Connecting and Innovating Transculturally

'I am a transculturist', Alistair Kwun defines himself. He's influenced by everything from Kiwi music videos to German cinema, American hip-hop to QQ Rice shops in Auckland and his own Chinese heritage. This perhaps puts him in a different space to mere mortals still battling with biculturalism, let alone multiculturalism.

Alistair believes that cultural diversity is the path to breaking barriers. It is not about 'us' and 'them' but only about 'us'.

Alistair is known for his cross-cultural communication skills, networks and knowledge of urban Asian culture in New Zealand.

When Alistair was growing up there were no Chinese-New Zealand leaders to look up to. Even today there aren't many to choose from. So Alistair participated in the 2006 Leadership New Zealand programme. It helped shape his outlook. He knows that future Kiwi-Chinese leaders will have to shape pathways for communities to connect more effectively and also be able to straddle local and global networks.