The University of Auckland – Waipapa Taumata Rau is set to launch Te Poutoko Ora a Kiwa, the first research centre dedicated to Pacific and global health solutions and leadership this week.
The centre will be one of seven new transdisciplinary research centres at the university hosted by the faculty of Medical Health Sciences.
Sir Collin Tukuitonga (KNZM), one of the centre’s directors, says it aims to bring Pacific communities, researchers, scholars, regional and global organisations together to promote the health and wellbeing of Pacific populations.
Dr Roannie Ng Shiu, another of the centre’s directors, emphasised the significance of its name, which was gifted by the University’s director of Māori medium education, Hēmi Dale.
“Te Poutoko Ora a Kiwa speaks to our focus on developing Pacific leaders to create solutions for [the] health [and] wellbeing of populations in Aotearoa, the Pacific and the globe,” he says.
The name Poutoko Ora a Kiwa means health and vitality in leadership. It also connects to Moana nui ā Kiwa, the Pacific Ocean.
The launch will take place at the University of Auckland’s Fale Pasifika by alumni including Dr Anae Neru Leavasa, a general practitioner and Labour MP, who himself survived metastatic bone cancer.
Sir Collin Tukuitonga believes the centre will foster cultural exchange, empower local communities, and provide training opportunities to develop and strengthen Pacific research leaders.
“To do this we build on the legacies and hard work of Pacific pioneers and communities who came before us, to ensure we continue a legacy that future generations can be proud of,” he says.
The launch will feature presentations on some of the current projects at the centre, including the Pacific mental health survey and Covid-19 surveillance project.
