Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Otago to mentor doctoral students

Updated at 6:30 am on 22 June 2012

Otago University says it's adding another mentoring programme for Maori PHD students following the success of a similar one for first year students.

It says over the last five years there has been a steady increase in the number of Maori students choosing postgraduate studies, particularly science and humanity courses.

More than 1700 Maori are studying at Otago, making up about 9% of all students enrolled there.

Maori Postgraduate support advisor Anaru Eketone says Otago has always had a good reputation for fostering Maori students, and the new PHD mentoring programme will help strengthen that link.

He says new scheme comes off the back of the successful mentoring scheme run by the Maori centre, where first-year tauira (students) are taken under their wing by third year and postgraduate students.

Mr Eketone says Otago is about to start something similar for Maori PHD students where Maori academic staff will take on a mentoring role.

He says it won't be so much to help them with their learning, but to talk about career opportunities after university.

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