Otago Polytechnic Auckland International Campus joined an international movement with the launch of our AIC Green Office Toitū yesterday.

This new office will support students and staff to act on sustainability initiatives.

At yesterday’s online launch, Deputy CEO: Academic, Leoni Schmidt, said the AIC Green Office Toitū is part of an international movement started in the Netherlands. We are the first campus in New Zealand to connect with this movement.

Employability Manager, Dani Mao, said the new Māori name Toitū carries meanings of enduring, untouched, pure, protected, and sustainable. She said all these meanings give a sense of strength and empowerment.

She said she’d had positive feedback from industry partners about the initiative with many keen to be involved and explore collaborations.

Alumni have also expressed their interest in mentoring current students during their research and projects.

Student Success Advisor, Christiaan William, said the office would be jointly led by staff and students with the backing of the Executive Leadership Team. He said a lot of good would come from the initiative.

Applied Management Head of Department, Russell Harray, said the office would be multidisciplinary and also include outside organisations.

He said it reflects OPAIC’s values and supports research opportunities for both undergraduate and postgraduate students in the area of sustainability.

He congratulated students who had become involved in the project at its outset saying their involvement would add value to OPAIC and look great on their CVs.

Principal Lecturer, Marianne Cherrington, talked about the strategic objectives for sustainability we have here at OPAIC. She said many of our research outputs had sustainability themes and this office would help us model sustainable practices.