Unitec and MIT to choose single new name within weeks
The merged Auckland polytechnics will select a new shared name by mid-November, with possible ministerial approval and public launch in 2027.
What happened
Auckland's two polytechnics, Unitec and MIT, formally merged at the start of the year and will now choose a single new name within the next month. Chief executive Professor Christina Hong said a naming rōpū (group) has been established to guide the process, which must reflect the organisation's location and purpose and embed te ao Māori into its future identity. The institute's 1300 staff were sent a survey this week to contribute suggestions. Feedback will be used to develop a longlist of potential names, each undergoing checks on Māori language, legal, digital and reputational grounds before submission to the MIT and Unitec Council in late October. The council will select a name between 28 October and 11 November. After final checks and intellectual property protections, it will proceed to ministerial approval. A new name may be fully approved before the end of the year, though it will not be used publicly or overseas until 2027. The institute is now the country's largest on-campus applied education provider.
Key facts
- Unitec and MIT merged at the start of 2026
- 1300 staff members surveyed this week
- Council to select name between 28 October and 11 November
- Possible full approval and launch in 2027
- Largest on-campus applied education provider in New Zealand
What happens next
The MIT and Unitec Council will select a name between 28 October and 11 November 2026.
Primary source: MIT and Unitec Council naming process
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RNZ
Auckland polytechnics Unitec and MIT to choose new name
The institutes formally became one organisation at the start of the year and chief executive Professor Christina Hong said it's now looking for a new name and brand identity.
1News
Auckland polytechnics Unitec and MIT to choose new name
The institutes formally became one organisation at the start of the year.