Prizes in Te Ao Māori

This prize was established in 2007 to recognize and honour the support and close ties between Tainui and The University of Waikato. The Prize was reviewed in 2018, with the award amount increased in value, awards made on a biannual basis (starting in 2018), and the award given to the student with the highest GPA in the creative paper MAORI316 Te Reo Ahurei.

MAORI316 has emphasis on developing oral and critical skills in the use of the Māori language with particular attention on the critical examination and understanding of composition styles, including performance of poetic genres.

The Kahukura Prize was established in 2022 to reward academically excellent students completing the Diploma in Te Tohu Paetahi at the University of Waikato, Tauranga Campus. The Prize is generously funded by Dr Matua Jansen, a recipient of many scholarships over the years, who aims to provide new opportunities for this student cohort through this Prize. Dr Jansen has strong connections to Tauranga Moana via his Kahukura whakapapa (Ko Takitimu te waka, ko Ngāti Kahungunu te iwi). The Prize will first be awarded in 2023 and will be awarded for at least five years.

Te Pua Wānanga ki te Ao Prize for Academic Excellence was established in 2024 to reward academically excellent students completing an undergraduate degree programme offered by Te Pua Wānanga ki te Ao Faculty of Māori and Indigenous Studies at the University of Waikato. The Prize is funded by funds held by the University of Waikato Foundation. The Prize will first be awarded in 2024 with funds expected to be depleted by 2036.

The Prize will be awarded annually to the student with the highest grade-point-average (GPA) who has completed an undergraduate degree programme offered by Te Pua Wānanga ki te Ao Faculty of Māori and Indigenous Studies in that year.