Timeline of the Waikato Management School
From prefabs to Prime Ministers, and everything in between, the 50-year history of Waikato Management School is rich in milestones to be proud of.
1970s
Waikato’s School of Management Studies, founded in 1972, introduced New Zealand’s first four-year business degree (BMS). The first cohort graduated in 1975, under Dean Emeritus Professor Geoffrey J Schmitt.
1970
John Ward, Professor of Economics, presses for establishment of a School of Management Studies at the University of Waikato.
1971
Professor Geoffrey J Schmitt makes a submission to the University of Waikato academic board to launch a four-year business degree.
1972
Waikato’s School of Management Studies opens its doors to students. We pioneer New Zealand’s first four-year business degree, the Bachelor of Management Studies (BMS), in line with North American benchmarks of business education excellence.
The founding Dean of Management Studies was appointed the same year, Emeritus Professor Geoffrey J Schmitt.
1975
Our first six BMS students graduate in 1975 – they are followed by 13 graduates in 1976, and a further 20 in 1977.
1980s
Waikato’s School of Management Studies, founded in 1972, introduced NZ’s first four-year business degree. Key milestones: computer facility in 1985, Management Development Group (later NZIBR) in 1987, and Department of Finance in 1989.
1985
The School of Management Studies opens its first computer facility.
1987
The Management Development Group is formed for activities outside the scope of the BMS teaching programme. This later evolved into the New Zealand Institute for Business Research (NZIBR).
1989
The Department of Finance is established.
1990s
Waikato’s School of Management Studies built a new facility in 1990, opened in 1992, launched NZ’s first Case Competition in 1996, was renamed Waikato Management School in 1998, and introduced the Bachelor of Communication Studies in 1999.
1990
Construction begins on the brand-new School of Management Studies building (MSB), on the site of a former fruit orchard on Hillcrest Road.
1992
Deputy Prime Minister Don McKinnon officially opens the new School of Management Studies building (MSB). It includes 133 staff offices, a 394-seat and two 120-seat lecture theatres, five case study rooms, four breakout rooms, one executive teaching room, three meeting rooms, the Waikato Experimental Economics Lab, and three external prefabs to house PhD students and visiting academics.
Professor Te Wharehuia Milroy gifts the faculty the name Te Raupapa, which means ‘to put things in order’.
The new Waikato MBA programme welcomes its first cohort of students, who go on to graduate in 1994.
1996
A four-storey extension to the MSB building opens.
The famous WMS Case Competition is launched – the first of its kind in NZ. Students work in teams to develop a business growth strategy for a real company. The four top finalist teams pitch their ideas to a panel of expert judges in front of a public audience. In 1996, the winning team took home a cash prize of $1,000, sponsored by Coopers & Lybrand.
1997
We host the inaugural Student Research Conference, providing a national forum for postgraduate business students from around NZ to present their masters research in a supportive environment.
1998
The School of Management Studies officially changes its name to the Waikato Management School (WMS); a name that has proudly stood for nearly a quarter of a century.
1999
WMS launches its new Bachelor of Communication Studies (BCS) degree, aimed at students who want to study across social sciences, arts and management. The first cohort includes future Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. Professor Debashish Munshi recalls her as a “bright, inquisitive, articulate, and engaged student who asked questions and actively enriched class discussions”.
2000s
Waikato Management School pioneered the Bachelor of Electronic Commerce in 2000, introduced majors in 2002, achieved Triple Crown Accreditation in 2005, and led in research and awards throughout the 2000s.
2000
WMS is the first business school in New Zealand to introduce a specialist degree in digital business, the Bachelor of Electronic Commerce.
2001
WMS launches its annual Public Relations Campaign award, sponsored by PR and marketing guru Gordon Chesterman. Students are asked to plan and deliver a PR campaign for a not-for-profit organisation.
2002
To meet rapid growth in student numbers, we introduce two new majors in supply chain management and information systems management.
WMS academic Professor Delwyn Clark receives an inaugural national Tertiary Teaching Award for Sustained Excellence.
2003
First WMS Business Advisory Board established.
Researchers at WMS – including Professor Juliet Roper and Dr Eva Collins – conduct their first nationwide survey into the business sustainability practices of Kiwi firms.
2005
Waikato Management School joins an elite group of less than 30 business schools worldwide to achieve the prestigious Triple Crown Accreditation from EQUIS, AMBA, and AACSB.
The University of Waikato commissions the artwork Te Raupapa, by artist Turuki Tiananga. This vibrant painting depicts Te Raupapa (WMS) as a house that will develop prosperous leaders for a sustainable world, “through the combination of materials, resources, and ideals”.
Professor of Economics John Gibson receives $500,000 Marsden funding for a study looking at the wealth and health effects of migration from the Pacific to New Zealand.
2006
Professor of Economics Les Oxley becomes an Elected Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand – only the fourth economist to do so.
WMS economist Dr Steven Lim wins a prestigious national Tertiary Teaching Award for sustained excellence in teaching.
2007
Waikato Management School is confirmed as the top business school in New Zealand for overall research quality in the 2006 PBRF rankings. We ranked #1 in 10 subject areas.
Economist Brian Silverstone is elected a Life Member of the NZ Association of Economists (NZAE) for his services to the profession.
2008
Professor John Gibson is named New Zealand Institute of Economics Research (NZIER) Economist of the Year.
Prime Minister Helen Clark pays a visit to Waikato Management School.
Two WMS-led research projects – focused on the role of innovation in economic growth; and the impact of Māori cultural practices in the workplace on employee performance – win more than $1 million in Marsden funding.
The Management Communication Students Association is established.
2009
WMS becomes the first business school in the southern hemisphere to achieve international certification from the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) for our PR programmes.
WMS launches the hugely popular Master of Business and Management (MBM) degree.
Professor Juliet Roper and Dr Eva Collins awarded $773,000 Marsden funding for research looking at the vulnerability of New Zealand’s ‘100% Pure’ global environmental positioning.
Professors Debashish Munshi (WMS) and Priya Kurian (FASS) are awarded a $560,000 Marsden grant to research sustainable citizenship and find new ways to transform public engagement.
2010s
Waikato Management School introduced the ‘496’ internship program in 2010, launched the Institute for Business Research, and partnered for innovative studies. Highlights include awards, new programmes, and pioneering research throughout the decade.
2010
WMS internship programme – the ‘496’ – is launched to help top management students put theory into practice, and add real value to the business community.
Launch of the Institute for Business Research (IBR), to provide research, advisory and consultancy services to business and industry organisations.
Led by Professor Ted Zorn, WMS partners with Age Concern Hamilton and the Rauawaawa Kaumātua Charitable Trust to work on studies into older people’s experiences of ageing, funded by the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology.
Economist Dr Graeme Doole is named Top Young Agronomist, for excellence in agricultural research.
2011
The new Waikato MBA programme delivered at Hopuhopu wins the MBA Innovation Award at the AMBA Excellence Awards in London. The vision is to advance Māori leadership within the global business environment.
WMS hosts an international sustainability conference. “Sustainability is an integral part of what we do and teach at Waikato Management School, so hosting a key academic conference on sustainability is the perfect fit for us,” said conference organiser Dr Michael Cameron.
Research by WMS academics examining the sustainability practices of NZ businesses is publicly launched in London and Auckland.
Marketing lecturer Dr Mary Fitzpatrick receives a national Tertiary Teaching Excellence Award.
Economist Brian Silverstone is made an Honorary Fellow of the University of Waikato.
2012
WMS students are winners of the national Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) competition for the second year in a row. The team heads off to Washington DC to represent New Zealand at the SIFE World Cup 2012.
Around 40 Waikato MBA students take part in the inaugural WMS Dragons’ Den competition.
WMS hosts the inaugural India-NZ Business Forum to promote increased trade between both countries.
2013
Construction starts on the new Law & Management building, marked with a dawn blessing on 14 October.
Prime Minister John Key officially launches our new Governance and Leadership Programme, aimed at upskilling company directors, trustees, board members and elected government officials.
WMS boasts the country’s highest concentration of world-class (‘A’ grade) researchers in economics, tourism and marketing in the 2012 PBRF.
WMS students win the Sustainable Development Society (SDS) International Case Competition, beating overseas teams from Australia, Canada, Singapore and China.
The first cohort of 18 MBA students taught at Waikato-Tainui College for Research and Development graduate from this unique programme.
2014
Professor John Gibson awarded $805,000 Marsden funding for research looking at whether ‘sin taxes’ actually reduce consumption of sugary drinks and tobacco products.
WMS hosts a Global Leadership Forum, featuring alumnus Jan Zijderveld, President of Unilever Europe.
Led by Associate Professor Asad Mohsin, WMS organises New Zealand’s first Halal Tourism Symposium in Hamilton.
2015
Professor Debashish Munshi (WMS) receives a prestigious Rockefeller Foundation Grant, along with Professor Priya Kurian (ALPSS), to organise an international climate justice symposium in Bellagio, Italy. They also speak at Hamilton’s first TEDx.
WMS organises a Waikato Sustainability Symposium, in which more than 50 academics gather to discuss sustainability research from a wide range of economic, social, education, health and cultural perspectives.
WMS partners with the Community and Enterprise Leadership Foundation (CELF) charitable trust to launch a new Elevate Leadership Programme. It is designed to build future Waikato leaders who want to make a positive contribution to this region.
Professor Graeme Doole is appointed Chair in Environmental Economics by WMS and the Ministry for the Environment.
2016
Prime Minister John Key officially opens the new Law and Management building. The extension includes a new ‘glass box’ entrance for WMS, a Management Student Centre (MSC), Executive Education teaching spaces, and three new computer labs.
Waikato is the first NZ university approved to fully deliver three degree programmes in China, with the launch of a joint institute with Zheijiang University City College (ZUCC). From 2017, students can study in China for a Bachelor of Business Analysis (Finance), co-taught by WMS and ZUUC.
WMS academics team up with the Rauawaawa Kaumātua Charitable Trust for a $915,000 study on the mana motuhake (identity and autonomy) of kaumātua aged 55 plus, funded by the Ageing Well National Science Challenge.
Professor John Oetzel joins the $1.4 million research project He Pikinga Waiora, looking at inequities in health outcomes for Māori and Pasifika, and how this can be fixed.
2017
WMS launches a Master of Electronic Commerce, taught fully online or face-to-face on campus. It is later renamed the Master of Digital Business.
The Waikato MBA programme is awarded Tier One status in CEO Magazine’s Global MBA Rankings 2017. We also celebrate the 25th anniversary of the MBA with an alumni celebration event.
WMS alumna Jacinda Ardern (Bachelor of Communication Studies, 2001) is elected as NZ’s youngest-ever Prime Minister, aged 37.
Through Professor Chris Ryan, WMS is chosen by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation to establish New Zealand’s first INSTO sustainable tourism monitoring observatory, which will study the impacts and benefits of tourism.
WMS student Nicole Calderwood wins the DIGMYIDEA Māori Innovation Challenge. She then reaches the finals of the 2017 Top Student Awards.
Waikato MBA student Kirsten Madill wins the Emerging Leader Award at the 2017 Waikato Business Awards.
2018
The new three-year Bachelor of Business is launched, alongside a revised Bachelor of Management Studies with Honours.
A team of WMS students are crowned winners of the National Business Case League 2018, a competition involving all six NZ universities.
WMS organises a Global Innovation and Entrepreneurship Challenge in Tauranga. This is an international case competition for top business students from six NZ and six leading international universities.
WMS runs an Executive Innovation Bootcamp with strategic partner Waikato Innovation Park.
A team of Waikato MBA students wins the Most Innovative Business Idea Award at the Soda Inc. Business Startup competition.
We celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the Management Communication Students’ Association (MCSA) with former students.
A team of of WMS finance students wins the New Zealand leg of the global CFA Institute Research Challenge.
2019
The University of Waikato opens its $50 million new Tauranga campus, offering the Bachelor of Business and Waikato MBA.
Professor Eva Collins is a key researcher on the $2.8 million project, ‘People Cities and Nature: Restoring indigenous nature in urban environments’ , which is funded by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.
WMS hosts a ‘Future of Work’ conference to discuss the challenges of technological innovation and sustainability. The keynote speaker is WMS alumnus Jan Zijderveld, CEO of Avon Global.
A team of WMS students secures a $10,000 prize for winning the Best New Idea category at the New Zealand Startup Bootcamp.
WMS PhD student Jess Pasisi receives $300,000 from the Health Research Council to support her research into the health and wellbeing of Niuean people.
We launch a new Graduate Certificate in Project Management (GradCertPM), taught fully online.
Today
In 2020, Waikato Management School appointed Matt Bolger as Pro Vice-Chancellor and launched significant initiatives including Āmiomio Aotearoa research. The school excelled in global rankings and introduced new master’s degrees.
2020
Matt Bolger is appointed as Pro Vice-Chancellor of Waikato Management School, following an 18-year career at Fonterra.
WMS professors Eva Collins and Les Oxley join Āmiomio Aotearoa, an $11m research project to help New Zealand build a circular economy based on renewable resources.
Our accounting programme is ranked as one of the best in the world in the BYU Rankings. We are ranked first out of 630 universities globally for experimental research in accounting information systems.
BMS student Aaminah Ghani founds a new student club on campus, the Women in Business Association (WIBA).
Waikato MBA students beat six other university teams to win the 2nd New Zealand Universities MBA Case Competition, held in Tauranga.
We launch three new taught master’s degrees: the Master of Applied Finance, the Master of Educational Management, and the Master of Management (Supply Chain Management).
2021
WMS is ranked #1 in New Zealand for Business & Economics – and in the top 125 business schools in the world – in the Times Higher Education (THE) Global Subject Rankings.
We host the inaugural New Zealand Economics Forum at our Hamilton campus in March 2021. Keynote speakers include the Minister of Finance Grant Robertson, along with WMS alumni Adrian Orr, Governor of the Reserve Bank, and Vittoria Shortt, CEO of ASB Bank.
WMS helps to launch two new interdisciplinary degrees – the Bachelor of Climate Change and the Bachelor of Communication.
In a NZ first, WMS joins forces with the National Economics University (NEU) in Hanoi to offer a Vietnam-based Bachelor of Business with majors in Digital Business and Supply Chain Management. We also partner with Van Lang University in Ho Chi Minh City to offer our new Bachelor of Communication, with a major in Public Relations.
WMS launches Business Analytics as both a minor subject and a graduate certificate.
2022
Waikato Management School celebrates 50 years of excellence in teaching and research, from 1972-2022.
This year also marks the 30-year anniversary of the Waikato MBA, and the 50th WMS Case Competition.
The school’s front entrance on Hillcrest Road gets a revamp with a colourful mural painted by Miriama Grace-Smith, from the Boon on Campus collective.
We launch the WMS Leadership Academy for high school students who want to become leaders and make a positive difference. Nearly 100 students across Waikato and Bay of Plenty will participate in 2022.
A WMS team of students wins the final round of the National Business Case League competition in Auckland.
Professor Chellie Spiller joins the Marsden Fund Council as Convenor of the Economics and Human Behavioural Sciences panel. Chellie leads a team of Māori economy researchers exploring Māori economies of wellbeing, with a strong whānau focus.
Got some photos to share?
Email wms50years@waikato.ac.nz
