Dr Jason Mika.
Dr Jason Mika from the School of Management has received this year鈥檚 Fulbright-Ng膩 Pae o te M膩ramatanga Scholar Award, which will see him visit Stanford University and the University of Arizona.
The Fullbright-Ng膩 Pae o te M膩ramatanga Scholar Award is for a New Zealand academic, artist or professional to lecture or conduct research at a United States institution in the field of indigenous development.
Dr Mika says he is 鈥渉umbled and honoured鈥 to receive the award and is looking forward to the once-in-a-lifetime experience.
He will聽research the design of effective enterprise assistance for indigenous entrepreneurs. He has extensively researched M膩ori enterprise assistance in New Zealand and is keen to compare what works in the United States.
鈥淚鈥檓 hoping to get some new ideas about the kinds of theories and programmes that have worked well, to see what we can learn that may help M膩ori entrepreneurs,鈥 he says. 鈥淏ut I also want to share knowledge and collaborate with international researchers as we will have a lot to learn from each other.鈥
Centres for innovation and indigenous studies
Dr Mika has chosen to visit Stanford because it is associated with one of the world鈥檚 most established entrepreneurial ecosystems.
鈥淓verybody has heard of Silicon Valley but how inclusive is it for indigenous entrepreneurs? I want to know if they are well supported and whether or not are part of that system,鈥 he says.
The University of Arizona was chosen by Dr Mika because it is home to the world-leading Native Nations Institute.聽
鈥淭he researchers there are experts in indigenous leadership and governance and they have been effective at supporting Native nations to realise their own economic independence and self-determination.鈥澛
Dr Mika鈥檚 award is one of seven grants made by Fulbright New Zealand in 2019. The awards are unique in that they are available for research in any field but are united in the common goal to forge international collaboration.聽
Dr Mika will be honoured alongside the six other award recipients at the annual Fulbright Award Ceremony in June. He will then travel to Arizona in July to visit the Native Nations Institute before heading to Stanford University.