It was a great day today for academic achievers Margie Hohepa, Patricia Johnston and Robyn Manuel.

Margie Hohepa, Patricia Johnston gain their PhDs in Education while Robyn Manuel achieved hers in Chemistry.

Three Maori women achieved a first for Maoridom in receiving their doctorates at Auckland University’s graduation today. And Maori Pro Vice Chancellor, Dr Graham Smith says it certainly is a landmark occasion.

The women braved the challenges of combined work, study and raising families while pushing ahead with their commitment to study for their PhD degrees.

Their achievement, Dr Smith says, shows how Maori are achieving top honours in academia and becoming more involved in the knowledge economy.

There’s is an inspirational achievement, he says. There is still a lot of work to do in developing the access, participation and success of Maori in education.

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Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>