Pasifika Futures got a special visit from a bunch of students from the University of Washington, Seattle and the University of Hawai’i, Manoa under the Māhina Indigenous Scholars Fellowship programme as part of the international collaboration between these Universities and the University of Auckland.
The students were based in Auckland for a 10 week programme to investigate interning opportunities with Pacific and Māori health organisations in New Zealand.
Most are passionate about becoming health research scholars.
Misatauveve Dr Melani Anae says the Māhina Fellowship programme aims to develop a cadre of indigenous undergraduate and graduate students dedicated to entering into biomedical, public health or behavioural science health research careers with indigenous populations.
“We are keen for the students to visit some of our major Pacific Health and Wellbeing providers and we are grateful for the opportunity provided by Pasifika Futures.”
“Our visit last year was very successful and the students enjoyed their time with Pacific providers immensely.”
It was an hour long visit for learning and sharing and an opportunity for building relationships and networking.
The group of 8 Pacific students were given an overview of Pasifika Futures as a Whānau Ora Pacific commissioning agency, operating under the umbrella of the Pasifika Medical Association.
Pasifika Futures Director of Performance and Evaluation, Mrs Seini Jensen says she was very impressed with the students’ willingness to understand Pasifika Futures business, especially the Pasifika Medical Association position in the health sector, and by their ideas and articulate comments.
Māhina is a 5 year project funded by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities and this is the second time that a group of students has visited Pasifika Futures.