Karahipi
Scholarships
Supporting Māori talent through education to build capability.
Scholarships
Through our workforce development programme, Tū Ātea provides scholarships for Māori engineering students across universities throughout Aotearoa. Our scholarships are designed to support tauira pursuing studies that lead to meaningful career pathways in the telecommunications sector.
To date, we have supported students in electrical and electronic engineering, software engineering, mechatronics, and computer science — investing in the next generation of Māori talent who will shape the future of connectivity in Aotearoa.
Live scholarships
All active Tū Ātea scholarships open for applications will be listed here. The opportunities below are the scholarships we’re currently advertising.
Auckland University of Technology
Meet some of our recent Māori engineering scholars
Jade Smith - Ngāi Tūhoe
Bachelor of Engineering (Mechatronics) - University of Waikato
What inspired you to pursue your current field of engineering?
I’ve always wanted to push past my own limits and prove to myself that I could pursue a future in Robotics in engineering. The more I learned about Robotics, the more fascinated I became with how it can transform the way we work and solve problems.
What has receiving this scholarship meant for you?
Receiving this scholarship has meant more to me than just financial support, it’s given me real confidence and momentum in my journey. It’s also been a reminder that people believe in my potential, especially as a Māori student in STEM. That support has pushed me to keep aiming higher and stay committed to the goals I’ve set for myself.
What are your future goals?
I want to work in both automation and robotics. They go hand in hand, and learning both gives me more freedom in the kind of projects I can work on. Robotics is where my main passion is, but understanding automation helps me build systems that actually run smoothly and do something useful.
Benjamin Cosford - Ngāpuhi
Bachelor of Engineering (Electronics & Electrical) - University of Canterbury
What inspired you to pursue your current field of engineering?
My interest in electrical engineering stems from my strong curiosity about how power systems and technology underpin modern society. I was fortunate to attend the 2025 PEET South Island field trip, where seeing large-scale power infrastructure firsthand reinforced my interest in the industry. I am particularly motivated by the future workload needed to upgrade Aotearoa’s electricity infrastructure to meet demand and sustainability targets.
What has receiving this scholarship meant for you?
Beyond the financial assistance, receiving a Māori-funded scholarship has been especially meaningful. It is rewarding to feel supported by organisations and communities that are investing in the future of Māori students within engineering and technical industries. Engineering, particularly within the power and infrastructure sector, plays a major role in shaping communities across Aotearoa, and I take pride in being able to contribute as a young Māori engineer entering the industry.
What are your future goals?
As I work through the final year of my degree, I am focused on deepening my technical expertise, particularly in power systems. I am currently studying towards the power minor to add to my major in Electrical and Electronics Engineering. I also want to teach future students and help develop more power engineers to support New Zealand’s transition to clean energy generation.
Curtis Williams - Te Arawa, Ngāti Mākino
Bachelor of Engineering (Electronics & Electrical) - University of Waikato
What inspired you to pursue your current field of engineering?
What inspired me to pursue electrical/electronic engineering is the thought of being able to understand how electricity, something that cannot be seen, and knowing how to make it useful for everyday tasks.
What has receiving this scholarship meant for you?
This scholarship feels like a real turning point for me. So far receiving this scholarship has allowed me to focus on my studies by easing finical stress.
What are your future goals?
My immediate goal is to finish my degree. Once I have finished that I want to gain as much experience in many different fields of electrical/electronic engineering so that I can find the field I am most strongest in. The way I would like to make a difference to the people around me is through giving back my knowledge and I would also give back to my community through working on projects that make a local infrastructure more resilient.
William Fermanis - Ngāti Toa, Waikato - Tainui, Ngāti Koata
Bachelor of Engineering (Software Engineering) - Victoria University of Wellington
What inspired you to pursue your current field of engineering?
Ever since I was a kid, I enjoyed building things. From a young age, my dad recognised this interest of mine and repeatedly encouraged me to become an Engineer. Having someone who understood both my interests and the workforce to guide me into a career path made this choice possible.
What has receiving this scholarship meant for you?
Apart from the financial aid, which has supported my studies, this scholarship has provided me with greater confidence in my potential. It has also given me a greater sense of support knowing there are other tangata Māori out there trying to make a difference and organisations in place to support them.
What are your future goals?
After finishing my degree, I am set on developing additional skills within the industry and furthering my knowledge with personal projects that will support my whānau and community. Ultimately, I hope to use my experience, education, and background to work within areas of governance and management.
Tomuri Keane - Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa
Bachelor of Engineering (Cyber Security) - Victoria University of Wellington
What inspired you to pursue your current field of engineering?
I've been interested in computers since I was a kid. I really enjoyed creating things, and creating basic games was a lot of fun. During college, I learnt about different cyber attacks, which really sparked my interest. My cousin and uncle, who both work in the industry, played a big role in helping me pursue cyber security as they shared what it's like to work in the field. To me, it seems like a digital battlefield or a strategy game where I'm able to help protect systems and defend against attacks.
What has receiving this scholarship meant for you?
This scholarship has given me financial support to focus more on my studies, but it's also shown me the great opportunities there are for Māori students, which is really motivating. its encouraging to know that there are organisations that are willing to invest in Māori students going into the industry.
What are your future goals?
Choosing one future goal is hard, I would love to try out all areas of cyber security, but two that really interest me is Security Analyst and Security Engineer. I like the idea of monitoring and responding to cyber threats as a Security Analyst, as well as designing and strengthening secure systems as a Security Engineer. However, as long as I'm able to help protect organisations, I would be happy to work in any area of cyber security.