What I am doing this week:
- It is annual plans and budget 2015 time of the year. It is interesting to consider new and old initiatives and how we are trying to implement the ‘Growing Pearls of Wisdom’ Pasifika strategy in light of tight fiscal environment we live in;
- As I sit on the Selection Panel for Ako Aotearoa’s National Project Fund, I will give some time this week to assessing which project/s ought to get funding in this round. One of the unfortunate results of this year’s round is that there are no Pasifika learner-focus applications;
- I am meeting with Prof Mike Watts of Auckland Institute of Studies over the possibility of staircasing IT students to Massey to do postgraduate study;
- I am attending an Auckland Council presentation by Associate Professor Robin Peace and Dr Trudie Cain – “Understanding ethnic diversity in Auckland” on Thursday;
- I am looking forward to Prof Paul Moon’s Sir Paul Reeves Memorial Lecture on Tuesday. I am interested because I am hoping it will give me some ideas about the Annual Pasifika Lecture series;
- I am talking about: Greens Co-Leader Metiria Turei; the possible stoush between Winston Peters and Colin Craig over East Coast Bays; the disputed results of the Cook Islands general election; the looming visit of Fijian PM Voreqe Bainimarama to NZ and Australia; the political implications of the downing of flight MH17; and tradition vs democracy, in my weekly columns and radio slot
Some good news:
- Enquiries are picking up from people who want to study at Massey and some have enrolled already in our Bachelor of Construction degree. I think this is an indication that our media (radio and print) campaign is reaching our communities
Ideas and suggestions welcome:
- I am giving some thought to getting an advisory group together made up possibly of community people to offer advice and thoughts on strategic issues. If you have any thoughts please feel free to send them to me