Breadcrumbs

Scholar, dreamer, rabble-rouser - now Emeritus Professor

4 May 2018

Dr Te Awekotuku, at the conferment ceremony.

Professor Ngahuia Te Awekotuku was the first Māori woman to earn a PhD in Aotearoa. It was conferred by University of Waikato in 1981, and now she has come full-circle with the University naming her Emeritus Professor.

Professor Te Awekotuku MNZM is an academic, author of fiction and non-fiction, an arts curator and critic, performer and activist who has given outstanding service to the humanities-aronui for more than 40 years.

Her degrees are in Art History, English and Psychology and her work and activism centres on tikanga Māori, cultural heritage, power and powerlessness, racism, gender and sexual rights, death and ritual, spirituality and creative expression.

Her versatility means she has presented across a range of academic platforms and conferences, including women’s studies, indigenous psychology, health, and museum and cultural heritage. She remains a very public intellectual.

University of Waikato Vice-Chancellor Professor Neil Quigley conferred the honour on Professor Te Awekotuku this week, during a ceremony filled with warmth, laughter, and acknowledgment of the line of strong Māori women and intellectuals she continues to embody.

Professor Te Awekotuku told those gathered it was an extraordinary moment in her life as a scholar, an activist, a rabble-rouser, a dreamer, a troublemaker. “I am aware that this belongs to all of us, and it particularly belongs to all those who nudged me along, who never lost faith in me, and that made sure I got here.”

She also paid tribute to those coming after her. “None of us would be here without our students, I thank you most of all, as that is the reason University of Waikato exists.”

Drawing laughter from the crowd, Professor Te Awekotuku said she did not want to get political, but hopes that many more of young people will come to the University, and follow their dreams. “That there will be a place for them. And that particularly in disciplines like psychology and indigenous studies, those places remain safe, secure and absolute.”


Latest stories

Related stories

Nathan Bailey, inaugural recipient of the Tauranga Moana Futures Scholarship

Scholarship enables inaugural recipient to contribute to the redevelopment of Tauranga City

University of Waikato first-year Bachelor of Engineering student Nathan Bailey is the inaugural recipient of…

madeleine-pierard

Philanthropically-funded role enables Music to grow

Thanks to a philanthropically-funded position, internaitonal opera singer Madeleine Pierard has been able to set…

Scholarship recipient

Ashleigh Ngow receives Dr Andrew Smith Medal for Academic Excellence

Protecting the environment has always been important to Maketū-raised Ashleigh Ngow who completed the Bachelor…

Huy Vu

Scholarship established to remember alumnus and colleague Huy Vu

A scholarship has been established at the University of Waikato to remember alumnus and highly…

Madeleine Pierard

Inaugural recipients selected for Te Pae Kōkako

Six promising opera students have been selected for the University of Waikato’s immersive Master of…

gavin-walsh

Scholarship helps recipient spark change for the environment

A donor-funded Master of Management Studies project at the University is set to contribute to…

neil-quigley-appeal-2022

University launches Annual Appeal for 2022

The 2022 Annual Appeal is focused on supporting student scholarships, nursing graduates, and opera.

craigs-IP-scholarship

New scholarship for women studying business

Leading investment specialists Craigs Investment Partners (Craigs) is committing to the next generation of women…

New Tauranga scholarships look to the future

Two new scholarships for first year engineering and environmental science students in Tauranga aim to…

endace-scholarship-2022

The future is female: New women in tech scholarship launched

A new scholarship set to support women in computer science and software engineering has been…

Alumni Scholarship winners

Scholarship draws alumnae back to study at Waikato

Being awarded the alumni scholarship helped solidified alumnae Jessica Harvey and Tiari Killeen-Townsen decision to…

University of Waikato hosts inaugural Donor Day in Tauranga

The University of Waikato Foundation – Te Pou Taunaki held its inaugural Donor Day at…