Hazel Abraham
2025: Dr Hazel Abraham of Te Wānanga Aronui o Tāmaki Makau Rau – Auckland University of Technology is researching how digital technology could enhance Māori and Pacific wellbeing
Dr Hazel Abraham (Ngāti Awa, Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Whakatōhea, Ngāi Tuhoe, Ngāti Rangitihi) will use their New Zealand Mana Tūāpapa Future Leader Fellowship to investigate the well-established relationship between digital access and health inequities for Māori and Pacific people. The Te Ara Matihiko programme centres Indigenous knowledge, whānau engagement, and early intervention to co-create the first trauma-informed, culturally grounded pathways into artificial intelligence, immersive media, and education in science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics.
Grounded in tikanga and Indigenous data sovereignty, Dr Abraham’s research will take a quantitative and qualitative structured mixed-methods approach, in partnership with 150 groups, to co-create artificial intelligence powered storytelling platforms, augmented reality and virtual reality experiences, podcasting tools, digital literacy assessments, culturally responsive tools, and a wellbeing app. This research is focused on empowering confidence, capability, and innovation in underrepresented communities.
Connecting Interculturally Framework. Credit: Moa Thought - Lincoln Moa