NZIER scholarship supports a love of economics and te reo Māori
When Terran Philippi first came across the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research Scholarship in Māori Economics he was convinced it was created for him.
Terran is in the second year of a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Economics and Finance and believes that international communication is vital for the Māori economy to prosper with its strong focus on tourism and primary industries.
Descended from Te waka Tainui, Ngāti Koata and Ngāti Kuia, Terran also whakapapas to Germany through his father, giving him a multicultural upbringing. He is fluent in English and German and is studying to become fluent in te reo Māori as well.
“To say that I was ecstatic when I heard the news would be an understatement. I am truly grateful for the financial support that it has provided. It presents a unique opportunity for me to further enrich my understanding of economics while honouring and developing my Māori whanaungatanga.”
Terran was raised in Te Awa Kairangi (Lower Hutt) and graduated from Hutt Valley High School as the Māori student with the highest academic achievement. He enjoyed studying economics there and found it answered many questions he had about how the world works. He was intrigued to learn about how our society allocates scarce resources, the concept of the ‘invisible hand,’ and the implications of government intervention.
“The concept of diminishing marginal utility (the idea that the added benefit you receive by consuming a good or service will get smaller for every additional unit consumed) was one of my favourites at the time.”
Terran chose Te Herenga Waka’s commerce programme after many strong recommendations from mentors and finds it fascinating being so close to the Beehive where many important decisions regarding Aotearoa are made.
He says the scholarship will mean he can get involved with associations such as the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs (NZIIA) and the Victoria Business Consulting Club (VBC), as he won’t need to work so often. Last summer he juggled full-time employment with papers in finance and te reo Māori, attending lectures in the morning, then working a night shift, while still managing to achieve top grades.
He is grateful for the opportunity NZIER has provided for him to develop his skills and broaden his networks.
“I love learning about and communicating with new, sometimes completely foreign cultures. I hope to use my experiences and passion to generate better outcomes for Māori and our economy whilst following tikanga Māori.”
NZIER Chief Executive Jason Shoebridge says NZIER set up this scholarship through its Public Good programme to support students who will go on to make a contribution to both the Māori economy and the wider economy of Aotearoa New Zealand.
"We were delighted to be able to award this scholarship to Terran, who was an outstanding candidate. He obviously has a deep interest in contributing to the Māori economy and it is great to be able to award the scholarship to someone when we can see it will make a tangible benefit to their studies.”
Terran will be the second student to ever receive the scholarship, with talented wahine Māori Metiria-Hinekorangi Doyle awarded it inaugurally in 2023.