Study Abroad Program
New Zealand
Culture and the Environment: A Shared Future
“Trace the traditions, innovations, and challenges behind the beautiful landscapes. Hear from those at the forefront of solutions to the environmental and cultural issues of today.”
Program Overview
Discover New Zealand: Culture and the Environment
Explore how environmental sustainability, Indigenous Māori knowledge, public policy, conservation, and cultural identity intersect in New Zealand. Through field travel, academic study, an internship, and independent research, students examine the people and ideas behind environmental and social change.
New Zealand has long been at the forefront of innovative social, cultural, and environmental practices. In this program, students get to know the people, places, and ideas that have driven environmental reforms as well as truth and reconciliation processes between the government and Indigenous Māori peoples.
Although challenges abound, students learn across disciplines about positive responses to these challenges.
Students spend their first month traveling by van to key biodiversity and cultural sites on New Zealand's North Island, hearing from local leaders, observing, learning, and discussing as a group.
The depth and relevance of the Māori worldview is a core focus.
The following two months in Wellington are devoted to independent study, class meetings, coursework, and internships. Students live with homestay hosts, work on an Independent Study Project, attend classes, and complete a substantial internship.
Past internship placements have ranged from the city council's ‘straw-free waterfront’ campaign to Zealandia Urban Ecosanctuary.
Connections between environment, culture, policy, and community are central to the program's field studies and internship opportunities.
The semester begins with four weeks of travel in the North Island, grounding students in the social, political, and environmental context of the course.
The remainder of the term is based in Wellington, with two days of class and approximately 20–25 hours per week at individual internship sites.
- First four weeks: North Island travel and field study.
- Wellington phase: Coursework, independent study, and internship.
- Class schedule: Two days of class per week.
- Internship: Approximately 20–25 hours per week during the Wellington phase, based on the supplied historical program description.
The program is based in Wellington, New Zealand, with field study in areas around the North Island. The supplied program information identifies the Waikato and Taupō regions, a Māori community on the flanks of Mount Ruapehu, Wellington, and the greater Auckland area as locations connected to the field experience.
Students learn from local leaders, environmental initiatives, community organizations, and cultural perspectives while examining the relationship between conservation, social change, policy, and Indigenous rights.
Staff and Faculty
Meet the Program Team
The program brings together expertise in environmental law, Māori knowledge, reconciliation, conservation policy, education, history, and cultural understanding.
Charles Dawson grew up in Wellington, New Zealand. He has a B.A. in History and English, as well as honors and master's degrees in that subject. He also earned a doctorate focused on environmental and literary issues from the University of British Columbia in Canada.
He has studied Māori language and understands the importance of experiential learning. Through his father, Martin, Charles was exposed to crucial aspects of New Zealand's Treaty of Waitangi-based reconciliation process.
He went on to work in that area, most recently at the Waitangi Tribunal as facilitator for the inquiry into major flora, fauna, and Māori cultural and intellectual property claims.
He is the co-founder and New Zealand representative for the Australasian literature, environment, and culture network ASLEC-ANZ. He also co-founded the environmental history journal Environment & Nature in New Zealand.
Charles is pleased to be involved with teaching at HECUA, where his interests in teaching, learning, environmental issues, and cultural issues come together.
Peter Horsley is both a lawyer and a specialist in environmental management.
Since the 1980s, he has been affiliated with Massey University's School of Resource and Environmental Planning as a lecturer and research fellow. His teaching has included environmental law, environmental planning, natural resource planning, and conservation policy, and he has supervised numerous graduate students.
He is also a professional teaching fellow in the University of Auckland's Planning Department, teaching undergraduate and graduate courses, and is an associate at the University of Auckland's New Zealand Centre for Environmental Law.
His instructional concentrations include environmental policy and governance; culture, identity, and place; knowledge systems and ways of knowing; and comparative social movements.
Horsley is an active advocate, researcher, and consultant on collaborative management strategies between Māori and the New Zealand government. He has served as a consultant to Māori in designing and implementing management plans for land and sites that are sacred or represent cultural heritage.
In addition to teaching, consulting, and participating in New Zealand civic life, Horsley has extensive experience teaching U.S. undergraduates.
He has taught in four International Honors Program multi-site study-abroad programs: Rethinking Globalization, Indigenous Perspectives, Cities in the 21st Century, and Nations and Identities.
Ngārangi is a native speaker of Te Reo, the first language of Aotearoa (New Zealand), and a practitioner of traditional Māori lore raised by his elders.
He has been involved in Māori education, research, television, film, theatre, and music for more than 20 years. He has lectured in Māori philosophy, theology, history, language, curriculum development, environmental resource management, education, and arts at the universities of Waikato, Canterbury, Otago, and Auckland.
Ngārangi received additional credentials through Māori educational institutions, including Te Whare Wānanga o Raukawa in Ōtaki, Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi in Whakatāne, and Te Whare Wānanga o Aotearoa at Te Awa Mutu, as well as polytechnic schools throughout Aotearoa.
According to the supplied program biography, he works as an independent researcher and educationist focusing on historical and contemporary Waitangi Tribunal claims, traditional Māori environmental indicators, bird relocation, environmental monitoring, iwi monitoring, iwi development strategies, taonga relocation, and education.
His interests include retaining and revitalizing traditional lore, language, culture, storytelling, games, arts, and music.
Academic Experience
Courses and Academic Experience
The supplied program structure combines studies in Māori perspectives, environmental sustainability, fieldwork and integration, and an individually guided research project.
Students develop an understanding of New Zealand history and contemporary and evolving attitudes toward that history. They learn to think critically about approaches to and movements for social change in New Zealand today.
They learn to situate New Zealand history within a broader set of colonial histories, including that of the United States, and to situate Māori movements for social change within a broader set of Indigenous movements, including some in the United States.
Key topics include Māori perspectives on place, ritual, identity, and history.
Students study the insights and evolution of mātauranga Māori—Māori wisdom, tradition, and knowledge—and how these inform contemporary policy and society.
They examine the practices and protocols of the marae as a meeting and discussion space; the history of colonization in New Zealand; the Treaty of Waitangi; the Waitangi Tribunal's truth and reconciliation process; and Māori protest and social movements.
The course also explores how contemporary New Zealand is moving from a European/Māori dichotomy, or bicultural lens, toward a multicultural lens.
Students examine how New Zealanders debate the role of pluralism in society and how those debates shape or challenge a cohesive national identity.
Students analyze the interrelationships among social, cultural, political, economic, and environmental realms in New Zealand today.
They learn about approaches to and movements for social change as they relate to sustainability and environmental policy concerns.
Key themes include perceptions of nature in New Zealand; key strategies used to address pressing environmental issues; Māori knowledge systems and their influence on environmental-management and conservation law and practice; and significant sustainability frameworks that New Zealand has developed.
Students consider the effectiveness of these frameworks, the initiatives that remain necessary, and the ways citizens address environmental problems through local initiatives.
They also examine contradictions between New Zealand's ‘clean and green’ image and its dependence on trade, globalization, extractive industries, and resource-intensive industries, as well as possible ways of resolving those contradictions.
This seminar connects theory and practice through three components:
- A structured internship lasting seven to eight weeks in Wellington, beginning during the week students arrive there.
- Field visits related to the program.
- Class discussions connecting practical insights from fieldwork with theoretical analyses from assigned readings.
Intentional integrative learning connects these three activities into one course.
The internship component aims to help students observe and participate directly in processes of social change or environmental issues they have studied in the classroom and other settings.
Fieldwork is designed to illustrate, expand upon, or challenge material explored in the classroom.
Time devoted to integration helps students connect learning across the various courses and program components. Students consider New Zealand history, sustainability frameworks, Māori thought and practices, environmental-management strategies, citizen and local initiatives, and observations from internship placements.
The course helps students develop and adapt to new working relationships, cultures, and practices; articulate connections between classroom learning and experience; and meaningfully synthesize theories explored in class with experiences outside the classroom.
The Independent Study Project allows students to explore a research topic tailored to their individual learning and career objectives.
Students pursue a research question on a particular issue relevant to one or more of the program's major themes and produce a 15–20-page paper by the end of the semester.
The topic must be approved by the Program Directors. The paper is completed in iterative stages over the course of the program and requires steady attention during the Wellington phase.
Students develop skills in identifying a creative, focused, and manageable topic that offers a potentially significant avenue for exploration; synthesizing appropriate information from relevant sources representing different points of view; designing a suitable methodology or theoretical framework, ideally across disciplines; and working independently and with peers to develop approaches and drafts.
Students also learn to reach conclusions that logically emerge from research findings, discuss relevant and supported implications and limitations, and present findings and conclusions orally in a semi-formal setting.
New Zealand Syllabus Fall 2019
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Historical Internship Examples
Learn Through Environmental and Community Internships
The New Zealand program has offered internship placements with local environmental, scientific, and community organizations. The examples below come from previously completed internships and may not represent current placements.
The Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand is guided by four principles: Ecological Wisdom, Social Responsibility, Appropriate Decision-making, and Non-violence, together with Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
The Green Party has its origins in the 1972 Values Party, described in the supplied historical program information as the world's first national Green Party.
At the time represented by the supplied text, the party had 14 members of Parliament, providing a voice in Parliament for people and the natural environment. This membership figure is historical and must not be presented as current.
HECUA students in this placement worked directly with the national campaign headquarters, assisting with outreach and party support.
NIWA is described in the supplied program information as New Zealand's equivalent of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
NIWA is noted for its interdisciplinary and team-based approach to research.
Students may have the opportunity to work in NIWA's ‘wet lab,’ home to a notable marine invertebrate collection, or assist with aspects of science communication.
These descriptions are examples from the supplied historical program information. Do not guarantee access to a particular laboratory, collection, or placement.
Ōtari-Wilton's Bush Reserve is described in the supplied program information as New Zealand's only public botanic garden dedicated solely to native plants.
Students undertaking an internship there have the opportunity to work on a range of projects involving environmental education, conservation, and ecology.
Historical Financial Information
Program Costs
Review the historical program fee information, included expenses, and potential additional costs. The published prices below come from the supplied program information and require verification before being presented as current fees.
The program fee includes group transportation to field sites, planned group excursions, lodging, meals, local transportation, medical insurance, and administrative costs.
Students are placed in individual homestays, and meals are provided by host families.
The program costs listed are what HECUA charges for participation in its programs. The final amount that a student pays might be higher and can vary from college to college.
Many colleges assess additional fees or charge their own tuition for off-campus programs. Some colleges also have specific financial-aid rules for off-campus programs.
Students should check with their home institution's off-campus study office and financial aid office to confirm their final program cost.
A full and comprehensive fee breakdown can be found on the Program Costs page.
Full Program Cost Breakdown: {{HECUA_PROGRAM_COST_BREAKDOWN_URL}}
Member schools are institutions that belong to the HECUA consortium. The supplied historical program information lists a program cost of $21,400 for students from member schools.
Students should verify their school's membership status and confirm the applicable current program fee.
Check Your School's Status: {{HECUA_SCHOOL_STATUS_URL}}
Non-member schools are institutions that do not belong to the HECUA consortium. The supplied historical program information lists a program cost of $22,200 for students from non-member schools.
Students should confirm their school's status and verify the applicable current program fee before making financial decisions.
Check Your School's Status: {{HECUA_SCHOOL_STATUS_URL}}
HECUA distributes three scholarships to students from consortium member schools:
- Scholarship for Racial Justice: up to $4,000.
- Scholarship for Social Justice: up to $1,500.
- Scholarship for Community Engagement: up to $750 for semester-long programs and $500 for short-term programs.
Students should verify current scholarship availability, eligibility requirements, award amounts, and application deadlines before applying.
View All Scholarships: {{HECUA_SCHOLARSHIPS_URL}}
Good to Know
Practical Information
Learn about the program's accommodation arrangements, field-study locations, academic partnership, and visa requirements as described in the supplied historical program information.
During the Wellington phase, students are lodged in homestays. Each student has their own room, and meals are provided by the host family.
During field visits, students stay in various types of community facilities and are provided with group meals prepared by students and staff together. In some cases, students shop and prepare meals together.
These arrangements offer opportunities to engage with local communities and participate in shared everyday activities.
These details reflect the supplied historical program description. Verify current housing arrangements before publication.
The program is offered in partnership with the EcoQuest Education Foundation / Te Rarangahau Taiao.
According to the supplied program information, the partner sponsors students' New Zealand visa applications, hosts the program for a field experience, and provides evaluation and oversight.
The program's field-study and educational activities connect environmental issues with cultural knowledge, community initiatives, and public policy.
Verify the current partnership arrangements before presenting them as active or current.
The supplied historical program information identifies the following areas and locations associated with field study:
- Wellington
- The Waikato region
- The Taupō region
- A Māori community on the flanks of Mount Ruapehu
- The greater Auckland area
- Biodiversity and cultural sites around the North Island
Field study connects environmental conservation, wildlife, environmental advocacy, sustainability, transportation, water quality, youth development, cultural pluralism, and human rights.
Actual itineraries and site visits may vary. Do not invent a current travel schedule or guarantee access to particular locations.
The supplied program information states that students were required to obtain a student visa to participate in the New Zealand program.
HECUA helped guide students through the visa application process, and the program partner was described as sponsoring student visa applications.
Visa requirements and sponsorship arrangements can change. Students must confirm current immigration requirements and the applicable process with official sources before making travel plans.
The supplied historical program information directs students to HECUA Student Services for information about the visa application process. Do not invent contact details or provide an unverified email address or URL.
NZQA
Education Quality Assurance
The New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) assesses the standard of education provided by tertiary education organizations through a regular system of external evaluation and review (EER).
Through periodic external evaluation and review, tertiary education organizations are held accountable to students, employers, funders, quality-assurance bodies, and other interested parties.
The supplied program information states that HECUA had a partnership agreement with EcoQuest Education Foundation / Te Rarangahau Taiao. It describes EcoQuest as a Private Training Establishment registered with NZQA under the provisions of the New Zealand Education Act 1989 and subsequent amendments.
According to the supplied historical information, the HECUA New Zealand program was reviewed as part of EcoQuest's NZQA external evaluation and review.
The source also states that NZQA provides a mechanism for managing student complaints about education providers.
For current registration details, quality-assurance results, and official complaint procedures, consult the official NZQA website. Do not invent a URL. If an external link is provided, use a verified official NZQA destination.
Visit the Official NZQA Website: {{OFFICIAL_NZQA_URL}}. Registration, partnership, and quality-assurance statements describe historical program information and should be independently verified before current publication.