Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga Co-Directors Professor Jacinta Ruru and Professor Linda Waimarie Nikora are thrilled to welcome Dr Hinekura Smith into a new position in our Research Leadership Team.
Dr Hinekura Smith (Te Rarawa, Ngāpuhi, Te Ati Awa) has commenced as our Emerging Researchers’ Leader to provide further national leadership and coordination of MAI Te Kupenga and develop and nurture initiatives that contribute to the outcomes and objectives of NPM’s Capability and Capacity Strategy.
Co-Director Jacinta Ruru remarks “We are delighted to work with Hinekura. She brings an enormous amount of experience, insight and innovation with her”.
Hinekura was initially a secondary school te reo Māori teacher then moved into teacher education research almost 10 years ago, when she commenced her postgraduate studies. She has worked as a professional development facilitator in Māori medium schools, te reo Māori facilitator in English-medium schools and a professional teaching fellow at Te Puna Wānanga, School of Māori and Indigenous Education. Since February 2017 she has been a lecturer and academic developer Māori at the Centre for Learning and Research in Higher Education, University of Auckland.
Her research grounded in kaupapa Māori theory, includes the reclamation and revitalisation of Māori language, culture and identity - particularly for Māori women and children as well as the development of qualitative Kaupapa Māori and art-based methodologies.
From 2018-2020 Hinekura is a co-Principal Investigator on a 2 year intercultural Ako Aotearoa project named He Vaka Moana, which is focused on developing and evaluating an inter-institutional Oceanic research fellowship to support Māori and Pasifika student success and retention.
In this new .2 FTE role Hinekura will be joining NPM's Research Leadership Team - Professor Linda Waimarie Nikora, Professor Jacinta Ruru, Professor Poia Rewi, Associate Professor Mānuka Hēnare, Dr Shaun Awatere, Professor Helen Moewaka Barnes, Dr Mohi Rua, Professor Papaarangi Reid, Dr Ocean Mercier, Paora Sharples and Daniel Patrick.
![](/sites/default/files/styles/300_x_300px/public/field/image/HinekuraSmith_web.jpg?itok=7PfFtZOI)
He Kōrero | Our Stories
Neuroscientist Nicole Edwards is establishing her own lab at the University of Auckland and is eager to tautoko students interested in a career in brain research.
AUT senior lecturer Deborah Heke encourages wāhine Māori to cherish their connection with te taiao.
Tairāwhiti local Manu Caddie is a vocal critic of forestry companies engaged in unsustainable land practices in the rohe. He shares his insights on what needs to change.