Welcome from the Vice-Chancellor

Welcome to Auckland University of Technology – New Zealand’s second largest university.

This is an exciting time to be joining AUT. I come into a university that in a short generation has become one of New Zealand’s and the world’s leading universities. So much has been achieved since AUT became a university:

• New Zealand’s most diverse student body including huge cohorts of tauira Māori, mature students, and Asian and Pacific students.
• Stunning growth – second biggest in New Zealand
• Remarkable quality – ranked 2nd in New Zealand in 2021 after only 20 years
• Over 100,000 alumni across every walk of life – major contribution to the workforce in New Zealand and internationally
• Growing reputation for research that makes a difference

AUT also holds true to its deeper origins, where for over a century it has been a place of accessible and transformative learning. AUT inspires me as a university of opportunity, a place which aspires to both equity and excellence, and to do so in a way that fully engages with Te Tiriti and is anchored in the culture and whenua where we stand.

I commit to building on AUT’s achievements to enable the next phase of development and maturity, deepening our roots into the communities we serve to extend our contribution further. We will do so in ways that are sustainable and Te Tiriti-led.

I look forward to welcoming you to the university.

Professor Damon Salesa
Vice-Chancellor