This afternoon, Dame Cindy hosted the Community Research Te Auaha Pito Mata Awards, celebrating the impact of emerging community researchers in Aotearoa New Zealand.
These awards recognise researchers who are in the first eight years of their career, and have dedicated themselves to work that uplifts communities, strengthens knowledge, and creates positive change.
Award recipients conducted a range of research from exploring the experiences of Māori workers and collective agreement clauses, to documenting the healing journeys of wāhine from gang whānau.
Dame Cindy emphasised the deep importance of research in capturing authentic community experiences, saying: 'Like you, I know that knowledge doesn’t just exist in institutions. It lives also within our communities, through our connections with each other, and within the collective wisdom of ages.' You can read Dame Cindy's full speech here: Te Auaha Pito Mata Awards 2026.
Congratulations to all award recipients and thank you for your commitment towards creating meaningful change through research.
You can view more images from the event here: Te Auaha Pito Mata Awards 2026.