Scholarship winner bound for China
A ceremony was recently held at Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu to recognise Danni’s scholarship win. Representatives from both Ngāi Tahu and Agria Corporation attended as well as the Chinese Consulate General, Jin Zhijian.
Danni Thian (Ngāi Tahu nō Awarua Rūnanga) is the recipient of this year’s Agria-Hōaka scholarship. In February, she will travel to China and spend 12 months studying Mandarin at the prestigious Tsinghua University in Beijing. Danni, 24, says she feels fortunate to have been given the opportunity to travel to China, next year. “It’s all surreal. I recently went to the Chinese Embassy and that is when it all started to sink in.”
Chairman of Agria Corporation, Alan Lai, acknowledged Danni’s success in securing the Agria-Hōaka scholarship and wished her well on her journey overseas. “This is a great opportunity for you to take this scholarship. I hope that when you come back, you can be a champion for Ngāi Tahu and for the company – you are an ambassador,” he said.
She adds that she has started taking evening Mandarin classes in preparation for her trip.
The scholarship was established in 2013 and Danni is the second recipient. The Agria-Hōaka scholarship is a joint partnership between Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu and Agria Corporation Limited (New Zealand) and is based on a common commitment to intergenerational excellence. Agria Corporation Limited is a Chinabased agriculture company with operations in China and internationally. Ngāi Tahu and Agria are both shareholders in PGG Wrightson.
Danni graduated from Otago University with a Bachelor of Commerce (1st Class Hons with a major in economics. She currently works at the New Zealand Treasury, in Wellington, as a commercial operations, labour market and welfare analyst. In 2009, she accepted an internship at Ngāi Tahu Holdings as a Matakahi Cadet and the following year she completed the cultural and personal development programme, Aoraki Bound. Outside of her academic achievements, Danni has excelled in swimming and synchronised swimming; having won a gold medal at the 2004 Oceania Championships for synchronised swimming.
From left, Mike Sang, Chief Executive of Ngāi Tahu Holdings, Danni Thian, Jin Zhijian, Consul-General China, Christchurch and Alan Lai, Agria Corporation.
Danni Thian.
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