On Friday, Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi celebrated the hard work and success of its tauira, marking another record-breaking year for doctoral graduates.

Amongst the 2300 tohu conferred, 27 were at the doctoral level, with Māori making up 90 percent of that cohort. The wānanga welcomed doctoral graduands from Hawaii and Fiji, and a Te Pōkaitahi Reo cohort from Australia.

Chief executive Professor Wiremu Doherty said this continuous growth in doctoral graduates was a powerful reflection of the research culture and dedication of the tauira.

“Celebrating 27 indigenous doctoral graduates is a milestone moment for us at Awanuiārangi, bringing our total number of doctoral alumni to 108.

“This reflects the commitment of our tauira to advancing Indigenous knowledge. Each of these graduates carries the hopes of their whānau and communities, and their achievements reaffirm the importance of the work that we do here.”

A pōwhiri was held at Te Mānuka Tūtahi Marae in Whakatāne before graduands made their way into town for the traditional “Gown and Town” hīkoi,. The streets were filled with waiata and haka as groups from 18 local kura lined the streets to celebrate, alongside whānau and local businesses.

Around 300 graduates attended the ceremony to receive their tohu, making it one of the largest ceremonies to date.

The Te Pōkaitahi Reo programme included a cohort of 30 tauira from Australia, as well as cohorts from Taranaki and Tāmaki. A total of 160 tauira graduated from the programme this year.

“We’re taking education to our tauira, meeting them where they are. It’s special to see our whānau from across the Tasman and the motu achieving their reo aspirations through Te Pōkaitahi Reo,” said Mr Doherty. “We’re so proud of what they’ve accomplished — it’s a true reflection of their commitment to te reo, their whānau, and their communities.”

Two honorary doctorates were awarded to academic and Ngāpuhi leader Hōne Pereki Sadler (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Moerewa) and Awanuiārangi Council member Tuihana Pook (Te Whānau-a-Apanui), who each received their tohu and celebrated the occasion alongside their whānau.

Graduation was one of three significant events celebrated by Awanuiārangi last week.

Iwi Taketake, a symposium for Indigenous doctoral graduands, was held on Wednesday, the fourth of its kind and the first hosted at Te Mānuka Tūtahi Marae.

Professor Mera Penehira, Head of School for Indigenous Graduate Studies at Awanuiārangi, says the event celebrates Indigenous scholarship and offers graduands a chance to present their research to whānau, hapū, and iwi ahead of graduation.

A highlight of the day was the launch of the first Iwi Taketake Journal, featuring essays from around 20 doctoral scholars (2022–2023). “It’s about making their research accessible, so each essay is a short, readable version of their thesis. The journal will also be available online.”

The inaugural Distinguished Alumni Awards night was held later that evening, also at Te Mānuka Tūtahi Marae. Three awards were presented in recognition of the significant achievements and contributions of Chief Judge Dr Caren Fox, Dr Hira Hape, and members of the Black whānau, including the late Arthur (Ranui) Black.

The council chair, Justice Layne Harvey, emphasises the importance of recognising those who continue to achieve greatness beyond their time at Awanuiārangi.

“Many of our tauira have made, and continue to make, significant contributions to their professions, vocations, whānau, and communities—both before and after their studies. Their success reflects a lifelong commitment to learning, teaching, and excellence. These occasions honour not only academic achievement, but also the dedication, impact, and enduring influence of our tauira, now and into the future.”