Tertiary Partnership To Benefit Pacific Community

Tertiary Partnership To Benefit Pacific Communities

Pacific communities in New Zealand and the Pacific are set to benefit from a partnership between two leading tertiary institutions from Wellington and Auckland.

Manukau Institute of Technology (MIT) and Whitireia Community Polytechnic will work collaboratively to provide enhanced educational opportunities for Pacific communities in Counties Manukau, Porirua, Wellington and in the Pacific from February 2010.

Senior representatives from MIT and Whitireia met in Auckland last week to formalise the relationship with the signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC). This document represents a commitment from both parties to develop a long-term working relationship for the benefit of Pacific students, staff and the wider Pacific community. It is an important step to improving tertiary education for Pacific communities and is the culmination of a series of discussions between the two institutions over the last 18 months.

Whitireia Chief Executive Don Campbell said that “our two polytechnics have demonstrated a strong commitment to Pacific study and learning methodologies. “The Whitireia Bachelor of Nursing Pacific is an excellent example of a high quality course that serves the Pacific peoples of New Zealand and beyond. Whitireia and MIT have collective and complementary experience with successful programmes, research and ultimately, economic benefits for Pacific people. It is valuable to share successful models to encourage better outcomes for students.”

Under the MOC, MIT and Whitireia have agreed to consider a number of initiatives including:

• Collaborating on educational opportunities in the Pacific.

• Joint curriculum and programme development.

• Collaborative research projects.

• Shared Pacific staff and professional development activities.

• Sharing information on programmes including the Bachelor of Nursing Pacific and Bachelor of Applied Social Work.

• Introducing a staff and student exchange programme.

Dr Peter Brothers, MIT’s Chief Executive, noted that a collaborative partnership will benefit all parties involved.

“Our geographical locations mean that both MIT and Whitireia serve a significant proportion of New Zealand’s Pacific population,” says Dr Brothers. “By working collaboratively together we can maximise opportunities so that our Pacific communities have access to two institutions that provide high quality, relevant and accessible vocational education and training.”

ENDS