Strengthening Indigenous‑led global partnerships
Te Wānanga o Aotearoa and Te Māori Manaaki Taonga Trust to host delegation from Pitt Rivers Museum, University of Oxford Delegation and formalise Māori Curatorial Partnership
Te Wānanga o Aotearoa and Te Māori Manaaki Taonga Trust will jointly welcome a distinguished delegation from the Pitt Rivers Museum, University of Oxford to Aotearoa this month, marking a significant milestone in indigenous-led international collaboration.
The visit will culminate in a formal Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing ceremony at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa Māngere campus on Thursday, 30 April 2026.
Central to this partnership is the establishment of two Māori Curatorial Residencies with the Pitt Rivers Museum, University of Oxford. The residencies signal a shared commitment to advancing Māori curatorial practice, cultural stewardship, and the exchange of knowledge through international partnership.
“This relationship reflects the strength of our collective commitment to advancing mātauranga Māori on a global stage,” says Evie O’Brien, Te Kura Toroa – Chief Executive Officer of Te Wānanga o Aotearoa.
“Through this partnership with Te Māori Manaaki Taonga Trust and Pitt Rivers Museum, we are creating meaningful opportunities for indigenous knowledge systems to be shared, respected and strengthened across international contexts. It also provides an extraordinary opportunity for our Māori residents to undertake world-class learning through the mentorship from Pitt Rivers Museum staff.”
The formal ceremony will acknowledge the relationship between Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, Te Māori Manaaki Taonga Trust and Pitt Rivers Museum, and the shared vision underpinning the residencies and future collaboration.
Che Wilson, Chair of Te Māori Manaaki Taonga Trust, said the partnership represents an important step forward in the global recognition of tiaki taonga and Māori cultural leadership.
“This collaboration is grounded in tikanga and our shared responsibility as kaitiaki of taonga and knowledge,” says Wilson.
“The establishment of these residencies with Pitt Rivers Museum creates space for Māori voices, perspectives and practices to be present and active within international institutions, while strengthening relationships based on mutual respect and learning.”
With high-profile visitors from Aotearoa and the United Kingdom expected to attend, the pōwhiri and signing ceremony represent a broader kaupapa centred on connection, reciprocity and the ongoing revitalisation of mātauranga Māori within global contexts.
Pūrongo whakahirahira
Featured stories
Strengthening Indigenous‑led global partnerships
Te Wānanga o Aotearoa and Te Māori Manaaki Taonga Trust to host delegation from Pitt Rivers Museum, University of Oxford Delegation and formalise Māori Curatorial Partnership
Upholding reo Māori beyond kura kaupapa
At 18 years old, Te Tatau Strother walked into his first Te Pīnakitanga ki te Reo Kairangi class at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa feeling like the youngest voice in a room full of experienced reo Māori speakers.
Weaving a shared journey of growth
What began as an opportunity to learn something new for Riri (Te Āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi, Ngā Rauru Kītahi, Pākehā) and Rich Rio (Kuki Airani, Ngāti Maniapoto) grew into a journey of confidence, deeper connection to te ao Māori, and a shared sense of purpose as husband and wife.
Cambridge Museum project guided by wānanga tikanga studies
Cambridge Museum manager, Elizabeth Harvey, is combining her tikanga studies at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa with her passion for local history, to support the museum’s Voices of Cambridge project.
Wānanga launches first of their kind mātauranga Māori certificates, marking a new era for Indigenous knowledge education
Responding to the growing needs and aspirations of tauira, iwi and communities, Te Wānanga o Aotearoa is breaking new ground with the launch of 2 new Level 4 certificates that will be the first standalone programmes of their kind in Aotearoa.
Learning tikanga to strengthen community work
After making the move to Aotearoa in 2014 from Germany, Almaz Bergz set out to gain a better understanding of the people, whenua, and culture that shape life here.
Thriving as a kaiako after He Korowai Ākonga
When Marlena Martin began her studies in He Korowai Ākonga – Bachelor of Education (Primary Teaching) in 2023, she never imagined where it would take her and how much she would grow as an individual.
Te Wānanga o Aotearoa launches new international reo Māori learning
iReo is a flexible, self-directed, online short course made up of 5 standalone modules, each running over 6 weeks. Learners can study at their own pace, weaving te reo Māori into everyday life alongside work, whānau, and other commitments.
Wānanga business programme helps launch The Dog Nanny
Ōtautahi local Jane Dungey turned her passion for animals into The Dog Nanny after completing the Certificate in Small Business at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa.
From closed doors to open pathways
After the closure of Grace Foundation Whanganui, Craig Kara used his Manaaki Tāngata studies at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa to create Te Ara Kimihia, a kaupapa supporting tāne toward positive futures. His journey of healing, leadership, and transformation now inspires others to find their own pathway forward.
Governance grounded in te ao Māori for future generations
Discover how Māori governance grounded in te ao Māori is shaping future generations. Learn about Manu Taiko – Toro Parirau, a unique programme at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa that empowers whānau with tikanga-based leadership and decision-making skills.
Companion of Te Apārangi, Champion of Te Reo Māori
Te Rita Papesch, musician, educator, and kapa haka stalwart, has been inducted as a Companion of the Royal Society Te Apārangi. Discover her inspiring journey of music, haka, and te reo Māori, and how her lifelong dedication to Māori culture shaped generations.