This pānui features Ranui Ellison-Collins (Ōtākou) and Liam Stoneley (Waihao).
Ranui and Liam are the third recipients of the 2016 Agria Hōaka Scholarship. This opportunity will enable them to spend 12 months studying the Chinese language at Fudan University, in Shanghai. The scholarship is a partnership between Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu and Agria Corporation Limited.
Ranui (21) has completed her third year of a Bachelor of Commerce majoring in economics and minoring in management and a Bachelor of Arts majoring in indigenous development at the University of Otago.
The Agria Hōaka Scholarship will enable Ranui to not only become a proficient speaker of Mandarin, but also gain cultural and business insights from one of the leading economies in the world.
Liam (23) has recently graduated with a Bachelor of Law and a Bachelor of Arts majoring in te reo and history from the University of Canterbury. He is grateful for the support that he received from his whānau and rūnanga throughout the past five years.
This scholarship will provide new challenges and opportunities and he looks forward to using the knowledge gained in China for the benefit of the iwi.
Both recipients will meet with the Chinese Consulate in Christchurch before traveling to Shanghai in late February. They will have their fees, accommodation, and travel funded for the duration of their studies. Ōtākou Rūnaka wish Ranui and Liam every success with their future plans.
Ranui Ellison-Collins.