The main focus of Te Ipukarea's research is Māori language, culture, and knowledge. Our research focus is represented by four pou (pillars):
Te Whare o Rongomaurikura - Centre for Language Revitalisation, includes language documentation, planning, policy, teaching and learning, and the normalisation of the Māori language in Aotearoa/New Zealand. Taonga tuku iho refers to our traditional knowledge
, including the oral tradition and arts. Tino rangatiratanga, which is a phrase from Te Tiriti o Waitangi (Treaty of Waitangi) that refers to Māori self-determination, includes research on Indigenous Peoples' rights, governance, education, well-being and policy. Moana is our pou that situates our research within 'our sea of islands' with a focus on comparative studies, the diaspora, environments and sustainability. Our guiding whakataukī is ‘whakatepea te kō’ which highlights our strategic team approach, including the weaving together of a research and community based agenda. Te Ipukarea also aims to be a space where Indigenous epistemologies and world-views are nurtured within the academy.
