the real-life world of actual
trauma and medical emergency.
The high fidelity human simulators mimic
human body responses during a medical
emergency, and react appropriately to the
treatment administered.
This simulation environment enables
our students to gain vital in-depth
exposure to some of the infrequent
medical emergencies they may not
encounter during their practical work
placements, says Mr Davey.
They will be able to better practise their
problem solving skills and improve their
speed of response and diagnosis, while
also gaining vital theoretical learning.
AUTs Paramedicine teaching is all about
ensuring our students are immediately

20

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ready for action in real-life situations, and

are given every opportunity to develop
their clinical skills.
St John National Clinical Planning
Manager, Sarah Werner says the AUT
graduates they employ in St John are
well prepared for employment following
graduation.

Abbott, Dean of AUTs Faculty of Health

and Environmental Sciences.
With the move to South Auckland we
have doubled the student intake and plan
to expand research and postgraduate
study in the area of trauma and
emergency care.

Clinical simulation is an excellent way

to prepare them for what they may
experience in clinical practice.

Growing up in Samoa with cerebral

palsy meant that Jordon did not have a
wheelchair until he came to New Zealand
at the age of 18.

She adds that AUTs degree in

Paramedicine is internationally
accredited and graduates are sought after
both in New Zealand and overseas.

Samoas infrastructure is not wheelchair

friendly and requires a particularly
rugged and durable type of wheelchair.
I decided I wanted to help people like
me in Samoa, so I researched if there are
any suitable wheelchairs and worked
with a US-based company that designs
wheelchairs for Africa they sent me one
to try out, explains Jordon.

From 2015 the South Campus will be the

dedicated home of AUTs Department
of Paramedicine. The shift to new and
modern premises has been welcomed
by students and staff, who value the
AUT South Campus proximity to key
paramedic employer St John.
Our students currently enjoy a number
of practical work placements with St
John and health providers around the
Manukau area as an integral part of their
degree studies, says Professor Max

Final year PR major student Jordon

Milroy is an inspiration to others.
Academically he has received AUT High
Academic Achievement Awards and has,
in his spare time, achieved sporting
goals that put him alongside other
exceptional young people at a national
level. Jordon is not only a Young New
Zealander of the Year finalist, but also
a tireless worker in the field of disability
awareness. Jordon runs a social media
campaign Jordons climb for awareness
to support his love of climbing towers
and to help him raise money to buy
wheelchairs for the people of Samoa and
other Pacific Islands.

Post-graduate Paramedicine students Joshua

Sanders and Harry Misselbrook practice their
skills on one of the clinical human simulators.

As a result of Jordon climbing the Sky

Tower and raising money, he was able
to fulfil his dream, and donated 16
wheelchairs to Samoa. Since that first
climb, Jordon set his sights on other
climbing feats and has to date climbed
eight towers and one bridge in three
countries climbs which have totalled

over 10,000 steps. Along the way he has

gathered a number of supporters his
Facebook page alone has over 18,000
followers. The goal more wheelchairs
for other Pacific people.
At AUT Jordon plays an important role as
the Student Disability Officer for AuSM
where he provides a voice for disabled
students at AUT.

Jordon says the language around

disability is always changing and
although he is very comfortable with
the word disability, which he explains
is an integral part of his identity, not
all students identify as strongly as he
does. We do not have a strong uptake
for events aimed at a disabled group,
probably for this reason, he explains.
However, the issues around access both
to learning opportunities and physical
environments remain important, for
example wheelchair access in some of
the lecture theatres in the Sir Paul Reeves
Building is difficult, and the use of the
disabled bathrooms by non-disabled
students is an ongoing issue. Jordon
is also keen to remind us that not all
disabilities are as visible as his, and
because of this some can fall under the
radar.

Jordon says he was not prepared for

university by his school, who did not see
his tertiary education as a possibility,
but was encouraged by his parents who,
despite not having attended university
themselves, believed that education was
his best option as he could not use his
body for physical work and would need to
use his brain. Although the conversation
at school about university focussed on
the need to be independent you are on
your own and no-one cares
Jordon has found AUT
Jordons message: you may be disabled but
different to that expectation.
you can still set goals and achieve them.
If you try hard and are seen
to be working then a lot of
help is forthcoming, with
AUTs re-launched staff network
support provided in every way possible,
Disability, Access and Inclusion Network
including in Jordons case, a helper who
aims to promote and celebrate disability
types up his assignments.
culture, by raising awareness and
As a disabled student Jordon needs to
promoting understanding of disability
be more organised than non-impaired
and inclusion through education.
students and says that many lecturers
If youre interested in disability, access
have no experience of disabled students
and inclusion (regardless of your abilities)
in their classes. Sometimes they freak
contact Anna Nelson: anna.nelson@aut.
out but they just need to sit down with
ac.nz.
the individual and find out what they
need.
5

2/06/15 12:19 pm

Science communication specialist Dr Jan Sinclair

speaking at climate change media seminar.
Photo: Del Abcede/Pacific Media Centre.

Vice Chancellors
Doctoral Scholarships

Climate change,
environmental journalism
Derek McCormack with the 13 Vice Chancellors Doctoral Scholars.

AUT has awarded 13 Vice Chancellors Doctoral Scholarships to high calibre students
in the first round for 2015. The students each received scholarships worth $95,000
to support their doctoral study at AUT.
The scholarships are aimed at assisting
high achieving international and
domestic doctoral candidates to
complete their doctoral studies. The
$95,000 covers tuition fees for a
three-year doctoral degree, as well as a
$25,000 annual stipend to cover living
costs.
Vice Chancellor Derek McCormack says,
There is a huge emotional and financial
cost to students completing doctoral
studies. The Vice Chancellors Doctoral
Scholarships aim to help reduce the
stress, not just on the students, but on
their friends and families.
One of the students Shereen Moataz
travelled from Egypt to complete
her doctoral thesis titled Embedded
Systems for Computer-aided diagnosis/
detection of melanoma under the
supervision of Associate Professor Hamid
Gholamhosseini in the Faculty of Design
and Creative Technologies.
Without becoming a recipient of the
Vice Chancellors Doctoral Scholarships,
I would not have been able to come to
New Zealand and study here at AUT, she
said.
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The March 2015 Vice Chancellor Doctoral

Scholarships were awarded to:
David Airehrour: Developing a
Framework for Secure Routing
Protocols for Manets.
Fahimeh Zaeri: Exploring the
potentials for the application of
simulation methods in construction
projects delivery in New Zealand.
Francis Bourgeois II: The Role of
Strength and Power in Change of
Direction Performance.
Lorenzo Fiori: Assessing the Effects of
Humpback Whale-based Tourism in
Hervey Bay, Queensland: Behavioural
Responses of Whales to Vessels and in
Water Tourism Activities.
Maree Lockie: How online reviews are
read.
Marian Makkar: Luxury for oneself
or luxury for others? Exploring the
underlying emotions of inconspicuous
luxury consumption.
Rafael San Jose Iglesias: The Effects
of Brand Alliances between Global
and Local Brands on Consumers
Perceptions and Attitudes.

Reza Nemati: The role of bile acids

in the remission of diabetes after
bariatric surgery.
Helen Sao Keng Mok: In Vivo Study
of Plasmacytoma Variant Tanslocation
1 Gene (PVT1) as a Novel Therapeutic
Target for the Treatment of Diabetic
Nephropathy.
Shabnam Jalili Moghaddam: What
is the Relationship Between Dietary
Patterns and Glycaemic Control in
Children?
Shereen Moataz: Embedded Systems
for Computer-aided Diagnosis/
Detection of Melanoma.
Shima Behnoosh: Investigating the
role of social marketing programs in
attracting clients to sports clubs.
Vathna Am: Economic Optimisation
of a Geothermal Binary Cycle Power
Plant.

and better media ethics

Conservation issues, loss of land,
enforced location and culture and
language erosion are a few of the worries
troubling low-lying Pacific communities,
and for indigenous communities,
relocation will ultimately lead to culture
and language loss.
A seminar on the ethical reporting of
environmental risks, particularly in
relation to the Pacific, was hosted by the
AUTs Pacific Media Centre, bringing
together students, teaching staff,
members of the public and influential
climate change advocates in a forum of
open dialogue and debate.
The seminar featured Science
communication specialist Dr Jan Sinclair
of Massey University; whose focus is
on analysing science issues and the
challenges of communicating complex
stories and policy and empowerment;
and AUT doctoral candidate and Kiribati
Independent editor Taberannang
Korauaba who has recently conducted
field work researching what it is like
on low-lying atolls and islands of
Micronesia.
Dr Sinclair began reporting on climate
change in 1987 for The Dominion
newspaper, and in the early 1990s for
The Observer and New Scientist in the
United Kingdom.

Dr Sinclair addressed the breakdown in

communication from the experts to the
public.

Both Korauaba and Dr Sinclair suggested

a collaborative approach to informing the
public in the correct way.

People get most of

their information about
First, they belong to the land, their land is
science from the news
theirs, they really have a strong connection
media. With climate
change and sea level rise, there. So when the media is trying to work to
the news media have
cover the story, people dont want to hear that
not adequately informed
because they dont want to hear stories about
people of real risks to
theyre sinking, theyre going to die.
life, health, property and
economic security. Nor
Korauaba believes pushing the message
have they passed on readily available
through respected community leaders to
scientific advice about how to reduce
communities in the Pacific is a way for
or prevent these risks. Instead, climate
change has been represented as an issue people to realise somethings going on.
which is political but not physical, and
The Director of AUTs Pacific Media
global therefore not local.
Centre Professor David Robie says there
needs to be better reporting of risks and
Korauaba calls for better training in
remedies from the science reports for
the Pacific, geared for the countries
communities to be informed.
themselves and by their own in-country
trainers especially in the low-lying
Failure to report adequately about
countries of Micronesia that are in the
the risks and remedies is an issue of
front line of climate change.
journalism ethics, says Professor Robie.
Pacific people are linked to their land
Ironically the role of some Pacific
in a cultural and spiritual way, which
government offices, and how they
makes messages about their changing
project the climate change story globally,
environment hard to receive, according
contrasts with how they are framed and
to Korauaba.
packaged locally or not at all, with the
local media often left out of the picture
completely.
19

2/06/15 12:19 pm

Measuring up on

Plastic bottle kayaks

Arun George Paul is a second year Bachelor of Business
student at AUT, who has also completed additional papers in
Computer and Information Sciences. It was while Arun was
completing a Computing Technology in Society paper that
he became more aware of how current society can negatively
impact the environment through electronic waste and singleuse materials.
Arun heard about a group of young people who were
working together to make kayaks using recycled materials
and decided to volunteer. Together they have created several
kayaks using plastic bottles. Arun was involved in the project
from the start contributing to the design, construction and
operation of the plastic bottle kayaks. He also recruited AUT
mechanical engineering student Noble Clement to assist with
the construction and former AUT student Jamie McDell.
The aim of the project was to make the plastic bottle kayaks
and then paddle along the coastal Abel Tasman National Park
on a three-day adventure. Unfortunately Arun was unable to
participate, but plans to attend future expeditions.

Arun says, the entire project is about making

people aware of the amount of single use
materials (especially plastic bottles) in our
environment that dont break down. This
project highlighted the importance of
reuse, responsible consumerism and proper
recycling.

student satisfaction
Our students satisfaction with
their experience of university
learning is measured each year
by surveys and were heading in
the right direction.
The level of satisfaction students have
with their programmes of study and
with their AUT experience is increasing,
with 88% of students saying they would
recommend AUT to others.
The annual AUT University Experience
Survey (UES) was completed by 29% of
AUTs 26,000 students at the end of 2014
and is intended to ensure the University
for our changing world continues to
listen to those we serve and adapt to
their needs.
Vice Chancellor Derek McCormack
said an exceptional student learning
experience is always top of mind and the

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We cant be complacent, and feedback

from a large number of students is
enormously helpful in doing better for all
of our students, said Mr McCormack.
This research is complemented by the
Annual Programme Survey (APS) that
assessed 187 programmes and 1780
individual papers. This survey, with a
response rate of 34%, showed an overall
satisfaction rate of 81% (with 13.5% of
students neutral about their programmes
and 5.4% dissatisfied).

Educating our young people for the future

Professor Paul Moon pictured with
interviewer Neil Oliver, historian and
archaeologist, in Russell at the end
of February during the filming of the
BBC series Coast set in New Zealand.
Professor Moon was interviewed
during the segment on Russell, and
provided information about the local
history.

The episode will be shown in

September/October this year
on TV One and in Europe on
Sky television.

18

survey is one of the ways we assess this

to improve.

The APS survey showed a 5% increase in

satisfaction with the quality of teaching,
a key theme in AUTs strategic plan,
since 2012. Focus areas for improvement
include organisation and appropriateness
of workload.
The UES also noted that distance
learning students and students who are
deaf or have an impairment are slightly
less likely to be satisfied with their AUT
experience. These are areas of focus,
along with ensuring that facilities at
the Universitys North Shore and South
campuses continue to be improved
to create the world class environment
offered by AUTs City Campus.

Professor Jane Gilbert

The team also worked with sustainability and education

experts to design lessons for the current school curriculum.
School students have helped name the kayaks, had video
interaction with the crew during the journey and learnt about
marine ecology, sustainability and social enterprise. Now that
the expedition is complete school students will be challenged
to apply what they learnt and undertake environmental
actions within their schools and communities.

Professor Paul Moon on Coast

Annual Programme Survey results

If we dont change the way we teach,

our young people will be unprepared for
the world of the future, says Professor
Gilbert, who recently led a new forum
for teachers to discuss the future of
education.
The research forum, named Edge Work,
helped teachers to explore ways to think,
act and engage differently, to prepare
young people for a range of educational
futures.
She believes teachers are being told to
focus on measureable results instead of
the overall picture.

Producing future-ready students

isnt about equipping them with
the latest technology, its about
giving them the skills to solve
problems, says AUTs education
professor Jane Gilbert.

The big aim of our current schooling

system is to get students into university,
so they can get a job. But with technology
advancing much faster than we can
keep up with and computers becoming
more and more powerful, the nature of
work is constantly changing. By the time
graduation rolls around, the jobs they
were prepared for might not even exist
anymore.
Producing future-ready students, she
says, is not about equipping them with
the latest iPads or decking out the
classroom with the latest technological

gear. It is a fundamental shift in the way

educators think.
AUT and Edge Work will facilitate an
education system that nurtures curious
minds and foster innovation and new
ideas skills integral to solving world
issues such as climate change and social
inequality.
Our education system was set up to
serve the collective good and create the
kind of society we want to live in. Our
schools are the prime space in which we
try to create the kind of society we want,
she says.
7

2/06/15 12:19 pm

A group of AUT students and staff conducting

a waste and recycling audit in Hikuwai Plaza.

Vivien Verheijen (Office of Ethnic Communities)

and Naima Ali (Refugee Youth Action Network)
at AUTs Muslims at Work Stakeholder Summit

Muslims at Work summit opens

up an important conversation
AUT led conversations surrounding the challenges Muslims
face in the New Zealand workplace at a summit held in April.
Convened by Professor of Diversity
Edwina Pio, the summit attracted human
resource professionals, managers,
organisations, public sector leaders
and community stakeholders interested
in improving their understanding of,
and provision for, the growing Muslim
workforce in New Zealand.
Topics covered at the summit included
the Muslim concept of work, what work
success means to Muslims and the
experience of Muslim women in the
workplace.
Dr Jackie Blue, New Zealands
Equal Employment Opportunities
Commissioner, opened the summit by
speaking on how organisations can
seek to incorporate religion in their
workplaces. Other speakers included
Kevin Jenkins, Managing Director of
MartinJenkins, Sheikh Rafat, the Imam at
AUT, Anne Lee and Fetiya Mohammed
from the Umma Trust, New Zealands first
ethnic police inspector Rakesh Naidoo,
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and Mohamud Mohamed, Managing

Director of the Ethnic Perspective
Advisory Services.
Professor Pio said, The summit aimed
to dispel myths, shed light on the Islamic
culture and create understanding of the
diversity within our Muslim workforce.
There are more than 46,000 Muslims
in New Zealand who hail from over 50
countries.
Muslims in New Zealand have a lot in
common but are a very diverse group that
crosses the spectrum of socio economic
status, skills and education.
By sharing information and research
we wanted to encourage delegates to
promote understanding and positive
change at an individual, organisational
and national level.
Race Relations Commissioner Dame
Susan Devoy said that the Human Rights
Commission welcomed the discussion on

Waste and recycling audit

Muslims in the workplace, This forum
provides the chance to discuss important
challenges and opportunities. Education
and awareness is critical to building
a greater understanding for all New
Zealanders.
The Office of Ethnic Communities
works to promote the economic benefits
of our ethnically diverse population by
identifying and removing barriers to
participation and creating conditions
conducive to increased participation.
We believe people from diverse
backgrounds, including Muslims, provide
a positive contribution to New Zealands
multicultural workforce and economy.
We applaud AUT for fostering greater
social cohesion by convening this
summit, said the Director of the Office of
Ethnic Communities Berlinda Chin.
The Summit was supported by the Office
of Ethnic Communities, the Human
Rights Commission and the NZ Police.

in Hikuwai Plaza
A group of AUT students and staff completed a waste and recycling audit in
Hikuwai Plaza during late March. The waste audit was designed to highlight
to student volunteer auditors, as well as students passing by, what to recycle
and why. Also, the level of contamination in the rubbish and recycling bins
was recorded and displayed to students in a visible way.
Student waste auditors helped to
separate recyclable and compostable
material from the waste bins. They also
separated the contents of the recycling
bins to identify the level of contamination
(non-recyclables) within the recycling
bin.
During the audit the items from each bin
were weighed and the results show that
the external rubbish bins around Hikuwai
Plaza contained 16% of recyclables
(plastic, glass and cans) and 46% of
food waste. The remaining amount
totalling 36% was rubbish. Conversely

the recycling bins included 25% nonrecyclable and 75% recyclable materials.
These figures show an improvement
when compared with AUTs first audit
of external recycling bins at the North
Shore Campus in 2012 (external recycling
did not exist at the City Campus in 2012).
This revealed a higher amount of nonrecyclables (42%) in the external recycling
bins.
Improvement is still required to further
reduce contamination in recycling
bins; as non-recyclables in recycling
bins jeopardise the recycling process.

Likewise recyclables that are put in

the waste bins represent a resource
that is treated like waste. Additional
communication initiatives will be
implemented with the aim of reducing
contamination within the recycling bins.
The waste auditors included students
from the AuSM Sustainability Club, some
of which are completing degrees within
the Business School and the School of
Engineering, majoring in accounting,
marketing, sustainable enterprise,
business and information systems, and
project management.

17

2/06/15 12:19 pm

Sharyn Graham Davies nominated

for Ruth Benedict Prize
Sharyn Graham Davies, AUTs Associate Professor of Social
Sciences and Public Policy is nominated for the 2015 Ruth
Benedict Prize for the best edited anthropology book for
Sex and Sexualities in Contemporary Indonesia: Sexual
Politics, Health, Diversity and Representations.
Sex and Sexualities in Contemporary
Indonesia, published in late December
2014 by Routledge, was co-edited by
Sharyn and Linda Rae Bennett.

sexuality, pointing to the multiplicity of

discourses within which sexuality and
the sexual are understood in modernday Indonesia.

The innovative book explores the issues

of sex, sexuality and sexual relationships
in Indonesia, which are hotly debated
and often trigger complex and passionate
responses. The book highlights historical
and newer forms of sexual diversity, as
well as the social responses they provoke.
It critiques differing representations of

The Ruth Benedict Prize is

presented each year at the American
Anthropological Associations annual
meeting to acknowledge excellence
in a scholarly book written from an
anthropological perspective about a
lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgendered
topic.

Law School hosts Public

Defence Service workshop
AUTs School of Law hosted the
2015 Public Defence Service
national workshop in April.
The professional development workshop
comprised two days of speakers and
sessions tailored to educate and inform
criminal lawyers employed by the Public
Defence Service (PDS), which is part of
the Ministry of Justice.
The Minister of Justice Hon Amy Adams
opened the workshop and welcomed
the more than 145 lawyers in attendance.
The Director of PDS Madeleine Laracy
emphasised in her address that regular

and high quality legal training is one

of the greatest benefits that PDS has to
offer criminal lawyers and is an area of
strategic focus for the organisation. To
that end, a centralised PDS National
Training Programme has been
implemented.
AUTs Dean of Law Professor Charles
Rickett said, It is important for the Law
School to engage with our profession
by hosting events like this on campus.
The PDS workshop is a chance to bring
members of the legal profession from
across New Zealand onto campus and let
them know a little about the law degree

Professor Charles Rickett (AUT Law Dean),

John.Edgar (Deputy Public Defender, Waitakere),
Madeleine Laracy (Director, Public Defence Service)
and Minister of Justice Hon Amy Adams.

we offer. It also means we can include

some of our fourth year law students,
giving them a taste of the life of a lawyer
and the chance to network with potential
future professional colleagues.
Dr John Edgar, who organised the
workshop, said: The hosting of the event
by AUTs Law School underlined the
positive relationship between the two
organisations. During the 2015 academic
year PDS staff will also be giving guest
lectures while AUT law students will be
able to apply for the newly established
PDS summer internships.

Paramedicine team
show skill in Baltimore
Four lecturers from the Department of
Paramedicine Luke Summers, Brendan
Wood, Haydn Drake and Sarah Gordon
recently participated in the 2015
EMSToday Conference/JEMS Games in
Baltimore, Maryland in the United States.
TeamAUT were able to showcase their
skills at the games and gain valuable
insight on the latest research in the world
of paramedicine.
Competing against 26 teams from all
across America, and from as far afield as
London, TeamAUT relished in healthy
collegial dialogue with their overseas
counterparts.
Not routinely accustomed to using CPAP
(a treatment that uses mild pressure to
keep the airways open) or delivering
CPR while moving through a serpentine
course, while being timed, TeamAUT
had agreed before the competition to
not compromise patient care for speed,
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Inaugural Entrepreneurship Symposium

for fear of being disqualified. The final
scenario involved a police helicopter
crash, post police car chase, and a
number of patients with mixed injuries
and levels of severity.

The competition was won by returning

champions, the Fire Department of New
York, with a preliminary scenario time of
13 minutes. TeamAUT completed with a
time of 26 minutes, on par with teams
from London and Australia.

connects business and research

AUTs inaugural Entrepreneurship Symposium was a great success, bringing together a diverse
group of entrepreneurs, researchers and business leaders with a shared interest in entrepreneurship.

The team placed 21st in the preliminaries.

The conference itself featured
While this may not seem impressive on
presentations on advanced airway
the surface, the judges complimented
management in messy airways; stress
them highly on the quality of patient
in the paramedic student classroom
care and CPR delivery. TeamAUT
through to reports on the effectiveness of
was advised that they achieved the
new Urgent Community Care models in
highest Q-CPR score (a measure of the
Australia.
overall quality of CPR delivery) of the
competition, while some teams failed to
gain scores above the
50 percentile.
The competition and conference provided a
Sarah was also proud
individual winner of
the Zoll CPR challenge,
scoring herself a
brand new Littman
stethoscope.

solid foundation for networking and assisted

in getting AUT on the world map, further
supplementing the teams success at the Ferno
Australia Paramedic Simulation Challenge in
Australia last year, says Luke Summers.

Keynote speakers were the awardwinning New Zealand engineering

entrepreneur Bill Buckley, Professor
Norris Krueger from the School of
Advanced Studies, University of Phoenix
and Entrepreneurship Northwest and
AUT Professor of Entrepreneurship Trish
Corner.

AUT management lecturer and organiser of

the Entrepreneurship Symposium Smita Singh
with keynote speaker Bill Buckley, President of
Buckley Systems Ltd.

The Entrepreneurship Symposium

was presented by the Management
Department of AUT Business School,
in partnership with the Entrepreneurs
Organisation Auckland. Management
lecturer Smita Singh was the lead
organizer.
Head of AUTs Management Department
Professor Stephen Teo said, The

inaugural symposium aimed to

create an ongoing dialogue about
entrepreneurship from many different
perspectives. The focus was on sharing
knowledge and creating connections
between those who work, research and
teach in this field.
Entrepreneurs Organisation Auckland
spokesman James McGlinn said, The
Entrepreneurs Organisation is proud to
partner with AUT University to deliver the
inaugural Entrepreneurship Symposium.
Entrepreneurship today takes many
forms beyond the purely commercial; the
symposium facilitated experience sharing
and learning to benefit entrepreneurs
across new ventures of all kinds.
9

2/06/15 12:19 pm

Project15

Study reveals what

taking New Zealand innovation global

makes Kiwis awesome

Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor

Rob Allen opened the conference with
reference to AUTs history as a start-up
institution just 15 years ago and that
AUT shared an understanding of the
challenges for modern entrepreneurs.
Day one of Project15 included keynote
speeches from international speakers,
including Dave Schiff of Colorado-based
ad agency Made, Australian start-up
wizard Steve Sammartino, chief tech
evangelist at Microsoft James Whittaker
and David Smith from Silicon Valley
Business School. The programme also
included presentations from Malcolm
Rands of Ecostore, New Zealand
entrepreneur Melissa Clark-Reynolds and
Rightway CEO Greg Sheehan.

Previously Unavailable founder and principle

James Hurman presents on advertising
creativity and disruption at Project15.

An engaging line-up of 21 local

and international speakers took
to the stage at AUT to tackle to
subject of Taking New Zealand
innovation global. Attendees
were treated to anecdotes, case
studies and first-hand accounts
from entrepreneurs and experts
on international expansion.

A common theme emerged during day

one as presenters spoke of new ways to
disrupt the status quo by setting unique
parameters for the way business is done.
While creativity is required from New
Zealand start-up organisations James
Whittaker aptly said, if you dont know
anything how can you ever create
anything? Therefore, subject mastery
and knowledge is a pre-requisite for
success.
Whittakers comments were re-enforced
by AUTs Professor of International
Business Simon Mowatt. Mowatt said
that external factors such as supply chain
operators can determine the success
of a product regardless of quality and
that New Zealand entrepreneurs need

to determine what is unique about their

offering before going to market.
AUT graduate and Vend CEO Vaughn
Rowsell closed day one with practical
advice on gaining knowledge of
international markets get on a plane
and see the world.
Day two of the conference kicked off with
a keynote from Triumph and Disaster
founder and former Black Cap Dion Nash,
followed by four tailored workshops
that addressed international marketing,
global growth strategies, overcoming
the challenges of foreign markets and IP
innovation.
Executive Producer and conference
organiser Martin Bell said Over the one
and a half day conference more than 270
registered attendees gained unique and
meaningful insights into the why and the
how of taking New Zealand products and
services global. Feedback from speakers,
attendees and sponsors alike has been
overwhelmingly positive, with several
saying it was the best business event they
had ever attended.
Project15 is a collaboration between
founding partners AUT, The US Embassy
and Social Media New Zealand. The
conference forms part of an extended
series of activities during 2015, which
includes regular Project Connect
networking events.
For more information visit:
www.the-project.co.nz

The 2015 Sovereign Wellbeing Index has revealed

new insights into New Zealanders wellbeing.

Choosing the
SOVEREIGN
WELLBEING
INDEX
www.mywellbeing.co.nz

The latest results released in April show Kiwis aged 55+ were
more likely to be awesome (enjoying extremely high levels of
wellbeing) than those under 35 years of age.
According to Professor Grant Schofield who led the study, the
project aims to help New Zealanders live well and experience
quality of life right to the end. Id like to see people live long and
drop dead, however the current reality is most of us will suffer
around 12 years of disability.
This research is about unravelling what makes people well and
what helps people to flourish in other words what produces
awesomeness, he says.
Ten-thousand New Zealanders were surveyed as part of the
project, which was carried out by AUTs Human Potential
Centre in partnership with Sovereign. It is the first survey of its
kind, designed specifically to measure the wellbeing of New
Zealanders.

According to Dr Aaron Jarden, Senior Lecturer in Psychology

and a central member of the research team, Improving our
wellbeing isnt easy; it takes hard work over a period of time, but
it is possible to improve our quality of life. This research gives us
some useful insights into how.
To see the full 2015 Sovereign Wellbeing Index report, and to
take the quiz on your own wellbeing, visit mywellbeing.co.nz.

10

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Executive Producer and conference organiser Martin Bell.

New Zealanders

2015

The research showed that having positive relationships and

living in supportive communities were important to wellbeing.
Other factors associated with higher rates of wellbeing included
income and the ability to live comfortably on your earnings; using
your strengths and being satisfied in your job; and health status
and lifestyle including sleeping well, eating well and exercising.

AUTs Professor of International Business Simon Mowatt.

right poems for

Essential New Zealand Poems co-edited by

AUTs Siobhan Harvey, and James Norcliffe
and Harry Ricketts.

Poet Siobhan Harvey, who

recently gained tenure as a
permanent lecturer at the Centre
for Creative Writing in the Faculty
of Culture and Society, is having
prolonged success with a book
she co-edited.
Essential New Zealand Poems, which she
edited with James Norcliffe and Harry
Ricketts, has now gone past six months
in the top 10 of the New Zealand best
sellers charts.
Literary blogger Graham Beattie of
Beatties Books said it was a surprising
and a delightful achievement for a book
on poetry.

15

2/06/15 12:19 pm

Discovery and exploration of New Zealand told through braille:

Paul Moons The Voyagers
History lovers who are blind or have low vision will have another book to add to their
list with the introduction of AUTs Professor Paul Moons book The Voyagers to the
Blind Foundations braille library this month.
The Voyagers tells dramatic stories of
Europeans discovering and exploring
New Zealand during the first half of
the 1800s. Ocean adventures, crosscountry trekking, imperial and spiritual
conquests, first contacts with Mori,
artists seeking the sublime, scientific
discovery and commercial pursuits all
feature in the book.
Moon, a Professor of History in the
Faculty of Mori and Indigenous
Development/Te Ara Poutama, says he is
pleased to have had his book selected for
translation into braille.
Its fantastic that more people will be
able to discover more and more about
the country they live in: the expeditions
of Jules Dumont dUrville, Samuel
Marsden, Ferdinand von Hochstetter

and Charles Heaphy, as well as an array

of lesser-known but no less intrepid
explorers soldiers and sailors, travellers
and settlers, missionaries, artists and
officials all of whom ventured from
their homelands in search of new
horizons in frontier New Zealand, says
Moon.
Blind Foundation Library Collections and
Access Manager Marianne Kraack says
the Foundation is thrilled to be able to
offer The Voyagers for its clients.
New Zealand history is always a popular
topic in our library and I am sure this will
be a popular addition to our collection.
The Voyagers is available in braille from
the Blind Foundations Parnell library.

Health and wealth:

the argument for investment
On 15 April the Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences welcomed visiting expert
Professor Martin McKee to the North Campus for a public lecture on health and wealth.
Part of the Deans Lecture Series, the event saw Professor McKee explore the argument for
investment in health and examine the evidence behind the health is wealth argument.
Professor McKee concluded there is a
strong economic case for investment
in health. However he cautioned that
this case is nuanced and argues that
the better health professionals are able
to understand and communicate that
nuance, the more credibly they can
present their case.
In addition to shedding light on those
nuances, Professor McKee posed some
thought-provoking questions. How
valuable are extra years of life to us as
individuals? How much would you be
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prepared to personally spend for an extra

year of life? Do we appreciate the impact
of poor health on income, productivity,
labour supply, education and savings?
Professor McKee, who qualified in
medicine in Belfast, believes economics
is a vital language for achieving
improvements to our healthcare systems.
He promotes the notion of a virtuous
circle whereby investment in (rather
than simply funding of) health, wealth
and healthcare systems produces
mutually beneficial outcomes.

The Deans Lecture Series aims to

stimulate debate about important issues
in science, health, sport and recreation,
and features distinguished speakers.
Martin McKee is Professor of European
Public Health at the London School
of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine,
Research Director for the European
Observatory on Health Systems and
Policies, and President of the European
Public Health Association. He is also an
active contributor to public discussion of
health, and is active on Twitter
(@martinmckee).

Sports science research

delivers fast bowling gains
Despite Australia claiming victory in the Cricket World Cup final, the Black Caps have
drawn widespread praise from fans and media for the calibre of their performance during
the tournament. British newspaper The Guardian labelled their performance inspiring and
the Black Caps were largely seen as the dominant team of the competition.
AUT is pleased to have contributed to
their success, through research into
the performance of crickets revered
fast bowlers. Scientists from the Sports
Performance Research Institute New
Zealand (SPRINZ) and New Zealand
Cricket have identified the biomechanical
and physiological requirements of fast
bowlers, as well as best practice for injury
prevention and workload monitoring.
The findings, published in the
international Strength and Conditioning
Journal, have informed New Zealands
fast bowling development programme
and conditioning approach, and the
results have shown. New Zealand went
into the Cricket World Cup with a strong
line-up of pace bowlers, who bolstered
the Black Caps campaign.
The benefit of a cricket side having a
genuinely fast bowler in their armoury is
widely acknowledged. Faster ball release
speed provides less reaction time for the
batter, making it more difficult for the
batter to execute their stroke.
However fewer people are aware of the
physicality of their role. Fast bowlers are
the workhorses of a cricket side, says
Professor John Cronin, Co-Director of
SPRINZ. They handle immense physical
demands, undertake by far the greatest
workload and are expected to run like the
wind when they attack the crease during

the bowling action.

Fast bowlers were shown to cover an
average of 16 kilometres in a one-day
game or 22-28 kilometres during a
single day of a multi-day game
often repeating this many times over.
Compared with other positions, fast
bowlers travelled an additional 20-80
percent in distance, covered up to seven
times the distance during high-intensity
movement patterns (sprinting and
striding), sprinted up to eight times more
than other positions, and had at least 35
percent less recovery time between highintensity efforts.
Theres such a science to conditioning
these players and monitoring their
workload. They require serious strength,
speed, power and endurance to perform,
says Professor Cronin.
Professor Cronin and his co-authors
Bryan Stronach (General Manager of
High Performance for New Zealand
Cricket) and Marc Portus (Head of
Movement Science at the Australian
Institute of Sport), talk to the importance
of the three phases of bowling the run
up, pre-delivery stride and delivery stride.
Run-up speed specifically that of
the final five metres of the run-up
was shown to affect ball speed of the
fast bowler. This means strength and
conditioning coaches can directly

influence fast bowlers ball velocity, by

focussing on improvements to running
technique, power and speed in order to
increase maximum running speed and
then transfer that speed to a bowlers
delivery.
Also significant predictors of ball speed
were the angle of the bowlers front leg
and deceleration or braking strength
exerted during the delivery stride.
In addition, the research shed light
on the high injury prevalence among
pace bowlers. Fast bowlers experience
considerable ground reaction forces
through the delivery stride up to 12
times their body weight. For a 100kg
player that would equate to 1200kg of
force on the front foot during delivery. To
withstand this force and aid absorption
of repeated impacts, a high level of
leg strength is needed specifically
eccentric leg strength, says Professor
Cronin.

As a result of this research we

now have better insight into how
to create athletic fast bowlers,
who are more resistant to injury,
he says.

11

2/06/15 12:19 pm

Digital technology lowers cost

AUT lecturer Hmi Kelly says Te Pihinga is giving him

ready access to exercises and learning materials for
his students language learning journey.

of Mori language learning

Knowledge sharing enables indigenous language and cultural revival

Professor Tania Kaai,
We have a commitment to
internationalise the right to
language, and build greater
proficiency in our youth.

Mori language in New Zealand

(Source: 2013 Te Kupenga survey, Statistics New Zealand)
257,500 (55%) Mori adults had some ability to speak
te reo Mori; that is, they were able to speak more
than a few words or phrases in the language. This
compares with 153,500 (42%) in 2001.
50,000 (11%) Mori adults could speak te reo Mori
very well or well; that is, they could speak about almost
anything or many things in Mori.
Between 2001 and 2013 there was a large increase in
the proportion of younger Mori who reported some
ability to speak te reo Mori.
164,500 (35%) Mori adults reported speaking some te
reo Mori within the home.

Mori language learners will benefit from

more affordable and increased digital
learning support thanks to the further
development of AUTs Te Whanake
app series for Apple iPads and Android
tablets.
Te Pihinga sits at the lower-intermediate
level of the Mori language course and
follows on from Te Kkano which was
introduced to Te Whanake in May last
year by Te Ipukarea, AUTs National
Mori Language Institute.
AUT Professor in Mori Innovation and
Development John Moorfield says this
second stage of the Te Whanake app
development is a major step forward in
improving the programme for learners
from beginner through to advanced level
te reo Mori.

Mori language learners, including

students of AUTs Faculty of Mori
and Indigenous Development/Te Ara
Poutama, have the option of using hard
copy textbooks which retail at $62.56 +

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We have a commitment to
internationalise the right to language,
and build greater proficiency in our

youth, says AUT professor and Director

of Te Ipukarea, Dr Tania Kaai.
But, we need people on the table to
effect this positive change for our
indigenous languages; we need the
critical mass. There is enough research
to show that te reo Mori and Hawaiian
are both still on the list of endangered
languages in the World they are both
still at risk, says Professor Kaai.

Mori and Hawaiian synergies

The Hikianalia sailing off
in the Waitemata Harbour.

GST, study guides and dictionaries, along

with online resources, or of purchasing
the less expensive Te Kkano and/or the
Te Pihinga stages of the Te Whanake
app. The Te Whanake app also allows
quick access to the popular Te Aka online
dictionary.
As well as the increased mobility that
an app on an iPad or Android tablet
provides, the Te Kkano and the Te
Pihinga stages of the app also bring
together the textbook, animations,
podcasts, exercise sheets and the
television programmes of the Te
Whanake series in one structured
programme, says Professor Moorfield.
The team will also be introducing a study
guide within the app that will be available
later this year as a free upgrade.

Digital innovations like this are enabling

more affordable and accessible learning
opportunities for students of te reo Mori.

The need for support from the critical

mass to realise full indigenous language
revitalisation, was a key point raised at
a recent cultural summit organised by
AUTs Faculty of Mori and Indigenous
Development/Te Ara Poutama and Te
Ipukarea, AUTs National Mori Language
Institute.

Moorfield adds that the app

language series is also a
great resource for teachers
and educators.

Its structured programme

format introduces particular
exercises and activities from the various
resources at the appropriate time, says
Professor Moorfield.
AUT lecturer Hmi Kelly who teaches

the intermediate level Mori language

classes says he is looking forward to
seeing how his students engage with Te
Pihinga in digital format.
And as a language teacher, Te Pihinga
is giving me ready access to exercises
and learning materials for each learners
language learning journey.
Professor Moorfield, with support
from AUT Professor Tania Kaai and Te
Ipukarea staff, created the resources that
make up the Te Whanake series while the
technical development of the app itself
has been done through web and mobile
developers and designers, VO2 Web
Design.
The development team will now set
about producing the third stage of the
Te Whanake app, Te Mhuri, the upperintermediate level course in Mori
language, for release later this year.

This theme was reiterated by a 30 strong

delegation from Hawaii, which included
representatives from the University of
Hawaii, the Hawaii State Department of
Education, Kamehameha Schools, and
the Polynesian Voyaging Society, while
on the New Zealand leg of the Mlama
Honua Worldwide Voyage.
President of the University of Hawaii,
David Lassner, reemphasised the

key learnings around language revival

and Mori and Pacific advancement.

Ten years ago, we were new to this

concept of language revitalisation. In
many ways, New Zealand was ahead of us
when it came to keeping their indigenous
language alive. In Hawaii, we came
pretty close to losing our language, and
Hawaiian students were severely underrepresented and under-succeeding in
University education.

AUT signed the Memorandum of

Understanding (MOU) with the University
of Hawaii West Oahu in 2010, and
another MOU with University of Hawaii
Manoa in 2011. The tertiary institutions
have benefitted from student and
staff exchanges, applied research and
immersion language programmes at both
undergraduate and post-graduate level.

We have a commitment to Hawaiian

people, to our Hawaiian language, and
to enrol more Hawaiian students into
University, says President Lassner.

Being in a global community like this

enables us to share ideas and strategies
on how we handle issues around
language and cultural revitalisation,
says AUT te reo Mori language senior
lecturer Dr Dean Mahuta.

Today, we have the opportunity

through a Memorandum of
Understanding with AUT to share in

A worldwide voyage for education, culture,

sustainability and leadership
Te Ara Poutama staff and students on Hikianalia.

Te Ara Poutama and Te Ipukarea are

proud to be helping promote bilingualism
in New Zealand through initiatives like Te
Whanake, says Professor Moorfield.
The Te Whanake app is available to
download for tablet devices in the Apple
app store and Google Play.

importance of Professor Kaais call to

action.

The Hawaiian delegation also included

the Polynesian Voyaging Society, who
crew on the Mlama Honua Worldwide
Voyage of the Polynesian double-hulled
sailing canoes, the Hklea and the
Hikianalia.

The Societys mission is to perpetuate the

art and science of traditional Polynesian
voyaging and the spirit of exploration
through experiential programmes that
inspire students and their communities
to respect and care for themselves, and
their natural and cultural environments.

Te Ara Poutama Master of Arts student

Toi Williams says the sailing really
anchored the importance of getting
more youth to rethink and engage in
experiences that reaffirm the value of
culture, sustainability, leadership and
education.

As part of the Malama Honua Worldwide

Voyages 40th anniversary celebrations,
six students and staff members from Te
Ara Poutama got the once-in-lifetime
opportunity to experience ocean
sailing on the Hikianalia in Aucklands
Waitemata Harbour.

To actually be on a vessel that sails

traditionally, and that has as one of its
key purposes, the aim of revitalising
the knowledge of our ancestors, was an
invaluable experience.

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2/06/15 12:19 pm