Kanapu is designed by Māori, for Māori to ignite Māori talent and leadership across te ao Māori in research, science and innovation spaces; on marae, within hapū and iwi mahi, and throughout our hapori in the cities. Māori are fundamental to a vibrant research, science, innovation (RSI) system.
Kanapu means lightning. It sets the scene to strike at the obstacles that block Māori pathways and transform how Māori collaboratively engage through connecting Māori to Māori, retaining kaimahi and accelerating success. Haruru ana te ao – reverberation – is the consequence and transformation of the system-wide energy states across the RSI sector as Māori potential is enabled.
Te Kaupapa | About
Kanapu is a six year programme that will work with Māori researchers, scientists, innovators, and knowledge-holders to design unique initiatives to meet Māori aspirations and build a vibrant RSI system.
Strengthen connections between Māori researchers, scientists, innovators and knowledge-holders
Whakapapa and whenua is a delicate weave of strands that stands the test of time and whanaungatanga which makes us unique and binds us together. These connections are rohe to rohe; kaupapa to kaupapa; generation to generation; mātauranga Māori within rohe, and connections to other science expressions.
Support Māori scientists, researchers, innovators, and knowledge-holders to thrive as Māori by providing opportunities to access the right resources and supports to develop their talent and leadership skills
Kanapu primarily uplifts activities and aspirations ‘at place’ within whānau, marae, hapū and rohe, but also considers uri who are repatriating to their whakapapa rights. Kanapu dynamically supports the development of communities and individuals in their chosen spaces across the motu whether that is at your marae, in an office, on the land or in a laboratory.
Leverage and develop customised tools and resources to support thriving Māori within and across the RSI system
Kanapu will champion Māori models of leadership and promote opportunities for Māori to lead on our own terms. Few of the current professional development and leadership programmes address the unique needs and aspirations of the Māori RSI workforce. Kanapu will assist in the development of fit for purpose training strategies and learning solutions for Māori communities, businesses and organisations to connect with the right people to meet their own research needs and aspirations.
Ringa Hāpai | Our Team
Kanapu is designed and led by Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga Māori Centre of Research Excellence, and funded by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment. The project is hosted at Te Ngira, Waikato University and we have partnered with AATEA Solutions.
Left to Right; Kakahurimu Paekau (Waikato; Ngāti Māhanga, Ngāti Mahuta) Pou Whakahaere | Project Manager, Professor Tahu Kukutai (Ngāti Tiipa, Ngāti Kinohaku, Te Aupōuri, Ngāti Māhanga) Pou Matarua | Co-Director of Ngā Pae o Te Māramatanga, and Vanessa Clark (Waikato; Ngāti Tiipa, Ngāti Tahinga, Ngāti Āmaru) Pouhere Kanapu | Executive Director.
In our first year, we are focussing on creating a foundation for Kanapu. This includes hosting Hui Hihiri – Kanapu National Online Wānanga in April 2023, hosting regional wānanga across Aotearoa in May 2023, mapping where Māori are involved in RSI-type mahi across Aotearoa, to produce an aggregated heat map that illustrates the big picture of where, and what Māori are doing in RSI-related work. This will set the stage for us to develop a 3-year Māori workforce development programme that we know will work for us as Māori.
We want to meet with kaimahi across the motu, to hear about your aspirations, successes, and challenges so Kanapu enables your hapori to set the world alight with your brilliance.
“Kanapu brings together our aspirations with the opportunity to innovate in a Māori way”
– Vanessa Clark, August 2022
E ngā mana, e ngā reo , e ngā karangatanga o te motu, nau mai, tautoko mai tēnei mahi o Kanapu.
Kanapu is developing a heatmap that will illustrate the big picture of where, and what Māori are doing in RSI-related mahi through a te ao Māori lens across Aotearoa. It will show where RSI-related mahi is occurring in hapori Māori, hapū, iwi, Māori organisations and Māori businesses, institutions and CRIs, to understand research by, for, with and of Māori.
Our primary audiences are whānau, hapū, iwi, and other Māori organisations communities and individuals in their chosen spaces across the motu whether that is at your marae, in an office, or a laboratory.
We invite you to contribute to the heatmap by answering some questions about the kinds of RSI-related mahi you are involved in.
The aggregated information (ie. not your personal information and responses, but high level overviews) will contribute to developing the heatmap to understand the kinds of RSI related mahi we as Māori are leading or involved across Aotearoa. Your personal information and responses will be stored securely in Aotearoa and will not be shared beyond our preferred data storage host, Kanapu and AATEA Solutions.
Hikohiko te uira – Connect:
- with mātanga at the forefront of kaupapa Māori initiatives driven by mātauranga Māori concepts
- with other Māori working in different spaces to share learnings
- to understand big picture RSI-related trends for te ao Māori
- to harness our combined ao Māori brilliance in research, science and innovation to have the skills, talents and leadership to thrive in an increasingly turbulent and changing world
Papā te whatitiri – Retain:
- explore what Māori workforce development could look like, feel like
- consider how we can enable kaimahi Māori to thrive in their area of mahi and not leave prematurely due to burnout, cultural double shifts or lack of funding
- consider strategies to embrace your authentic Māori self
- protect matauranga Māori and honour our traditional knowledge holders, exercising rangatiratanga over our taonga
I kanapu ki te rangi – Accelerate:
- explore what Māori models of leadership to champion and how these could inform, replace, displace current models based on ‘publish or perish’
- unleash rangatahi brilliance in research, science and innovation in all spaces
- demystify how to access and retain RSI funding and sustainable resourcing beyond the life of funding
- learn from others who have been there and done that
Haruru ana te ao – Reverberate:
Our whakaaro expressed, our visions shared, reverberating throughout Aotearoa, and beyond. The fruits that will come, seeded at this Hui Hihiri will initiate further paradigm shifts, as barriers crumble and we mobilise together.
Koinei tātou e haruru ana. Torotika ki a Rangi i runga i ngā mātauranga o ngā tupuna… Kanapu te haere. Haruru ana te ao.
Whakapā Mai | Contact
Postal Address:
Pouhere Kanapu | Executive Director Kanapu,
University of Waikato,
Private Bag 3105,
Hamilton 3240
Phone Number:
(07) 837 9878
Email Address:
He pātai tōu? Do you have a question for us?
We welcome your enquiries. Please use the form below and we will respond as soon as we can.