Aukaha Tau 12 [2026]

E aku titirei o nāianei, e aku manukura o āpōpō, nāia te karanga o Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha e whakamānawa atu ki a koutou. Nau mai, tauti mai ki tō tātou kaupapa, arā ko Aukaha!

Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury (UC) is excited to invite you and taiohi Māori in Year 12 to Aukaha Tau 12.

Aukaha Tau 12 is an opportunity to experience life on campus as ākonga Māori, with a chance to attend mini lectures and meet current Tuākana (senior Māori students).

Aukaha kia kaha!

Bind the lashings of a waka together so that it is strong.

This Ngāi Tahu whakataukī speaks to the importance of strengthening the lashings of a waka before embarking on a voyage to ensure the vessel remains buoyant, safe and strong in its journey. Our programme provides taiohi Māori with the opportunity to strengthen connections, relationships and understandings of the many pathways in tertiary education available before they embark on a potential new journey of learning at Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha.

Whakawhanaungatanga is a valued part of our Aukaha Tau 12 programme. Taiohi will meet and share kai with other taiohi Māori, kaimahi and Tuākana and learn more about ākonga experiences and life on campus.

In addition, taiohi will gain a better understanding of UC through:

• attending two mini lectures

• engaging with current ākonga Māori on a cultural narrative campus tour

• learning more about University Entrance Requirements

• applying for scholarships.

Aukaha Tau 12 will include attending two interactive sessions in Arts, Business, Law, Teacher Education, Health Sciences, Engineering or Science. 

Kai will be a part of the day as well as a cultural narrative tour and a student panel with a Q&A session.

Session descriptions:

• Toi Tangata | Arts - He Wānanga: The Cool-nisation of te Ao Māori: Studying Arts is about learning how to think, speak, create, and lead - with Te Ao Māori at the centre. It’s about understanding the stories and mātauranga that shape us, the systems that affect our communities, and imagining what kind of cool comes next. In our interactive session, find out how an Arts degree can be a pathway to mana, purpose, and collective impact.

• Pūhanga | Engineering - Burning Questions: Energy From Solid Fuels: In this experiment, students explore how everyday solid fuels release energy through combustion. Common snack foods such as rice cakes and corn-based snacks will be burned, and the heat released will be captured using a simple calorimetry setup. By measuring temperature changes in water, students will calculate the energy content of each fuel and compare their results with theoretical values. This lab introduces key concepts in energy balances, heat transfer, and calorimetry while demonstrating how chemical energy stored in solids can be converted into usable thermal energy - an essential principle in power generation and industrial chemical engineering.

• Ture | Law - Study the Bachelor of Criminal Justice at the only university that offers it in Aotearoa: Welcome Aspiring Criminal Justice ākonga! - Come and join the Te Pūtāiki Faculty of Law Student Club in an interactive session to find out more about studying criminal justice at UC.

• Mātai Hinengaro | Psychology - Get Inside the Mind: Psychology is so much more than mind reading, personality tests, or lying on a couch talking about your feelings. It’s the science of how people think, feel, and behave. Join us to discover how psychology informs our understanding of identity, whānau, and community and to debunk some pop psychology myths.

• Whakangungu Kaiako | Teacher Education: He waka eke noa: We are all in this waka of learning together.

• Oranga | Health - Exploring Sports Technology for Performance Enhancement: Join us for an interactive session to explore how we can use technology to measure physical skills and enhance performance across a variety of sports applications. In this session, you will get hands-on experience with sports technology and discover how it can be used to inform athletic training and performance analysis.

• Umanga | Business - Future-Proof Your Career with a Business Degree. What is a BCom and where can it take you? Find out through fun, hands-on business games led by the Co-Presidents of the Te Mana Pounamu Business Club. Explore real-world skills, career pathways, and why business matters - no experience required.

• Toi Tangata | Arts - Kaupapa Māori on Digital Screens: Karawhiua! This session is for students interested in bringing Te Ao Māori to the digital screen. We’ll talk about stories and narratives through the art of filmmaking and gaming.

• Hanga Otinga | Product Design - Formulation: how to scientifically mix stuff! The role of a formulation scientist is essential not only in designing pharmaceutical products, but also across a wide range of other products including cosmetics, fragrances, paints, food, agrochemicals, and many other household chemicals. Join us for this interactive session as we take you through some fun demonstrations in formulation, plus create your own formulated product to take away!

• Ture | Law - Law is power - Keep it in hands that care. Welcome Aspiring Lawyers! - Come and join the Te Pūtāiki Faculty of Law Student Club in an interactive session to find out more about studying an LLB at UC.

• Pūtaiao | Science - Come and see what Science can do for you! On this walking tour, you’ll explore real research spaces, learn about the questions our scientists are tackling, and get a feel for what day-to-day life as a university scientist is really like. It’s a hands-on look at how science happens - messy experiments, big ideas, and all.

• Pūhanga | Engineering - Ki te hoe! Clean energy powers our future, and you can be part of making this happen. This session blends Māori watercraft culture with modern sustainability, creating clean energy from every paddle stroke on a waka ama machine. Your paddling spins a generator powering a micro modern energy system with energy storage, music, and if you work hard enough, a toasted marshmallow. Come and have fun, get some exercise, and learn about renewable energy and a career in engineering.

• Oranga | Health - Can skateboarding save children from sport? Over-training, early adoption, and a focus on ‘winning at all costs’ is turning children away from sports. In this session, we will look at the motivations and barriers to the involvement of children in sport, and what some are doing to find enjoyment in non-traditional alternatives.