New Zealand Studies

This course examines innovation and sustainability of pacific peoples in the pacific and within the pacific communities of Aotearoa. It explores the adaptability and innovation of pacific peoples to create sustainable communities that embody both traditional cultural values and identities, and are also focused on future development, opportunity, mobility, and communal success.

This course examines Aotearoa New Zealand’s socio‑historical context, with a particular focus on the Māori economy. It looks explores He Whakaputanga and Te Tiriti o Waitangi as key frameworks shaping Māori self‑determination, governance, and economic activity. Students explore the Māori economy, including the roles of iwi and Māori authorities, and Māori values that support holistic, multi‑bottom‑line approaches to enterprise, leadership, sustainability, and decision‑making. Through real‑world contexts, students examine how business knowledge and practice are shaped by historical, cultural, political, and ethical influences. 

This course examines institutions and processes of the New Zealand political system. It covers the way things work (like the voting system), what the major institutions are and what they do (like Parliament), and New Zealand’s political history. It will also encourage students to think critically about public policy, political parties, politicians, elections, social and political inequality, media, and to discuss major policy issues such climate change, student fees and debt, and New Zealand’s foreign policy.

This course examines the histories, philosophies and current issues within the context of dance in Aotearoa/New Zealand. 

This course examines the socio-cultural and political impact of New Zealand films foregrounding Māori, both in front of and especially, behind the camera. It looks primarily at how Māori filmmakers have used cinema as a means to reassert cultural identity and tino rangatiratanga, from its activist beginnings during the Māori Cultural Renaissance in the 1980s, to the present.

This course is a practical and theoretical introduction to performing cultures of the Pacific with emphasis on Polynesian cultures. Basic music and dance skills are taught in practical instruction. Consideration of commonalities and differences among Pacific cultures. Academic discussion of styles, instruments, performer categories and the place of the performing arts in Pacific cultures.

This course examines how Indigenous knowledge and ‘Western’ science work against, with or independent of each other and look at examples of how science contributes to Indigenous development. This international approach fosters cross-cultural communication skills, sharing of theory and practice, and comparative analysis of the situations of Indigenous peoples in global contexts.