Our Board - Te Kahui Amokura

Professor Sir Mason Durie (Chair) - Massey University

Professor Sir Mason Durie, KNZM, CNZM is of Rangitāne, Ngāti Kauwhata and Ngāti Raukawa descent. He was knighted in the 2010 New Zealand New Year's honours for services to Māori health, and public health services in particular. He had previously (2001) been made a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit.

Sir Mason is Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Assistant Vice-Chancellor (Māori and Pasifika) at Massey University and is also Professor of Māori Research and Development. He graduated from the University of Otago with a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery in 1963. He has a Postgraduate Diploma in Psychiatry from McGill University, Canada, and was Director of Psychiatry at Palmerston North Hospital.

Apart from serving on the Boards of Te Papa and the Foundation for Research Science and Technology, he has been Chair of the Guardians Group for the Secondary Futures project, and a Commissioner for the New Zealand Families Commission. He chaired the Ministerial Taskforce on Whānau Ora and is Chair of Te Kāhui Amokura, a Standing Committee of the New Zealand Vice-Chancellors' Committee. Sir Mason is a Fellow of the Royal Australia and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists, a Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand, and a Fellow of the New Zealand Academy of the Humanities.

 

Mr Jim Peters – University of Auckland

Mr Jim Peters (Ngāti Wai, Ngāti Hine, Ngā Puhi) is the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Māori)at Auckland University. He has responsibility for developing a positive Māori profile in the University and assisting in the development of Māori programmes in liaison with the Vice-Chancellor, Māori staff, students and the community. Mr Peters has taught in a number of schools and was Principal of Northland College 1987-2002. He was a Member of Parliament 2002-2005, a long standing member of the Vice-Chancellor's Community Advisory Group, has been a member of the Northland Regional Council since 1989 and was its Chairman from 1995 to 2001.

 

Associate Professor Pare Keiha - Auckland University of Technology

Associate Professor Pare Keiha is Pro-Vice Chancellor Māori at AUT University. He is the Tumuaki/Dean of Te Ara Poutama, AUT's Faculty of Māori Development and Co-Director of the Centre for Māori Innovation and Development (CMID). His tribal affIliations lie with the principal tribes of Turanganui-a-Kiwa, specifically the Whanaua- Taupara hapu of Te Aitanga-a-Mahaki and Rongowhakaata.

Associate Professor Keiha's own research interests include Māori development, competition law and policy, intellectual property law, corporate governance and the economics of the New Zealand primary products sector. He advises a number of Māori enterprises, including tribal and pan-tribal organisations, and state sector entities in the areas of business development, management and strategy.

 

Professor Linda Smith – University of Waikato

Professor Linda Smith (Ngāti Awa, Ngāti Porou) is the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Māori) at the University of Waikato. Professor Smith has a strong interdisciplinary research and teaching background, primarily in the field of education, including Māori and indigenous education, and the sociology and history of education.

From 2001-2004, she chaired the Māori Tertiary Education Reference Group responsible for advising the Ministry of Education on operational strategy for Māori tertiary education. She has served on many other bodies, including as a member of the Tertiary Education Advisory Commission (TEAC), advising the Minister of Tertiary Education on the shape of the tertiary education system for New Zealand.

 

Professor Piri Sciascia – Victoria University of Wellington

Professor Piri Sciascia is Te Toiahurei Pro Vice-Chancellor (Māori) at Victoria University of Wellington. He is from Ngāti Kahungunu and Kāi Tahu and has strong affiliations to Ngāti Raukawa and Ngāti Rangitāne.

His primary role is to provide strategic advice to the Vice-Chancellor and the Senior Management Team to assist Victoria University to meet its obligations under the Treaty of Waitangi. Also, as Toiahurei, Piri leads Toihuarewa – a faculty equivalent academic forum where Māori academic interests are examined, debated and discussed – and chairs Victoria's Treaty of Waitangi Advisory Committee.

 

Sir Tipene O'Regan – University of Canterbury

Sir Tipene is the former Chair of the Ngāi Tahu Māori Trust Board, Ngāi Tahu Holdings Corporation, Mawhera Incorporation, Te Ohu Kai Moana, the Sealord Group Ltd and Deputy Chair of Transit New Zealand.

He is a previous director of Television New Zealand, Meridian Energy and the founding Chair of Te Tapuae o Rehua Ltd. In September 2004 he was appointed Assistant Vice-Chancellor (Māori) at the University of Canterbury where in 1992 he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Literature. He holds Honorary Doctorates of Commerce from both Lincoln University and Victoria University of Wellington. He is a Distinguished Fellow of the Institute of Directors.

 

Professor Hirini Matunga – Lincoln University

Professor Hirini is Professor of Māori and Indigenous Planning, a member of Te Whanake (Kaupapa Māori Unit) Environment Society and Design Division, and Assistant Vice Chancellor (Māori), Lincoln University. His academic and research interests lie at the intersection between indigeneity/Māoriness and universal endeavours such as planning, policy, development, resource management et al. Prior to becoming an academic he worked for many years as a planner in the public sector specialising in Māori planning, policy and development issues. He is of Ngai Tahu, Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Kahungunu and Ngāti Paerangi (Atiu, Cook Islands) descent.

 

Darryn Russell – University of Otago

Darryn is Director, Office of Māori Development, Office of the Vice Chancellor at the University of Otago. This position has two primary functions, responsibility for developing and maintaining University Treaty based relationships with Iwi and Māori providers and secondly coordinating and implementing Māori strategy, policy and development at the University of Otago. Darryn also has a ministerial appointment as Councillor on the Pharmacy Council of New Zealand on the Social Workers Registration Board.

Darryn's roles in the community include being Chairperson of Araiteuru Whare Hauora and Trustee on JR McKenzie Philanthropic and previous positions on Ngāi Tahu commercial Boards and hapū/Rūnanga entities.