Tradition with Modern Academic Rigour

“Navigating between Māori and Western academic knowledge systems is a daily reality. Our programmes are designed so students can critically engage with both worldviews,” says Professor Wiremu Doherty, Chief Executive Officer for Awanuiārangi. “Research methodologies incorporate Mātauranga Māori, while academic excellence remains benchmarked against national and international standards.

“We encourage learning that produces solutions, and leads to tangible, positive outcomes for students’ communities. We're producing graduates who can speak fluently in both knowledge systems while maintaining their cultural integrity and advancing Māori intellectual sovereignty.”

A decade ago, a New Zealand Tertiary Education Commission report showed the wānanga as underperforming. But both Awanuiārangi and TWoR argued that national performance metrics don’t account for their unique learner demographic, often mature, part-time students from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

Wānanga essentially have dual accountability, to iwi (tribes), to maintain cultural integrity and local priorities, and to the NZQA and other regulatory bodies, to ensure academic and vocational recognition domestically and abroad.

This dual framework is what allows Mātauranga Māori its inclusion within higher education without sacrificing academic rigour, making Aotearoa New Zealand a global leader in recognising indigenous knowledge as foundational, not supplemental.

“Balancing traditional knowledge with innovation is important to Māori researchers. It requires reflection, weighing risks, and asking ‘How will this affect our mokopuna (descendants)?’ If the answer is positive, then we know we’re on the right path,” says Dr Joni Angeli-Gordon, a researcher at Te Manawahoukura Rangahau centre of TWoA.

“In mainstream settings, Māori researchers often feel like they are constantly trying to fit a circle into a square, which can be exhausting. At wānanga, values are shared, wellbeing sits at the centre, and this creates the right environment for transformative research.”

The three Wānanga have much in common, they are founded and run by iwi, they are open to all and broadly share in their intended impacts. Each aims to produce regional, economic, social and cultural benefits, while also forming partnerships with local groups such as health providers, who can become more effective in their interventions when imbued with local knowledge.

While this emphasis on tangible community outcomes is shared, Wānanga have their own distinct identities, features and focuses too. For example, Awanuiārangi is very research-focused, can award PhDs, forms partnerships with Indigenous educational establishments around the world, and concentrates its community orientated focus on Māori intellectual sovereignty.

“We are the only institution offering full academic pathways in Te Ao Haka (Māori Performing Arts), from foundation to doctoral level. Our postgraduate curriculum in Indigenous Development is co-constructed with tribal communities across the Pacific and North America, affirming Indigenous Knowledge as globally relevant and academically rigorous,” says Professor Doherty.

“We are helping to build an Indigenous teaching model with the Tulalip tribe in Washington State, and we supported Sami University in Norway to gain its doctoral qualification. We are also the only New Zealand tertiary institute delivering our Bachelor of Education to First Nations people in North America.”

TWoR strongly promotes the cultural survival of iwi, and the revitalisation of te reo Māori, which is embedded in all courses taught. They do this through whakapapa (loosely, one’s relationship to their shared past, providing a sense of identity, belonging and responsibility), and tikanga (Māori customary practices and values).

And TWoA places great emphasis on inclusivity, with a large scale nationwide network of locations for study and research. This intentionally opens doors for second-chance learners amongst others, necessarily leading to opportunities for graduates to work in a range of industries.

“We have campuses and delivery options across Aotearoa New Zealand, from major cities to small towns, making education accessible to students in remote communities. This allows tauira (students) to study locally while staying close to whānau and work,” says Evie O'Brien, Chief Executive at TWoA.

“Founded as a bold response to mainstream education’s failure to serve rangatahi Māori (youth), our institution has grown into one of the largest tertiary providers in Aotearoa New Zealand, offering inclusive, holistic education. Today, with over 80 sites, we empower thousands through programmes in te reo Māori, education, business, trades and more.”

Many avenues for study at wānanga connect with regionally specific issues of health, wellbeing, language, culture and education, with a fair share of activities you would expect more broadly including business, IT and the creative arts. And when it comes to research at wānanga, depending on the subject area, things may appear more, or less, familiar to researchers from mainstream universities.

“We typically utilise conventional research techniques, both qualitative and quantitative. However, the process can be somewhat different, particularly in terms of engagement with participants and follow-up. Data is also interpreted with a cultural lens to ensure accuracy of conclusions and recommendations,” says Professor Te Kani Kingi, Executive Director of Research and Innovation at Awanuiārangi.