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.

Whakapā mai

If you have any Taihonoa inquiries, please contact Cecilia Tuiomanufili, Pouhere – Programme Coordinator, Office of the Deputy Vice Chancellor Māori at Te Herenga Waka on +64 4 463 5303 or email cecilia.tuiomanufili@vuw.ac.nz

“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.”

Amanda Hemara

Masters of Information Studies student and Waikato/Tainui Taihonoa recipient 2019