My activities for the week
- Kia orana! It is Cook Islands Language Week so learn a Cook Islands word or two;
- It was good to catch up with Prof David Vincent from the UK’s Open University who is here to assist Massey in achieving the goals of the Road to 2025. Sharing international experience is beneficial particularly measuring up to what others are doing overseas;
- I am in Wellington on Tuesday as part of the National Project Fund selection panel for Ako Aotearoa funded projects. It is disappointing that there is not a Pasifika learner project among this year’s applications. There is clearly a need to encourage researchers to submit research proposals for Pacific specific projects;
- Preparation is getting underway to bring participants from the Pacific to the Human Rights in the Pacific conference in December;
- I am meeting with Prof Brigid Heywood, AVC Research, Academic and Enterprise on Thursday to discuss Pasifika student progression and retention;
- Our new research assistant Shoma Prasad joined us this week, marked by an afternoon tea to welcome her. Shoma will act as a research assistant to me and a strategic and data analyst for Prof Shaista Shameem;
- My media comments and newspaper column this week focus on: Winston Peters, Tuvalu family gaining NZ residency, Forum meeting in Palau (PlanetFM); new secretary-general for the Forum, re-admittance of Fiji to the Forum (Pacific Radio Network); deconstructing democracy (Tonga Weekly)