Sir Howard to be awarded honorary doctorate

The University of Waikato will be awarding an honorary doctorate to Sir Howard Morrison at an April graduation ceremony this year.

The award is in recognition of Sir Howard Morrison’s outstanding service to the community, particularly in the areas of M¹ori education and business development, and his enormous contribution to important community endeavours over a long period of time.

Sir Howard Morrison has been a long-standing contributor to youth-at-risk initiatives in New Zealand, dating back to the 1970s. He established the Sir Howard Morrison Education Foundation for Te Arawa rangatahi entering university study, is a trustee of the Books in Homes initiative and is currently patron of Victim Support New Zealand. He is also a founder and trustee of the PTE Manaakitanga Aotearoa Trust, based in Rotorua, and a founding member of the Tž Tangata business studies programme.

Sir Howard Morrison is a member of the Committee of Management for the Ngati Whakaue Tribal Lands Inc. and is a board member for Parenting with Confidence. He has previously held board positions with NZ Tourism, NZ Broadcasting Authority and the NZ Maori Arts and Crafts Institute.

The honorary doctorate is consistent with the key themes of the University’s Vision associated with Excellence, Distinctiveness and International Connectedness, and marks what promises to be a very productive long-term relationship between the University of Waikato and Sir Howard. The University looks forward to his involvement and collaboration in a variety of educational and research projects, especially in the School of M¹ori and Pacific Development, the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, and the Waikato Management School. Sir Howard’s talents, expertise and interests are of relevance across many subject areas, not only in the creative and performing arts, but also in business and education.

The honorary doctorate will be conferred during a graduation ceremony on Friday 28 April. Prior to the conferment, a celebration to mark the announcement of the award will be held in the WEL Energy Trust Academy of Performing Arts on Friday 10 March.

With the University of Waikato honorary doctorate Sir Howard Morrison joins a distinguished list of recipients, including Janet Frame, Dame Malvina Major, Don Stafford, Hare Puke, Tui Adams, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Neil and Tim Finn, Michael King and Margaret Mahy.

ENDS

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