Ethan McCormick | Biggar Family Trust Kupe Leadership Scholar

Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Politics & International Relations

Social cohesion, the environment, and the integrity of our democratic institutions are inextricably linked. Nonetheless, the future of our planet continues to be governed by short-termism, political agendas, and the whims of election cycles. This calls for a paradigm shift that recognises the ways in which the environment underpins human systems. Despite recent domestic setbacks, I believe that New Zealand can play a key role in leading this charge. Stories of homegrown conservationists like Don Merton and Sir Peter Blake, and recent initiatives like Predator Free 2050, exemplify many of the values that New Zealanders pride themselves on: ingenuity, ambition, resolve, and a deep care for our surroundings. As a passionate conservationist, I believe that empowered people are central to solving wicked problems. I intend to build consensus by bringing others with me in my mission to affect both human and natural systems.

Sponsor: Biggar Family Trust

Mentor: Dame Anne Salmond ONZ DBE FRSNZ

Dame Anne Salmond is a distinguished Professor of Māori Studies and Anthropology at the University of Auckland, and a leading social scientist. She is the first New Zealander to be elected a fellow of both the US National Academy of Sciences and the British Academy, and a member of the American Philosophical Society. She has won numerous international awards, including the Rutherford Medal and the Order of New Zealand, and is known for her prize-winning books on Māori life and cross-cultural encounters in the Pacific.