Recently the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment of Aotearoa NZ unveiled its Te Ara Paerangi Future Pathways programme. The objective of this multi-year programme is to “start an open and wide-ranging conversation on a range of issues facing the research system, how these issues might be addressed, and how to take advantage of emerging opportunities”
Currently, the programme is analysing the variety of opinions and aspirations that were directed at their green paper. Ritodhi, as a member of the GFANZ council, submitted multiple comments on this green paper which addressed issues of racialized immigrant communities, the lack of support and focus on indigenous knowledge in mainstream science education and finally, on the needs of precarious international students, pursuing expensive higher education in the country.
The science and research ecosystem in Aotearoa is grappling with a variety of systemic issues, which include discrimination based on race, gender, religion and sexuality; the historical and ongoing exclusion of Māori and Pasifika communities; a mismanagement of labour and research funding; and finally the lack of support for a variety of precarities faced by people in the science and research ecosystem. This needs to change and we are hoping that the Te Ara Paerangi programme will help support such change.
Along with engaging in the wider community conversation through GFANZ, Ritodhi was also recently elected to be the co-chair of the Royal Society of New Zealand Te Apārangi’s Early Career Scholar Forum. Over the next two years he will focus on extending some of the needed reforms to the ‘culture of science and research’ in Aotearoa. This work will focus on creating more equitable and just work spaces for immigrants of colour; building bridges between racialized immigrants from the Global south and Māori and Pasifika scholars and communities; and finally, on creating structures of accountability and support for international students in Aotearoa.
If you want to learn more about recent reports on inequalities within science and research in Aotearoa read this and listen to this.
