Building Canadian indigenous connections
Students passionate about Indigenous-led education and community engagement now have the opportunity to spend a semester abroad through the Barry and Laurie Green Bilateral Exchange Program, a new partnership between AUT and Canada’s Trent University.
The program is the first student exchange between AUT and Trent University and will enable three students from each institution to spend a semester studying at the partner university.
“Universities can create opportunities for students to encounter and embrace knowledge, cultures and communities beyond their own experience,” said AUT Vice-Chancellor, Professor Damon Salesa.
“This exchange brings together two institutions with a deep commitment to Indigenous education and creates an incredibly valuable opportunity for learning and engagement between Aotearoa New Zealand and Canada. We hope these experiences will open the door for students from both countries to broaden their understanding, build connections beyond the classroom and be inspired to carry that learning back into their communities and organisations.”
Developed in consultation with Indigenous faculty from both institutions, the Bilateral Exchange program is the first student exchange between Trent and AUT, made possible by a $375,000 gift from the Green family to Trent’s Momentous Campaign.
Te Toi Aronui, Professor Meihana Durie, said the program is one of the opportunities that has emerged from AUT’s role as the host institution of the World Indigenous Peoples’ Conference on Education (WIPCE 2025).
“AUT is tremendously excited about the opportunities now emerging from WIPCE 2025, and particularly by this new and exciting sponsored exchange. It gives Māori and Pacific students from AUT an opportunity to build on AUT’s growing commitment to trans-Pacific relationships and experiences through study abroad at Trent University, an institution deeply committed to truth and reconciliation,” said Professor Durie.
“It also creates an opportunity for students to share aspects of AUT’s Te Aronui Framework and bring the perspectives and experiences of Indigenous students and communities in Tāmaki Makaurau into this international exchange.”
New global pathways
The initiative brings together Indigenous and international education, offering students new global pathways to share and learn about traditional perspectives, build networks, and participate in distinct learning environments.
It will support semester-long international exchanges for three students from each institution, with the AUT cohort visiting Trent in fall 2027 and the Trent cohort travelling to AUT in winter 2028. Funding through the Trust will cover flights, accommodation, comprehensive travel and health insurance and a stipend to support living costs.
“At Trent, our work toward reconciliation is reflected in the relationships we build and in opportunities that bring students into meaningful dialogue across cultures,” said Dr. Cathy Bruce, President and Vice-Chancellor of Trent University. “This international exchange program expands what Trent University has been doing for decades, creating new opportunities for students to connect with Indigenous perspectives and community-based learning across the globe.”
“Reconciliation depends on learning, broadening our perspectives, and building meaningful relationships in community. This exchange program allows students to do exactly that,” said Barry and Laurie Green, whose vision and generosity led to the creation of the new exchange scholarship program.
“We are excited about the deeper Indigenous-led learning and community partnerships it will support, and especially about the cultural insight and life skills students will carry forward from these experiences.”