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Minister announces Te Pūkenga as the name for New Zealand’s largest tertiary educator

Te Pūkenga is the new permanent name for NZIST

Te Pūkenga is the new permanent name for the New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology (NZIST).

Hon Chris Hipkins, Minister of Education, made the announcement  at Te Pūkenga’s head office location at Wintec’s city campus in Hamilton yesterday.

The name Te Pūkenga describes the gaining and mastery of valuable skills passed down from person to person.

At the event Hipkins said Te Pūkenga perfectly signifies what the merger of 16 state-owned polytechnics aims to achieve.

“We have a new direction, we have a new organisation that’s going to lead those directions, but we need a name that merits the mana that it is being infused with.”

NZIST chairman Murray Strong said the new name “breathes even more life into a diverse institute where no people are disadvantaged”.

"The name Te Pūkenga reflects our new tertiary institute’s commitment to New Zealand’s unique heritage and our relationship with tangata whenua."  

The Institute’s full legal name is Te Pūkenga – New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology.

Wintec is a subsidiary of the new tertiary entity.

See here for the full press release and a link to the live stream of the announcement.

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