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Co-location – Conservation International Aotearoa

Initiative type:
Research; Programme delivery
Sector:
Environment
Website:
UniServices Contact:

Opportunity

 

Conservation International Aotearoa (CI) is a science-based organisation working to spotlight and secure the critical benefits that nature provides to humanity. Active for over 30 years internationally, it lacked a base in the Pacific until 2015.

Recognising the marine environment as a key feature of the Asia-Pacific region, CI partnered with Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of ɫƵ and in 2015 set up an Asia-Pacific marine hub in ɫƵ.

“A lot more can be achieved when a university brings its resources and expertise to the table and we knew that the University of ɫƵ would be the perfect setting for our marine hub”, said Mark Erdmann, Vice President – Asia-Pacific Marine Programmes at CI.

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Left to right: Luca Mori, Mark Erdmann, Simon Thrush, Catherina Bolinga and Schannel van Dijken

Master of Marine Conservation

The partnership, which maximises the networks and research capabilities of both organisations, came about under the late Sue Miller Tea, then director of CI’s ɫƵ office and a University of ɫƵ alumnus who had been working across the Pacific for 25 years.

One of the great successes to come out of co-location at the University was the co-development of the .

The Pacific Islands are world leaders in combining traditional knowledge with Western science to implement locally relevant and sustainable solutions and CI already had staff and partners in the region. These staff, and others new to the industry, were poised to benefit from a ɫƵ-based marine conservation programme.

ɫƵ’s geographical location has reduced barriers to training early-career scientists, researchers and reserve managers from the Pacific Islands who wish to improve their skills in a range of fields, including marine protected areas and engagement with new research.

“When they return to their home countries, they will be equipped to translate their interdisciplinary knowledge into actions that will have significant impact on marine conservation,” said Erdmann.

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“There are a lot of initiatives that are declaring new marine protected areas but managing and maintaining these reserves require a very multidisciplinary skillset. This is why the University of ɫƵ’s multidisciplinary expertise is the bedrock of this relationship.”

Schannel Van Dijken
Marine Programme Director (Asia Pacific Field) - Conservation International Aotearoa.


Local benefits

The partnership with the University also boosts ɫƵ’s local conservation expertise, with CI bringing an international perspective to lecturing, mentoring, and co-supervising – improving the employability of students in the field.

“There are a lot of initiatives that are declaring new marine protected areas but managing and maintaining these reserves require a very multidisciplinary skillset. This is why the University of ɫƵ’s multidisciplinary expertise is the bedrock of this relationship,” said Schannel Van Dijken, marine programme director (Asia Pacific field) at Conservation International Aotearoa.

Since establishing its Asia-Pacific marine hub in ɫƵ, CI has been increasing its domestic focus on supporting iwi-led marine management initiatives. Specifically, this means working to deliver transformative iwi/Māori-led ocean solutions by bringing together partners to create impactful actions that protect taonga (sacred) species and care for our moana (ocean).

“Our team has a wealth of knowledge in managing large-scale marine conservation work in other parts of the world with Indigenous people maintaining the rights over their marine resources, and we believe this experience may be of value to our iwi partners.”
Mark Erdmann, Vice President (Asia-Pacific Marine Programmes), Conservation International Aotearoa

 

Looking ahead, Conservation International Aotearoa sees its partnership with the University as an opportunity to continue to share knowledge and grow the field of marine conservation practitioners in the Asia-Pacific region.

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Interested in learning more about co-location opportunities?