Sandra Lee Morrison is a New Zealand academic, and is a full professor at the University of Waikato, specialising in researching and advocating for adult education for diverse populations across the Asia Pacific region.

Sandra Morrison
AwardsInternational Adult and Continuing Education Hall of Fame
Academic work
InstitutionsUniversity of Waikato

Early life and education edit

Morrison affiliates with Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāti Rarua, and Te Arawa iwi.[1] As a child Morrison took part in performances of Māori singing and dancing for tourists, with her family, but did not enjoy it and preferred reading books, which she says got her 'hooked on learning'.[2] She was the first in her family to graduate from university, and saw a 'ripple effect' through the family as they realised education was a route into better job opportunities.[1] Morrison obtained a master's degree in 2002 of Māori and Pacific Development from the University of Waikato.[3]

Academic career edit

Morrison is on the faculty of the University of Waikato, where she was appointed as a full professor in 2022.[1]

Morrison served from 2004 to 2008 as President of the Asia South Pacific Association for Basic and Adult Education.[1] From 2008 she was elected President of the International Council for Adult Education.[2] Morrison said her goals for her four-year term were to "reaffirm and strengthen that access to good quality education is a human right" and "to achieve greater recognition of the importance of education in sustainable development and this means taking into consideration the rights of women and those vulnerable groups. For example, the number of illiterate people is still unacceptable."[2] Morrison co-founded the Indigenous, Maori and Pacific Adult Education Charitable Trust (IMPAECT) to develop cultural diverse approaches to education.[4][5][6]

Morrison is part of the Deep South National Science Challenge, where she leads work on iwi relationships with the Southern and Antarctic oceans, Te Tai Uka a Pia, and leads the Vision Mātauranga work.[7][1][8] She has written about the importance of the Treaty of Waitangi, and about iwi attitudes to climate change.[9][10][11]

Honours and awards edit

In 2009 Morrison was inducted into the University of Oklahoma’s International Adult and Continuing Education Hall of Fame.[1][4] In 2011, she won an Ako Aotearoa award for Sustained Excellence in Tertiary Teaching.[12][13]

Selected works edit

Book edit

  • Morrison, Sandra; Tarawa, N (2003). Reading our land: Case study of Te Waka Pu Whenua, Maori Adult Education Centre in New Zealand. Asian South Pacific Bureau of Adult Education.[14]

Articles edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d e f University of Waikato News (22 July 2022). "Three new professors announced". University of Waikato. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
  2. ^ a b c Firth, Georgia (26 March 2018). "New head for International Council for Adult Education". Adult Learning Australia. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
  3. ^ "Sandra Morrison". The Conversation. 3 February 2019. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
  4. ^ a b "Sandra Lee Morrison". International Adult and Continuing Education Hall of Fame. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
  5. ^ Waikato University (12 February 2004). "Sharing Education Knowledge". Scoop news. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
  6. ^ "About". IMPAECT. 24 March 2014. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
  7. ^ "Deep South National Science Challenge to fund 14 kaupapa Māori climate adaptation research projects". Royal Society Te Apārangi. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
  8. ^ "Priya Kurian, Debashish Munshi, Sandy Morrison | Deep South Challenge". Deep South Challenge | Climate Change Tools & Information. 25 November 2020. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
  9. ^ Morrison, Sandy (1 March 2022), "Associate Professor Sandy Morrison, Vision Mātauranga Programme Lead, Deep South Challenge; and Head of Māori and Indigenous Studies, Waikato University", Indigenous knowledge and climate adaptation – Expert Reaction, retrieved 20 January 2024
  10. ^ Morrison, Sandra; Huygens, Ingrid (7 February 2019). "The significance of Te Tiriti o Waitangi". www.waikato.ac.nz. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
  11. ^ Huygens, Ingrid L. M.; Morrison, Sandra (5 February 2019). "Explainer: the significance of the Treaty of Waitangi". The Conversation. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
  12. ^ Komako. "Sandy Morrison (Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāti Rārua, Te Arawa)". komako.org.nz. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
  13. ^ "Sandra Lee Morrison". ako.ac.nz. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
  14. ^ University of Waikato. "Professor Sandy Morrison". profiles.waikato.ac.nz. Retrieved 20 January 2024.