Photo caption: UC Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research and Innovation Professor Lucy Johnston and Tāwhaki Joint Venture Chair and Te Taumutu Rūnanga appointed Director David Perenara-O’Connell.
A new partnership between Tāwhaki Joint Venture and Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury (UC) will expand opportunities for Canterbury rangatahi to pursue careers and research in aerospace, environmental science and whenua rejuvenation, grounded in mātauranga Māori.
The agreement, signed on Friday 14 August at Tāwhaki National Aerospace Centre on Kaitorete, formalises a relationship that has developed since Tāwhaki was established in 2021.
UC Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research and Innovation Professor Lucy Johnston says the agreement builds on a relationship developed through years of shared activity.
“UC has an important role in building capability for the future, and our partnership with Tāwhaki creates opportunities to do that through research and education.
“By bringing together our expertise and the Tāwhaki vision for Kaitorete, we can help grow aerospace capability in Aotearoa, create pathways for students and researchers, and contribute to positive outcomes for the whenua, our communities, and future generations.”
UC students and researchers are already involved in collaborative projects at Kaitorete spanning meteorology, engineering, ecology, and environmental research. Programmes such as Space Camp also introduce rangatahi to aerospace, environmental science and STEMM, including mātauranga Māori, through hands-on learning.
The partnership provides a framework for aligning UC research, education, and innovation expertise with the mana whenua-led aspirations of Tāwhaki for Kaitorete.
Together, Tāwhaki and UC are committed to expanding education, research, and employment pathways that build local capability and support the future of Aotearoa across aerospace and whenua rejuvenation, a concept that includes environmental protection and restoration.
The partnership will enable the two organisations to expand that work, strengthen opportunities for students, researchers and whānau, and advance aerospace innovation and long-term outcomes for whenua. The ambition is for Tāwhaki to be recognised as an integrated national centre of applied research and development excellence.
Located on Kaitorete, Tāwhaki is the world’s first Indigenous-led aerospace initiative and has a dual kaupapa focused on aerospace advancement and whenua rejuvenation.
As a joint venture between Te Taumutu Rūnanga, Wairewa Rūnanga and the New Zealand Government, Tāwhaki is also uniquely positioned to lead in these sectors from a mātauranga Māori perspective.
Tāwhaki Joint Venture Chair and Te Taumutu Rūnanga appointed Director David Perenara-O’Connell says the agreement is a significant step in realising the aspiration of Tāwhaki to create enduring opportunities for current and future generations while helping the whenua to thrive.
“This partnership is about creating opportunities for our rangatahi while staying true to who we are. Tāwhaki was established to show that aerospace innovation, environmental restoration and mātauranga Māori can come together for the benefit of people and planet. By working more closely with UC, we’ll create more opportunities for students, researchers and whānau to be involved in that journey and help grow capability from the ground up, right here in Waitaha Canterbury,” he says.
“We’re excited about what this means for current and future generations of our hapū and iwi, our wider community, and Aotearoa as a whole,” Perenara-O’Connell says.
