Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics
Tertiary Education Centre

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Tertiary Education Centre (STEM-TEC) is the first and only centre in New Zealand that focuses on STEM education at tertiary level. It was established in 2013.

The Centre was officially launched on 17 September 2014 by Hon Steven Joyce, Minister of Business, Innovation and Employment, Minister for Economic Development, Minister of Science and Innovation, Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment, Associate Minister of Finance.

View the full video on Maori TV

Our mission statement :

Increasing the number and improving the quality of STEM graduates for the New Zealand knowledge economy.

We aim to achieve this by:

• Conducting high quality research in STEM education
• Implementing best pedagogical strategies in the teaching and learning of STEM subjects
• Ensuring equity and creating opportunity via social and community engagement

Our main objectives:

• Establish a creative environment for collaborative research in the multidisciplinary area of STEM education with other New Zealand and international tertiary institutions via seminars, conferences, exchange programmes and fellowships.

• Enhance the quality of STEM education by developing, implementing and sharing innovative pedagogical strategies in the teaching and learning of the STEM subjects including inquiry-based STEM activities and entrepreneurial studies for STEM subjects.

• Establish and run AUT’s STEMpreneurs Club for staff and students.

• Provide professional development for New Zealand polytechnic lecturers and school teachers of STEM subjects through block courses, seminars, workshops, conferences, joint publications and online resources.

• Promote utility and intrinsic value of STEM subjects at schools and in the wider community to attract more students to study STEM subjects especially from groups that are traditionally under-represented (Maori, Pasifika, women).

• Connect school students and teachers with the world-class science, technology, engineering and mathematics facilities and resources of AUT.