Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti
16 mins ago
Dr Gareth Allison is EIT’s new Head of the School of Business
An EIT educator who spent time working at an Indigenous tertiary institute in Australia’s Northern Territory, says that having an impact on people’s lives and in communities is key.
Dr Gareth Allison, who is EIT’s new Head of the School of Business, says that his job as Executive Dean of the Faculty of Tertiary Education and Research at Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education gave him an insight into the role that education can play in people’s lives. He also spent part of his time there in the acting CEO role.
“What was great about the roles was what you were doing as an organisation was making a real impact on people’s lives. In that context it was changing the lives of people, families and communities that had been damaged by colonialism“
“We had a wide variety of offerings from very low level literacy and numeracy programmes delivered in the prisons, right through to postgraduate courses. I enjoyed my time there and it really was a place where I learnt a lot of lessons.”
Gareth, who joined EIT in May as postgraduate programme coordinator and lecturer in the Schools of Business and Computing, is looking forward to his new role heading the School of Business. He has also been appointed Head of the School of Tourism and Hospitality and the English Language Centre.
He is originally from Kaikōura and has worked extensively within the tertiary education sector since receiving his PhD from Lincoln University. He has worked at Lincoln University, Auckland University of Technology, Higher Colleges of Technology in Dubai, the University of Canterbury and Ara Institute of Canterbury as well.
Gareth, who ran his own business in Christchurch for about a year after returning from Australia, says that he decided to come to EIT because it had always had a good reputation in the Polytech sector.
“I enjoy this sector a lot, its applied and real and I feel that you can make more of a difference.”
“I think that after what this community has been through, it’s a chance to make an impact and to do something meaningful, which is, to me, quite important.”
Research has been an important part of Gareth’s career and he is enjoying connecting with EIT’s rich research culture. His own doctoral thesis examined Cross-cultural motivations for the consumption of luxury products, but his interests are now more about multicultural marketplaces, food marketing, and ethical consumption.
He says that he is looking forward to the challenge of being Head of three distinct schools (Business, Tourism and Hospitality and the English Language Centre).
“My job in that space is to help to grow those areas till they are sustainable and vibrant and doing all the things they need to do.”
He says that while an important part of the School of Business was the postgraduate programmes in Auckland which focused on international students, he is keen to grow the undergraduate offering in Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti, as well as postgraduate offerings for domestic students in Hawke’s Bay.
“What i’d like to see is for the business school as a whole to be more engaged with the region that we’re in, to be more relevant, to be more a part of the community that we live and work in, and to be a real contributor to the economy of this region in terms of developing skills and creating opportunities for businesses and for students.”
“I’d also like for us to be more connected to all of our stakeholders, including Māori, and to increase our relevance in that space over time.”
John West, EIT’s Executive Dean: Faculty of Commerce and Technology, says: “EIT is delighted to be able to appoint Gareth who brings a breadth of Australian educational leadership and management experience, and a deep understanding of delivering educational outcomes to learners that often find access and success at tertiary education difficult.”