The University of Waikato has been an anchor organisation of the Bay of Plenty community for over 20 years, and for the past five, we’ve been based in the Tauranga city Knowledge Precinct. In this time, we’ve put an emphasis on understanding the region and building strong relationships with a range of businesses and communities in this great place.
Waikato is ranked in the world’s top 250 universities and the top three in New Zealand, with Waikato Management School ranked in the top 1% globally. Waikato Management School’s connectivity with business is what sets us apart as a top tier business school in New Zealand.
We believe local relationships have benefits for both students and business – exposing our future business leaders to innovative ways of thinking, while connecting local employers with new talent. We appreciate the support and engagement we have consistently received from the business community and are proud of the strides we are continuing to make in the provision of our education offerings as a result.
This October, we’re bringing together local startups and businesses at our newest Executive Short Course on FinTech and AI. Local startups will pitch their innovative products to the end-user, our local businesses. This course will provide access to cutting-edge technologies and help foster connections.
New to our Master of Business Administration (MBA) is a guest speaker component, where well-known senior executives from across the region will share their expertise and experienced views of future challenges for their industry. We’re teaming up with leaders from economic development agencies, Māori business, investment firms and global commercial companies. By connecting with successful leaders, students can apply learnt knowledge directly to industry and build critical networks to support our region’s success.
Our annual MBA Connector Event brings together alumni, students and those interested in undertaking the MBA programme. The event features an alumni keynote speech and panel discussion. This event will be held at our Tauranga campus in October. Find out more by emailing mba@waikato.ac.nz.
When it comes to our Bachelor of Business, students get the opportunity for real-world experience through our business partnerships and relationships. This degree is a key offering of our Tauranga campus and student numbers continue to grow. The learning model allows students to connect with industry through workplace internships or consulting projects where they work directly with organisations to solve problems alongside staff.
Connecting industry and learning about your concerns is a critical part of our growth model. We are pleased to partner with local business chambers for this year’s Regional Business Leaders events in Tauranga (31 October) and Rotorua (14 November). Co-hosted by Pro Vice-Chancellor Management Matt Bolger and the Hon. Steven Joyce, Chair of the Waikato Management School Advisory Board, the events allow the University to hear from business leaders about priorities, challenges and opportunities, ensuring we can continue to support you with programme and degree refinement and innovation.
Connection is critical to our collective success, so once again I extend my thanks to our business community for engaging with the University and our students at all levels to enhance the calibre of business education and innovation in our region.
If you’d like to study with us, email msc@waikato.ac.nz.
If you’re a business that would like to connect with the next generation of leaders, contact me leon.fourie@waikato.ac.nz.
