Transcript
DAMON SALESA: There's a history in New Zealand of having Pro Vice-Chancellor Māori roles, and so, in part this is a Pacific equivalent to those roles. So, it sits alongside the Deputy Vice-Chancellors as part of the senior leadership team of the University. And, in Auckland's particular incarnation of this, it's a recognition of the centrality of the Pacific to the University's purpose and a commitment to ensuring the Pacific is at the centre of the University's planned future.
MACKENZIE SMITH: So, you think this is quite a big deal?
DS: I think it comes at the end of quite a long period of work by staff and students to have a central Pacific leadership role, so I think it's a really important acknowledgement of the past work of students, staff and the community to have someone who is part of the university leadership and who has direct responsibility and connection to the Pacific staff, students and community.
MS: Are we going to see more opportunities for Pacific students, for Pacific-oriented courses, what exactly is going to change?
DS: New Zealand Universities right now are quite challenged by their resourcing, so there won't be any wholesale addition of this, that and the other, and the University already has a really good basis of Pacific work. We have the centre, the Fale Pasifika, three really important areas of teaching across the University. So, there won't be big adds, but what I'm hoping to achieve is that we'll work much more together and there will be a really coherent response to the needs of students and communities. So, I think there will be a real shift forward in how effective we are in this Pacific space, or at least that's my job."
MS: Do we need to see other Universities following suit?
DS: Well, I think Auckland's leadership in this space is probably going to put some pressure on other Universities, but it's also worth noticing that the University of Auckland is New Zealand's Pacific University. We have over 3,000 Pacific students, we have the largest concentration of Pacific researchers, we have the largest number of Pacific staff, so, we are already here in Auckland. So, the question for other universities in New Zealand may well be wanting to join us, not just in creating a title because that won't lead to change, but actually wanting to join us in having this beautiful and really distinctive engagement and connection with the Pacific and its communities."
