Māori university staff and researchers are using the Access Grid to discuss Maori academic interests throughout New Zealand’s eight universities.

The Tertiary Education Commission funded BRCSS (Building Research Capacity in Social Sciences) seminar series named Manu Ao-Māori Academic Network Across Universities in Aotearoa, provides opportunities for Māori staff and those with Māori research interests to hold weekly discussions.

"Since it’s inception, a little over a month ago [July 2007], more than 300 people across the country have attended the Access Grid seminars. This new way of connecting with fellow Māori academics has been very successful with a great deal of enthusiasm for the project", said Dr Te Kani Kingi, Director, Te Mata o te Tau, The Academy for Māori Research and Scholarship, Massey University.

These weekly seminars are led by an academic from one of the universities and allow participation by audiences at all eight universities using Access Grid facilities – high end video conferencing suites suitable for large groups at multiple locations.

The convenience of using Access Grid nodes in universities means New Zealand staff and researchers have greater opportunities to discuss research topics.

Subjects vary according to interest and include topics such as:

• Meanings of Land: Crown Engagement with Māori Customary Tenure
• Contemporary Māori Identity: Some Sociological Reflections
• Transformation of Identity Amongst Māori Women

For further information or if you wish to attend one of these seminars, e-mail Dallas Poi at dallaspoi@hotmail.com.

More information

http://www.agsc.ja.net/training/ag-agsc-intropt1.swf (for flash video introduction to Access Grid)

http://avcc.karen.net.nz/wiki/Node_Locations (for Access Grid nodes in New Zealand universities)