About this research
Summary
The teaching and development of a vibrant, dynamic, highly educated and sustainable Māori workforce operating at the highest levels of tribal and government leadership and civic society, is crucial to driving positive economic, social and environmental transformation in Aotearoa. Current and future generations of Māori PhD students and graduates, Māori scholars and researchers, are needed to undertake excellent and transformative research, run research organisations and be change makers within their communities and New Zealand society more broadly.
Despite the need for Māori PhD graduates and academics in academic tribal and civil society, Māori are underrepresented within the academic workforce in New Zealand. Few secure long-term employment in universities where future generations of Māori are educated. Māori academics are critical for Māori students to achieve educational success as Māori, developing and delivering programmes that are culturally inclusive and provide opportunities to engage with Te Ao Māori including learnings around Te Reo, Tikanga and Mātauranga. The provision of Government tertiary education policy to date has focused on improving post-school transitions and Māori achievement at bachelor levels or above. Much less work has focused on enhancing Māori success at advanced degree levels or post-PhD within academia.
This programme expected to enhance current understandings of the experiences, challenges and opportunities experienced by Māori PhD graduates, in particular, their employment and life trajectories post-graduation. The research also planned to examine and scope the intellectual, cultural, economic and social contribution they make to whānau, hapū, iwi and civil society nationally and internationally. In doing this it aimed to build upon the work and legacy of nearly 800 Māori who have graduated with PhDs in the past 20 years. To that end, the project worked closely with the Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga Te Kupenga o MAI programme.
The overall goal of this study was to provide an evidential basis for new conversations and models about the role of highly qualified Māori in the labour-force. Contributing towards strategies to address current shortages of highly qualified Māori experts operating in leadership roles in academia, iwi, government, and civil society.
Lead Researchers
Prof Joanna Kidman, Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāti Raukawa, Victoria University of Wellington
Assoc Prof Reremoana (Moana) Theodore, Ngāpuhi, Te Arawa, University of Otago
Research Team
Dr Jesse Kokaua, Ngati Arerā, Rarotonga, University of Otago
Dr Tara McAllister, Te Aitanga a Māhaki, Victoria University of Wellington
Dr Sereana Naepi, Natasiri, Pālagi, University of Auckland
Dr Hinekura Smith, Te Rarawa, Ngāpuhi, Te Ati Awa, Unitec
This nationwide research programme set out to deepen our understanding of the experiences, challenges, and contributions of Māori PhD graduates across Aotearoa. By tracing the post-graduation journeys of nearly 800 Māori doctoral scholars, the study aimed to highlight their intellectual, cultural, social and economic impact—within whānau, hapū, iwi and beyond.
Although the programme has since been disestablished, its kaupapa remains vital: to inform new models of Māori leadership and participation across academia, government, iwi development, and civil society.
Whakaahua & Ataata · Images & Videos
Kairangahau · Researchers
Professor Joanna Kidman
Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngati Whakatere
Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington
Joanna is a sociologist with affiliations to Ngāti Maniapoto and Ngāti Raukawa. Her work spans indigenous sociology…
Professor Joanna Kidman
Associate Professor Reremoana Theodore
Research Associate Professor Reremoana (Moana) Theodore is the Co-Director of the National Centre for Lifecourse…
Associate Professor Reremoana Theodore
Associate Professor Hinekura Smith
Te Rarawa, Ngāpuhi
Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland
Dr Hinekura Smith (Te Rarawa, Ngāpuhi) is NPM's Emerging Researchers’ Leader, providing further national leadership and…
Associate Professor Hinekura Smith
Ētahi atu · Other projects
Māori doctoral scholars often face significant challenges in universities dominated by Western academic traditions. These environments can clash with Māori cultural values and needs, reflecting colonial legacies that marginalise Indigenous knowledge and methodologies. To address these challenges, the Te Kupenga o MAI (MAI) programme was created in the late…
Tahatū-o-te-rangi: a study of the experiences and contributions of MAI Te Kupenga PhD scholars
Māori doctoral scholars often face significant challenges in universities dominated by Western academic traditions. These environments can clash with Māori cultural values and needs, reflecting colonial legacies that marginalise Indigenous knowledge and methodologies. To address these challenges, the Te Kupenga o MAI (MAI) programme was created in the late 1990s by Professor Graham Smith. This initiative supports Māori and Indigenous PhD students across Aotearoa New Zealand, providing mentorship, resources, and community connections grounded in Māori cultural values. MAI helps reduce isolation and creates culturally safe spaces for Māori scholars to succeed academically while maintaining their cultural identity.
This research focuses on understanding the long-term impact of the MAI programme by examining the experiences of recent Māori PhD graduates. It aims to explore their motivations, challenges, and the role MAI played in supporting them, as well as their career pathways and contributions to their communities after completing their studies. The findings will inform future efforts to support Māori doctoral scholars, ensuring they thrive in academia and contribute meaningfully to their whānau, hapū, iwi, and society.
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Ngā Moemoea ō Ᾱpōpō: Empowering Taiohi Māori Leaders for the Future
This research explores how rangatahi Māori are navigating a world of deep uncertainty. Amidst climate change, poverty, injustice and cultural upheaval, this project centres Māori youth as powerful future-makers. Led by Professor Joanna Kidman, the study invites rangatahi to imagine, design, and plan thriving futures for their whānau, hapū and iwi—grounded in ancestral strength and collective vision.
Despite the proliferation of equity and diversity plans and policies that have been established in universities across New Zealand over the past 25 years, Māori academic staff make up only a very small proportion of the nation’s academic workforce (6%) and the proportion of Pacific academic staff is even smaller (2%). This study explored the ways that Māori…