Eye on the prize

Photography by Image Services, Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington

“When I was 12, my father, a very successful businessperson, sat me down to have a conversation. He told me he wanted me to follow in his footsteps in the family business. I looked at him and said, ‘No, Dad, I want to be a university professor.’”

While he accepts that most people aren’t quite so confident—or consistent—in their career goals, Ehsan thinks maintaining sight of the overall objective, or what he calls the “ultimate dream”, is important in any endeavour, including higher education.

A university degree, he says, can’t just be a cobbled-together collection of courses. It needs to be a purposeful programme, with clear outcomes, pathways, and links to industry, and to ultimately prepare graduates for what they aim to be “good for”.

“It should be clear to students what they’re going to get out of university, and what their future opportunities might be. They should leave university with a good understanding of what sectors they can work in, of the direction and focus of their set of skills, and of what changes they want to make in the world.”

Universities themselves, he says, need to be able to clearly articulate what they’re good for.

“Our job is to create, transfer, and share new knowledge and skills, with the goal of healing, feeding, fuelling, and shaping New Zealand and the world. We must remain relevant to the society and environment that we live in, address their challenges, and play our part in building a better future, together.

“So many industries and communities can benefit from what we offer. Whether we’re talking to a hospital, a tech start-up, or a government ministry, we need to be able to tell them about the practical, relevant things that we, as an institution, through our graduates, and through our research and innovation, can do for them.”

Ehsan has worked in higher education for nearly 30 years, in the United Kingdom, Europe, Asia, and now New Zealand. He wholeheartedly rejects the notion of universities as ivory towers and says connectedness and widening participation must be at the heart of what they do.

Professor Ehsan Mesbahi smiling in Te Toki a Rata

“We need to keep innovating to be impactful and effective contributors. Rather than being dragged into the future, our role is to play a part in making a better future.”
– Professor Ehsan Mesbahi

“Look at the role of universities within society. We are embedded in an ecosystem, affected by demographics, cultural diversities, international shifts, growth of business and industry, political upheavals, social challenges, financial turmoil, climate change, pandemics … We’re part and parcel of something significantly bigger, within our city, region, country, and the global economy.

“We need to keep innovating to be impactful and effective contributors. Rather than being dragged into the future, our role is to play a part in making a better future.

“It’s all about excellence with relevance and purpose. At Te Herenga Waka, we aspire to be a university that provides the best skills that meet the needs of communities, government, economies, industries, to build a better future for people.”

Looking back on his own experience, Ehsan notes that having a clear destination doesn’t make the experience of getting there any less exciting.

“I went to high school in Tehran but moved to Calcutta in India to go to university. I went to India not only to have a new academic experience but to experience a new country, new culture, new food, new society, new challenges, new languages.

“Learning is a lifelong journey. The university part is not just about studying or memorising; we also learn how to live and how to lead our life, dare to be different, and dare to make a difference.”

Victorious

Professor Ehsan Mesbahi, who began his role as Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the Wellington Faculties of Science, Health, Engineering, Architecture and Design Innovation in April 2020, says universities need to focus on what they’re for, rather than just what they do.

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