Tuākana Programme
Tuākana Science is a multi-faceted programme for our Māori and Pacific students.
Tuākana is where Māori and Pāsifika students thrive on campus; Tuākana spaces are for whakawhanaungatanga, tutorials, wānanga, fonotaga, workshops and are dedicated spaces focused on growth and success.
My best memories were making friends and being in a space that was your own space any time throughout the year.
Tuākana in Science draws from the shared whakapapa and history between Māori as tangata whenua and Pacific (Tagata o le Moana-nui-a-Kiwa), both successful navigators of the vast Pacific ocean. We celebrate Māori kaupapa and Pacific ways of being and knowing through Tuākana-Teina learning environments in a variety of places across Waipapa Taumata Rau. The overarching aim of Tuākana is to retain and grow a thriving body of Māori and Pāsifika students and staff by providing access, opportunity and celebration of success at all levels.
Tuākana is such a community - we take strength from each other.
We achieve this by connecting you with our team of staff and tutors who have the skills, knowledge, and dedication to ensure success both in your academic and personal pursuits. Tuākana also encourages and fosters meaningful connections between students - whanaungatanga is at the heart of all we do, and we can all learn from and support each other. There are Tuākana study spaces for each department that students can use at any time, course-specific tutorials, one-on-one help, as well as additional test and exam workshops for a wide range of Science courses. Tuākana also helps to connect students with scholarship, research, and internship opportunities.
With Tuākana I felt empowered.
Tuākana is here to nurture your academic ability while also supporting your personal journey, enabling you to reach your full potential. We recognise that students already have the skills and knowledge to contribute incredible advancements to their field of study, and the programme gives you the space to explore the potential you already have.
Māori and Pacific Support

For general enquiries about Tuākana and other services available to Māori and Pacific students in our science community, please contact:
Kasey Cross Faculty Administrator
Email kasey.cross@auckland.ac.nz
Phone 09 3737599 ext 89186
Lizzie Tafili Student Support Adviser
Email lizzie.tafili@auckland.ac.nz
Phone 09 3737599 ext 85083
Tuākana in our Schools and Departments
For more information on specific courses and the Tuākana support available, please contact:
- Te Kura Mātauranga Koiora | School of Biological Sciences
tuakana-biology@auckland.ac.nz
Rooms 109 & 111A, Building 106
- Te Kura Mātai Matū | School of Chemical Sciences
ruth.cink@auckland.ac.nz or SCSTuakana@auckland.ac.nz
Room 184, Building 301 - Te Kura Mātai Rorohiko | School of Computer Science
daniel.wilson@auckland.ac.nz
Room 183, Building 301 - Te Kura Mātai Taiao | School of Environment
sonia.fonua@auckland.ac.nz
Room 188, Building 301 - Te Kura Mātai Kori Tinana | Department of Exercise Sciences
w.weerasekera@auckland.ac.nz
Room 183, Building 301 - Te Kura Mātauranga Pāngarau | Department of Mathematics m.puloka@auckland.ac.nz
Room B13-15, Building 303 - Te Kura Mātai Ahupūngao | Department of Physics
tuakana-physics@auckland.ac.nz
Room B13-15, Building 303 - Te Kura Mātai Hinengaro | School of Psychology
atua.parkinson@auckland.ac.nz, lhav014@aucklanduni.ac.nz or larissa.renfrew@auckland.ac.nz
Room 198, Building 301
- Te Kura Tatauranga | Department of Statistics
s.wingfield@auckland.ac.nz
Room B13-15, Building 303