Manaaki scholars outside the Dominion Museum Building on the Wellington Campus.
Delivered by the Joint Centre for Disaster Research (JCDR) in partnership with Te Tumu Whakatipu, the programme brought together academic expertise, applied learning, cultural engagement and extensive sector connections to support scholars working to strengthen disaster preparedness and resilience in their home countries.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT)-funded programme is one of two Manaaki New Zealand Scholarships Thematic Short Term Training Scholarships delivered by Massey. It combined classroom learning with hands-on experiences designed to show how communities, agencies, scientists and Indigenous leaders work together before, during and after disasters.
From Auckland to Milford Sound, scholars travelled across the country, exploring New Zealand’s hazardscape and visiting key emergency management facilities. Behind-the-scenes visits to the National Emergency Management Agency, regional Emergency Coordination Centres and local council emergency operations hubs gave scholars a rare opportunity to see how complex decisions are made in times of crisis.
The Pukeahu campus in Wellington served as home base for a week on either side of the field study, giving scholars time to experience a more relaxed pace of classroom-based learning, including a scenario-based emergency exercise.
The scholars expressed this exercise was one of the most memorable parts of the programme. Working under pressure, they analysed evolving information, made decisions, tested communication approaches and experienced the intensity of coordinating a response across multiple functions.
Scholars also engaged with experts from Fire and Emergency New Zealand, Earth Sciences New Zealand, the Natural Hazards Commission, the Department of Conservation, MetService and local emergency management teams. These connections highlighted the importance of coordination, trust and communication across agencies when responding to fast-moving and uncertain events.
JCDR Emergency Management Capability Manager Jon Mitchell, says the programme reflects Massey’s long-standing commitment to applied disaster risk reduction education and research.
“Disaster resilience is built through relationships, shared knowledge and the ability to work across communities, agencies and cultures. This programme gave scholars the opportunity to connect theory with practice, learn directly from New Zealand’s emergency management experience, and consider how those lessons can support resilience in their own countries.”
The delivery was also a significant partnership effort behind the scenes. JCDR led the academic design and specialist content, while Te Tumu Whakatipu coordinated the programme delivery, scholar experience, logistics, stakeholder engagement and reporting requirements needed to support a high-quality short-course experience across multiple locations.
That collaboration was supported by a strong working relationship with Kāpuhipuhi Wellington Uni Professional, the Manaaki Scholarship short term training programme management services provider. Their partnership with Massey helped ensure the programme could respond to scholar needs, adapt when plans changed and maintain a consistent focus on care, professionalism and learning impact.
Feedback from Kāpuhipuhi recognised the responsiveness, flexibility and professionalism of the Massey team, noting that scholars raved about the learning experiences, the support they received and the way the course was delivered.
One scholar said the field visits were very practical.
“The field visits effectively demonstrated how disaster risk reduction and resilience strategies are implemented in practice. Seeing the integration of community engagement, governance, environmental management and Indigenous knowledge provided valuable lessons that can be adapted to my work.”
Beyond the formal learning programme, scholars built connections with peers, practitioners and other international learners. A social highlight was joining African scholars from Massey’s Sustainable, Resilient and Productive Agri-Food Systems Manaaki short course and short course students from the University of Illinois for a shared barbecue on the Manawatū campus during King’s Birthday weekend.
By the end of the programme, scholars had strengthened their leadership skills, broadened their professional networks and deepened their understanding of multi-agency emergency management. They returned home with practical tools and renewed motivation to support disaster risk reduction and build resilience in their organisations and communities.
The Massey team is now developing an online version of the programme for ASEAN scholars who were unable to travel to New Zealand. While the online cohort will not experience the landscape and emergency management facilities first-hand, the programme will draw on the breadth of knowledge within JCDR, the experience of New Zealand’s emergency management practitioners and the leadership training that was highly valued by the in-person cohort.
The in-person and online offerings are expected to be delivered again in 2027, further strengthening Massey’s contribution to the Manaaki programme and its partnership with Kāpuhipuhi and MFAT.
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