Two visionary Pacific leaders in Aotearoa New Zealand are among those who have received honorary doctorates recognising their legacies.
The Honourable Luamanuvao Dame Winnie Laban DNZM has been recognised by Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington for her leadership in politics, arts and education, and her decades of work uplifting and celebrating Pacific peoples in many fields.
Dame Winnie was Aotearoa New Zealand’s first Pacific Island woman MP, as well as the country’s first Assistant Vice-Chancellor Pasifika at Victoria University of Wellington. As an MP, she campaigned fiercely for Pacific and Māori communities, as well as working-class communities and elderly people.
Dame Winnie has made immense contributions to Pacific tertiary education, spearheading initiatives like Victoria University of Wellington’s annual Pasifika Roadshow. Her impact is evident in the increase in Pacific students at the university during her 14 years as Assistant Vice-Chancellor Pasifika.
A passionate advocate for making education accessible for all, Dame Winnie says “Education has always been a passion of mine because it's very consistent with my commitment to social justice.
Speaking to Victoria University of Wellington, Dame Winnie says “I feel if you have an education, you have more choice, and more doors open to you. But secondly, you research, you read—you're an informed citizen.”
Uluomato’otua (Ulu) Saulaulu Aiono has received an Honorary Doctor of Commerce and given the graduation address at the University of Otago, where he began his remarkable career journey.
Ulu graduated from Otago with a Bachelor of Science in 1981, making history as Aotearoa New Zealand’s first Pacific Computer Science graduate. He continued to break ground for Pacific peoples, when in 1986 he became the country’s first Pacific person to earn an MBA.
Ulu founded COGITA, a software technology company that initially specialised in resource planning software and is now an investment and holding company. His career has seen him hold influential roles in organisations and boards across many sectors, and he was inducted into the New Zealand Business Hall of Fame in 2022.
Speaking to Otago University, Ulu credits his education at the university with “chang[ing] the future for my wife and me – and the lives of thousands of people over that time in the fields of manufacturing, distribution, health, housing, education, biotechnology, and social welfare.
“The Otago MBA is the original key to my know-how and confidence, subsequently grown over many years, leading to the formation of different organisations including The Cause Collective.
“As a result, in the next six to twelve years up to 238,000 Pasifika lives will be changed by this new Commissioning Agency,” says Ulu about The Cause Collective.