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The academic director of a ground-breaking Maori masters of business administration course says the first graduates are now ready to make a substantial contribution to their iwi or wherever else their careers take them.
The 19 tauira received their degrees today at a ceremony at the Waikato-Tainui College for Research and Development at Hopuhopu, where they have been living and studying.
Sarah-Jane Tiakiwai says as well as the core material from the University of Waikato MBA course, the students have looked at indigenous ways of doing business in ways that combine academic teaching with traditional Maori ways of learning.
"We’ve had guest speakers of the calibre such as Professor Sir Mason Durie, Sir Wira Gardiner, Michelle Hippolite. Movers and shakers across Maoridom who have come to enable our students to understand how to take the theory of what they're learning in class and apply that in practise. So really getting a grunty MBA thats relevant to them and thats relevant to service to their Maori community," she says.
Dr Tiakiwai says there will be a fresh MBA intake next year, as well as an intake for the Tahuhu Matauranga Maori course run in partnership with Te Wananga o Raukawa.
Copyright © 2013, UMA Broadcasting Ltd
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