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• Aotearoa sharpens Sherpa’s ambitions on conservation in Nepal

  The Everest region of Nepal is his home, and he has seen first-hand the impact of climbers and climate change on the world’s most famous mountain environment.  

  The former international student to New Zealand is a columnist in the Kathmandu Post, readily highlighting successes and calling out failures on a range of environmental issues impacting Nepal. He is part of a generation determined to find solutions. 

  Tsewang recently completed his Master’s in Environmental Management at Lincoln University, an international education experience made possible by the Mingma Norbu Sherpa Memorial Scholarship. Mingma was an early graduate of Sir Edmund Hillary’s Khumjung School, an alumnus of Lincoln University, and one of the leading voices on conservation in Nepal and Bhutan through his work with World Wildlife Fund (WWF) before his untimely death in 2006. 

  His legacy is a scholarship jointly funded by WWF, Lincoln University, and the Greater Himalayas Foundation which supports students from remote regions of Nepal committed to careers in conservation to study at Lincoln. 

  Tsewang says the links with New Zealand which date back to the work of Sir Edmund Hillary, and his belief in the importance of education for future generations, are a driver for many Nepalese students seeking to improve their opportunities in life.   

  “The connection is very strong,” he says. “Sir Ed Hillary is such an icon and I feel that the students who come to New Zealand to study are continuing to strengthen the relationship established by Sir Ed and Mingma”.  

  Fulfilling the dream of a New Zealand education 

  “The scholarship allows you to fulfil a vision of having a higher education in New Zealand, but more than that, it connects many people already working in the conservation sector in New Zealand, Nepal, and other parts of the world.”  

  Tsewang spent two years in New Zealand, arriving just before the border closed in 2020 and is grateful that his studies were largely unaffected by the pandemic. He says he has learned much about New Zealand’s approach to conservation and gained a better understanding of te ao Māori and the concept of kaitiakitanga (guardianship and protection).  

  

  “I am a Sherpa. We are renowned as mountaineers, but we are also an ethnic tribe with a strong connection and respect for nature and a strong desire for environmental stewardship.  

  “Seeing Māori taking ownership of preserving and retaining their culture was an important learning for me. These are taonga (treasures) which we should be taking from one generation to another. 

  “Through my education I want to promote empowerment of local people on conservation issues,” Tsewang says. “Studying in New Zealand made me realise that this is already happening in Nepal, but we just need to find ways to make it more effective.” 

  Tsewang’s Master’s research was into the effectiveness of the Garbage Deposit Scheme (GDS) initiated by the Sherpa people, in which Everest climbers pay a US$4000 deposit that’s returned only if they bring back at least 8kg of rubbish produced during their expeditions. “Working in conjunction with the aims, aspirations, and opportunities of local communities is incredibly empowering.” 

  Making a positive impact in Nepal 

  The students who have come to Aotearoa have made a positive impact in Nepal, Tsewang says. “It’s all about learning from best practice and sharing knowledge.

  As one person it’s hard to make change, but by sharing information and knowledge we can make incremental change.”  

  “We are seeing that governments globally are starting to overhaul their environmental protection policies. New Zealand has played a key role in the context of Nepal because people before me came to study and returned home to build crucial environmental education and awareness.”  

  Tsewang loved his time in Aotearoa, both inside and outside the classroom, having spent most of his free time hiking iconic tracks. “There’s so much learning that happens out in the field where you hear first-hand of the experiences of those working in conservation. 

  “This was an essential part of my education experience. You have unplanned conversations which are inspiring and hugely valuable,” he says. 

  “The last two years have been monumental in so many ways. It’s not just the academic learning, but also the personal growth. I have gained so much confidence to voice my opinion and share my knowledge. 

  “I will stay in touch with many of the people I have met and hopefully we will have the opportunity to collaborate in the future. Learning never stops. 

  “The international education opportunities with New Zealand only serve to strengthen the long-standing bond with Nepal. There’s a real legacy involved for both countries.”

• Brazilian champions Māori world view to design students globally

  So transformative was the experience, that the former international student is determined that design leaders globally learn from AUT’s success embracing Māori knowledge in tertiary design studies.  

  Marcos came from Sao Paulo to study for his PhD in Design at AUT in 2015. He always felt that Aotearoa was “calling” him and was drawn to the concept of practice-led research, which allows students to be assessed by their creative work alongside a supportive piece of writing. 

  “This means that your practice is your contribution to knowledge,” he says. “I was fascinated by the idea.” 

  Practice-led research has been around for many years but is still not widely used. AUT, now considered a world-leader in its implementation, developed the approach under education “disruptor” Professor Welby Ings, who believes thinking outside the box can be the key to success for many learners. 

  Embracing the natural world from a Māori perspective 

  While Marcos enjoyed the early months focusing on his photography, it was an introduction to respected Māori scholars Professor Hinematau McNeill and Professor Robert Pouwhare late in his first year which really rocked his world.  

  “They shared their love and knowledge and introduced me to Māori views of the natural world. Their way of thinking and seeing the world completely resonated with me. I understood how ignorant I was in terms of expecting to be able to explain the world through a Western perspective. I learned from them that there is so much beyond it that we cannot see.” 

  “I learned how the world can be seen from an indigenous perspective, and I felt really bad that my own culture has more than 300 indigenous tribes and we never learn anything about them.” 

  He says he became really connected with Māori epistemology (theory of knowledge) and committed to understand and incorporate Māori elements in a substantial part of his thesis. “I try my best to captivate the complex Māori concept of mauri (life force or essence) in my work.” 

  Incorporating the Māori view of the natural world in practice-led research is attracting and retaining students who might not otherwise thrive in a university environment, Marcos says.  

  At AUT’s Manukau campus, the majority of students are Māori and Pasifika. “These students have natural storytelling talents, and they love graphic design, photography, street art, and all forms of contra-culture expression (outside mainstream media).  

  Māori and Pasifika students feel sense of belonging 

  “They feel a sense of belonging to the university with this approach. ”Last year saw the biggest increase in the number of students continuing from undergraduate to postgraduate study in Communication Design, using the practice-led approach.  

  Driven to promote this diversity of thought and boost the status of indigenous cultures and language elsewhere, Marcos is using his connections in Brazil to share Aotearoa’s success with South America and beyond.  

  A former colleague, Professor Sérgio Nesteriuk Gallo, is now head of a postgraduate programme in Art and Design at Anhembi Morumbi University (UAM) in Sao Paulo where students are increasingly using practice-led methodologies. “We agreed when I left for New Zealand that the knowledge I gained in practice-led research we would share and promote in Brazil,” Marcos says.  

  “We promised we would create an event every year to build a body of knowledge about practice-led research into the future. I know that many people, especially those from an indigenous background in Latin America are keen to take up this form of research.” 

  The first symposium was held in 2016 and attracted 10 exhibitors. Last year’s online symposium drew in 400 submissions from 13 universities around the world. 

  Planning is underway to take 10 of the most influential Māori practice-led researchers to Brazil for this year’s conference in December, called LINK2022 Moana Crossing, where they will run a series of workshops and launch a special edition of the journal incorporating original manuscripts from the Māori scholars and from collaborative partnerships with non-Māori practitioners. 

  Aotearoa New Zealand leading the way 

  “We have at least half the leading scholars in this field,” Marcos says. “Sharing this knowledge will hopefully influence the approach of those who teach elsewhere in the world.” 

  The new model of undertaking research and presenting knowledge must be more considerate of alternative approaches. “Māori traditions can enhance our understanding of research, practice, and the intricate connection with te taiao (the environment).” 

  He says he is committed to elevating the practice-led approach connected to Māori and first-nation knowledge, “taking our thinking to the world and giving a voice to indigenous cultures elsewhere”. 

  

  Piha at Sunset by Marcos Steagall.

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