Phillis - MMHP Graduate

An international student and a non-native English speaker, Phillis received lots of help from the MMHP's teachers, classmates & her colleagues at HNZ and MCH

I came to New Zealand to study in the Museum and Heritage Practice Programme in 2017 and graduated with a MMHP in early 2018. The Programme provides theoretical knowledge, practical experiences and other support to the students.

The five-week placement and four-month internship are the main reasons that I choose this Programme. I did a Masters degree in the international law in Taiwan. My thesis was related to the sources and operational mechanisms of international cultural heritage law. I am interested in how cultural heritage (movable and immovable) protection/policy is enforced within a territory. As part of this Programme, I got various opportunities to undertake different projects with my awesome classmates. In addition, I did my five weeks placement at Heritage New Zealand (HNZ), helping to draft short summaries for different listed historic buildings. I learned lots of architectural terms and the heritage assessment criteria of the New Zealand Heritage List/Rārangi Kōrero. I also got a chance to do an internship in the Memorials and Taonga Team at Manatū Taonga – Ministry for Culture and Heritage (MCH) for around four months, and learned the policies and operations regarding to the Protected Objects Act 1975 (including taonga tūturu), and the Flags, Emblems and Names Protection Act.

Being an international student and a non-native English speaker, I received lots of help not only from the Programme’s teachers and my classmates, but also from my colleagues at HNZ and MCH. The strong support that they provided me are unforgettable.

I am now working at MCH as an Assistant Advisor in the Memorials and Taonga Team. I work on Regional Culture and Heritage Fund, helping with record keeping, supporting the development of operational guidelines, and undertaking research as required.