New Zealand Asia Institute
About the New Zealand Asia Institute
The New Zealand Asia Institute aims to develop graduates, knowledge and ideas that enhance New Zealand’s understanding of, and ability to engage productively with, Asia.
The New Zealand Asia Institute was established as a response to the growing importance of Asia to New Zealand politically, economically and culturally.
Auckland is New Zealand’s most multicultural – and Asian – city, as well as its main business hub. The institute is determined to actively engage with the challenges this presents, and to leverage the considerable expertise within the University to do so. It will continue to provide a bridge to understanding and engaging with Asia.
The New Zealand Asia Institute was set up in May 1995 as part of The University of Auckland’s strategic plan for internationalisation, and as a response to the growing importance of Asia to New Zealand politically, economically and culturally.
As a University-level initiative, in order to further understanding of and engagement with Asia it has sought to:
- Build the University’s leading national role in the study of Asia.
- Strengthen cross-faculty and cross-disciplinary cooperation internally.
- Establish and consolidate external networks and relationships.
The institute has had an active research, publication, conference and seminar programme since its inception.
In April 2009 the institute relocated to The University of Auckland Business School’s Owen G Glenn Building. The move signified a number of new developments, on a base of underlying continuity.
First, the institute is strengthening its programmatic research by launching a number of core research projects, which will be undertaken by faculty together with PhD students, some funded by especially endowed scholarships, including the Barry Spicer and Owen G Glenn PhD Scholarship and the MSA Charitable Trust PhD scholarship.
Second, relocation offers greater access to Business School staff and world-class facilities, and will strengthen the economic and business dimensions of the institute’s activities, as reflected in the core research projects. These developments are the result of recommendations from the Advisory Board, and extensive consultation within the University and outside it.
New Zealand Asia Institute is a non-profit organisation defined as a Public Benefit Entity and registered with the Charities Commission No. CC 20421 in New Zealand.
Annual reports for the New Zealand Asia Institute (NZAI) are available to view in PDF format from the content database by Publication type: Annual reports.
