Waikato Management School

Online Find your Fit 2026 📣

Join Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand’s online Find Your Fit event on Monday 27th July at 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm and discover the path that's perfect for you. This interactive session will help you understand what different accounting and finance roles actually look like, and how you might find the one that fits you.

Open to tertiary students currently studying accounting, business or finance, the Find your Fit event will allow students to:
· Gain insights into the different specialisations available in the accounting or finance industry
· Create connections with industry professionals
· Increase industry knowledge

📢 There will be a Q&A session at the end of the event so have your questions ready. If you’re ready to turn your degree into a career with confidence, don’t miss this.

Register now to book your spot: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=pqcbP2Cea0C0oYECk9b1vq2xEb7IFcdLr4JP2wfxgdNUMTlPQ0VEWkRCOEJSQjJOVFEwOEUyUEVLMy4u&route=shorturl

🎉 Ready to make the most of your time at Waikato? 🎉

Head along to WSU Clubs Day and discover the wide range of clubs, societies, and opportunities available on campus. It's a great chance to meet new people, build connections, develop new skills, and find a club that matches your interests.

Clubs Day is on today in the Pā, 9am-2pm. See you there! 🙌

⏰ Reminder: Applications for the Summer Research Scholarship are closing soon! If you're keen to develop your research skills and gain valuable experience, make sure you apply before 13th July 2026.

For more information about the Summer Research Scholarship including eligibility and how to apply, check out the webpage: https://www.waikato.ac.nz/study/scholarships/summer-research-scholarship/

Scholarship applications now open! 🎓✨

Looking for financial support to help with your studies? Two fantastic scholarships are now accepting applications for eligible Waikato Management School students:

🌱 Tupu Rangatahi Tupu Ahuwhenua Scholarship
💰 Up to $5,000

This scholarship aims to give financial support to Māori students or students who can show a strong involvement in the Māori communities, who are enrolled full-time in Bachelor of Business with a major in Agribusiness.
📅 Applications close 15 September 2026
🔗 For more information visit: https://www.waikato.ac.nz/study/scholarships/find-a-scholarship/tupu-rangatahi-tupu-ahuwhenua-scholarship/

🤝 Māori and Pasifika Scholarship in Business
💰 $5,000

This scholarship aims to give financial support to Māori and Pasifika students who are entering their final year of Bachelor of Business. Students need to be enrolled full-time in their programme of study. The scholarship will be offered to students who can show leadership qualities, academic achievement and commitment to their community along with strong personal character.
📅 Applications close 15 October 2026
🔗 For more information visit: https://www.waikato.ac.nz/study/scholarships/find-a-scholarship/the-maori-and-pasifika-scholarship-in-business/

Don't miss these great opportunities to invest in your future! 🚀

💡 What does it take to turn a great business idea into a viable start-up? 📊🚀

This week some of The University of Waikato's Master of Business and Management (MBM) students showcased their entrepreneurial talent in a "Shark Tank"-style competition - pitching everything from edible cutlery and cocktail mixers to an educational language game for children.

Four teams went head-to-head in the finals of the Integrative Learning Project (EXMBM533-26A), a capstone paper that challenges MBM students to apply everything they have learned to develop a new business venture from scratch.

Over 12 weeks, teams investigated their concept in depth before pitching it to a panel of mock investors. Their presentations covered everything from customers and competitors to marketing strategy, financial projections and growth plans.

All teams also received mentoring from Sue Loder, a business growth advisor at Soda Inc. Hamilton, helping them refine their ideas and better understand the questions that investors would ask.

This year's winning team was Anytime Year Co., whose innovative planner is designed for people who want the flexibility to start planning their life at any time of year.

🎉 Congratulations to winning team members Andrea Deocampo (Philippines), Ivan B. George (India), Ruilin Song (China), Kimberly Pinheiro (India), and Lulu Jiang (China). 🏆

"Most planners are designed to start in January, so if you miss that window, the momentum is gone," says Andrea. "Our planner breaks that cycle entirely. With no fixed start date, there's no pressure, no guilt. Pick it up whenever you're ready and start exactly where you are. It's designed to be a motivational tool that helps people stay focused on their goals.”

For teammate Ivan George, the project highlighted the importance of teamwork. "You have to delegate tasks, make the most of everyone's skills, and hold each other accountable. We had a really good bond as a team," he says.

Students say the project helped them develop entrepreneurial skills, build confidence in public speaking, make new friends, and gain a deeper understanding of what it takes to launch a successful business.

Well done to the three other finalist teams, who all did an amazing job: Terra Bites, Zestory, and Spin & Speak. 👏

Huge thanks to our judging panel: Sue Loder (Soda Inc.), MBM alumna Joanne Gonsalves, Jason Matangi (Waikato Management School), and Scott Gemmill (Waikato Management School). 🙏

Special thanks also to MBM qualification convenor Jeremy Suisted and teaching fellow Dr Shireen Chua for supporting students throughout the project. 🌟

Congratulations to Dr Mary Low, Associate Professor in Accounting at Waikato Management School, who has been appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) in the 2026 King’s Birthday Honours for her outstanding services to accountancy education. 👑🎓👏

For more than 35 years, Mary has made a significant and lasting impact through her teaching, research, leadership and service to the accounting profession.

An internationally respected scholar, her research on corporate social reporting and integrated reporting has helped shape accounting practice and policy in New Zealand. 🌏🌿

Her work has been published in leading journals, including The British Accounting Review and Meditari Accountancy Research, and cited more than 2,250 times, placing her among New Zealand’s top 10 accounting academics.

Known for her passion, boundless energy, and extraordinary generosity in supporting students to succeed, Mary’s impact extends far beyond research.

She was instrumental in establishing the Master of Professional Accounting degree at The University of Waikato, and has inspired and mentored hundreds of students throughout her career.

She has also built strong connections between schools, industry and higher education by organising outreach initiatives, teacher training and exam revision days, and Waikato Management School’s annual Future of Accounting event.
👉 For details see www.waikato.ac.nz/foa

A Fellow of both Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand and CPA Australia, Mary has also held senior leadership roles within Waikato Management School, including former Acting Head of the School of Accounting, Finance and Economics.

Reflecting on this achievement, Mary says: “This honour reflects the power of education to change lives, and the privilege of helping students build confidence with financial knowledge and their careers and future."

"The ability to read, understand and use financial statements is fundamental to personal financial wellbeing and business sustainability and survival."

We are incredibly proud of Mary and this well-deserved recognition of her remarkable contributions. Well done, ka mau te wehi! 💓👏

👇 See more at:
https://lnkd.in/e4iXGevW

🎉 Tomorrow’s the day! Get ready for the University of Waikato Open Day — happening Friday 22 May, from 9am–2pm on our Hamilton campus.

Thinking about future careers and what you might want to study after high school? Open Day is your chance to explore the Hamilton campus, picture yourself at Waikato, and check out your degree options - such as Business, FinTech, and Communication!🤩

To celebrate, we’re excited to launch our brand-new Bachelor of Business hero video, featuring five current BBus students - Amelia, Matt, Sana, Ainsley, and Xadrian. 🙌

https://youtu.be/zbENPGOlZXI?si=rHz-IyKXaRUNg0Hs

Come see what studying business at Waikato is really like — from hands-on learning and internships to campus life and future career opportunities.

🚀 Learn more about Waikato's Bachelor of Business degree: www.waikato.ac.nz/bbus

📍 Hamilton Open Day: Friday 22 May | 9am–2pm
📍 Tauranga Open Day: Wednesday 1 July | 10am–1pm

👉 Go in the draw to win a VR headset 🎮 at www.waikato.ac.nz/open-day

Study a Bachelor of Business at the University of Waikato | Top-ranked commerce degree in NZ Supercharge your future career with the Bachelor of Business (BBus)...