About Taihonoa

Ko te kōmitimiti o ngā tai matatū—Where the tides of partnership meet.

Taihonoa is Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington’s Māori strategic partnership programme. We have relationships with over 70 Māori and public sector He Herenga Tangata Taihonoa partners including iwi, land trusts, consultancy businesses, and government departments.

In 2019, through the University and our Taihonoa partners, more than $400,000 was invested in 230 scholarships and grants, and 20 summer internships.

The Taihonoa programme takes a Māori-partner, relationship-based approach to building mutually beneficial opportunities, including:

• connecting iwi with their Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington tauira, and vice-versa
• connecting the expertise of our staff with the development of strategic and research priorities of our Taihonoa partners, and vice-versa
• co-funding scholarships and grants
• co-funding summer research scholarships and internships
• connecting our Āwhina (Māori student support) team and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) outreach programmes with Taihonoa communities.

Thanks to my iwi Ngāti Maniapoto and Te Herenga Waka for the much-needed Waikato/Tainui Taihonoa Scholarship. This will help to support me in so many ways and for that I am truly grateful.