Sponsorship of UC students to visit Tonga to deliver outreach resources - Annual Report 2025

20 June, 2026

We supported two of our Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha University of Canterbury (UC) based students to travel to Tonga for outreach delivery. The trip was a collaboration between Associate Investigator Dr Taniela Lolohea and Principal Investigator Associate Professor Matthew Cowan.

Taniela has established an ongoing relationship with a local high school to establish a science and technology centre and support the professional development of teachers, and Matt has developed a water quality education resource, Pacific H₂O. Taniela and Matt teamed up to deliver a project at a high school related to nitrate monitoring in water in Tonga.

Tongan students working on our nitrate monitoring project

This trip to Tonga was enriching both professionally and personally. It allowed us to adapt our workshop to a new cultural setting, overcome challenges, and witness the school students’ enthusiasm and curiosity firsthand.
Shallu Verma MacDiarmid Institute PhD student

Students in Tonga