Dr Sarah-Jane Tiakiwai

He uri tēnei nō Te Rarawa ki Hokianga, Waikato ki Ngāti Haua, me he whāngai ki a Ngāti Awa, Ngāti Pikiao. My iwi affiliations connect me to the Far North of Hokianga, to Ngāti Haua in Waikato and I also have whāngai connections to the iwi of Ngāti Awa and Ngāti Pikiao.

While my disciplinary background is Māori Studies much of my research work has been across disciplines and in education more specifically.

The research that excites me connects and enables me to contribute to the needs of our diverse Māori and indigenous communities - through tribal claims research, seeking to understand the challenges of negotiating space between mātauranga Māori and science, projects focused on advancing tribal and indigenous development aspirations here and internationally and research that challenges dominant constructs of education for Māori and indigenous students across the education system but particularly in higher education.

Much of my research focus is driven by curiosity, to explore and challenge why things are the way they are underpinned by a desire to make positive and practical contributions to our Māori communities. This practical contribution includes training Māori researchers based in community, in whānau and across iwi.