Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Work smarter with a Pro licence Learn More

Gordon Campbell | Parliament TV | Parliament Today | News Video | Crime | Employers | Housing | Immigration | Legal | Local Govt. | Maori | Welfare | Unions | Youth | Search

 

Awanuiārangi Deputy Accepts Global Leadership Challenge

Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi
Whakatāne
21 August 2018


Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi deputy chief executive Yvonne (Evie) O’Brien has been named the inaugural Programme Director at the Atlantic Institute, Rhodes Trust, based at the University of Oxford in England.

Ms O’Brien will leave Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi in September to take up the international leadership development role at Oxford.

Last year, Ms O’Brien was made a Fellow of the inaugural cohort of the Atlantic Fellows for Social Equity, which aims to improve the well-being of communities in Australia and the Pacific by drawing on the knowledge and expertise of Indigenous people.

Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi chief executive, Professor Wiremu Doherty, said the Atlantic Fellows for Social Equity visited the Whare Wānanga in Whakatāne in February. The cohort looked into indigenous issues such as self-determination, the relationship between race, identity and power, and treaty-making and negotiation in the context of nation building.

Professor Doherty said Ms O’Brien was invited some months later to apply for the new post. Awanuiārangi management, governance council and staff were immensely proud that after a global search, a colleague had been selected for an international change-making role, Professor Doherty said.

“It is with profound sadness that we begin the process of saying goodbye to Evie. She has made a significant contribution to Awanuiārangi and we are overwhelmingly proud that a member of our organisation has been selected for this global role. This appointment is an acknowledgement of Evie and her whānau, and just reward for her selfless dedication to our people and our organisation.”

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

Ms O’Brien has an MBA from the University of Waikato and has held a number of executive leadership roles at education institutions, with a particular focus on organisational and strategic change and improving outcomes for Māori students. Having joined the senior management team at Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi in 2014, she has relished the opportunity to be part of New Zealand’s “quiet education revolution”.

“I love being part of something that is bigger than all of us and feel privileged to be working for an organisation where Māori can succeed as Māori and one that has such a positive effect on people’s lives and their whānau.”

Funded by Atlantic Philanthropies, one of the largest private foundations in the world, the Atlantic Fellows programme was launched in 2015 with $660m to support work for 20 years. Its inaugural cohort of global Fellows numbers 267 emerging leaders from 48 countries. They are working in seven interconnected social equity programmes around the world, with further expansion of the programme planned annually. Each of the programmes is focused on solving systemic issues such as health, social, economic and racial inequity.

At Oxford, Ms O’Brien will have lead responsibility in supporting collaboration among staff of the Atlantic Fellows Programme, and in the development of a strongly connected Atlantic Fellows Programme community. She will lead the design and implementation of programmes to support the work of Senior Fellows, and the development of a lifelong “community of action” among Senior Fellows.

“Our aim is to support the collaboration of leaders from around the world to address complex social problems and to find solutions that have the potential to change the world,” Ms O’Brien says. “The goal is fairer, healthier and more inclusive societies.”

Ends

© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Regional Headlines



Gordon Campbell: On Dune 2, And Images Of Islam


Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture tends to be hostile to Islam when we’re sitting in the dark, with popcorn.
Any number of movie examples come to mind, beginning with Rudolf Valentino’s role (over a century ago) as the romantic Arab hero in The Sheik...
More


 
 


Government: One-stop Shop Major Projects On The Fast Track

The Coalition Government’s new one-stop-shop fast track consenting regime for regional and national projects of significance will cut red tape and make it easier for New Zealand to build the infrastructure and major projects needed to get the country moving again... More

ALSO:


Government: GPS 2024: Over $20 Billion To Get Transport Back On Track
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has released the draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) on Land Transport, outlining the Coalition Government’s plan to build and maintain a transport system that enables people to get to where they need to go quickly and safely... More

ALSO:

Government: Humanitarian Support For Gaza & West Bank

Winston Peters has announced NZ is providing a further $5M to respond to the extreme humanitarian need in Gaza and the West Bank. “The impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict on civilians is absolutely appalling," he said... More


Government: New High Court Judge Appointed

Judith Collins has announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister Jason Scott McHerron as a High Court Judge. Justice McHerron graduated from the University of Otago with a BA in English Literature in 1994 and an LLB in 1996... More

 
 
 
 
 
 

LATEST HEADLINES

  • PARLIAMENT
  • POLITICS
  • REGIONAL
 
 

InfoPages News Channels


 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.