Waikato University receives $500,000 endowment

Sustainability research at the University of Waikato has been given a boost with the establishment of a new endowment fund.

Support Research

A bequest made by the late Zena Daysh will see the university receive $500,000 to support research related to sustainability and establish the Dr Zena Daysh Doctoral Fellowship in Sustainability.

Zena Daysh was awarded an honorary doctorate in 2009 from the University of Waikato in recognition of her international contribution to human ecology and sustainable communities. Human ecology is the study of the relationship between groups of people and their environment.

Although New Zealand born, she lived in London for more than 50 years and founded the Commonwealth Human Ecology Council, which aimed to influence Commonwealth governments to create policies that would support sustainable communities and a sustainable world.

Sustainability

Waikato University Vice-Chancellor Professor Roy Crawford said the university is pleased to be able to offer a scholarship of this kind. “Sustainability is integral to our teaching and learning and Zena was a pioneer of sustainability.

“She promoted university programmes all over the world that motivated individuals and groups to take a holistic and environmentally sustainable approach to development.”

The Dr Zena Daysh Doctoral Fellowship in Sustainability will be available to postgraduate students across a wide range of subject areas.

The bequest was acknowledged at an event held on December 14 and guests heard from University of Waikato alumna and former Hamilton mayor Margaret Evans and executor John Bonham.

Ms Evans said the contribution Zena Daysh has made to the world has been absolutely huge in the field of human ecology and her legacy will be remembered by many people.