Mission EstateScholarship To Boost Research

Embargo to Saturday, 17 November 2007

Mission Estate Winery Scholarship To Boost Eit Student Research

A major student scholarship announced by Mission Estate this week will support research work that is helping promote Hawke’s Bay’s reputation as one of the world’s leading wine regions.

The Mission Estate Wine and Viticulture Scholarship will be awarded annually to a second-year Concurrent Bachelor of Wine Science/Bachelor of Viticulture student to take up in the third and fourth years of the conjoint degree.

The scholarship package, worth $12,000 over four years, has been contributed by Mission Estate Winery to acknowledge the pioneering spirit of the Marist fathers who first planted vines in Hawke’s Bay’s but also to stimulate critical research and development that is so necessary in the production of fine wines.

“This is yet another innovative and collaborative step that will further enhance Mission’s capability to maximise sustainable vineyard performance and fine wine production”, said Mission’s chief executive, Peter Holley.

The scholarship will provide $1000 a year towards course fees and the student will also be offered 60 days paid work experience at Mission Estate winery.

In the third year of the four-year degree programme, the student will be required to undertake a research project as part of his or her studies, with research resources jointly provided by Mission Estate and EIT.

The following year, the student will submit a paper to the Romeo Bragato conference, held annually for New Zealand’s grape and wine industry. Mission Estate has committed to paying $1500 towards the student’s conference fees and associated transport and accommodation costs.

The scholarship is a “unique opportunity to integrate both the academic and practical aspects of grape growing and wine making over an extended period of time”, said Head of EIT’s School of Viticulture and Wine Science, Diane Marshall.

Research underpinned the Eastern Institute of Technology’s academic programmes, particularly its degree programmes, and undergraduate participation was a very important component of that.

The degree’s research paper was the first opportunity for a student to be involved in research work that covered every stage of a project, from a proposal through to analysing the data collected. Mrs Marshall said the scholarship would help support a student through that process.

The award winner will be announced at EIT’s Food, Art, Wine awards – an event celebrating achievements and successes of students during their academic year.

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