Auckland’s two polytechnics, Unitec and MIT, expect to choose a single new name within the next month.
The institutes formally became one organisation at the start of the year and chief executive Professor Christina Hong said the organisation was now looking for a new name and brand identity.
She said it had set up a naming rōpū (group), which was told the name must speak to the organisation’s location and purpose.
“The feedback we receive will be used to develop a longlist of potential names. Each of these will undergo relevant due diligence checks regarding Māori language, legal, digital and reputational considerations before being provided to MIT and Unitec Council in late October,” she said.
Hong said the council would select a name between 28 October and 11 November after which it would go through final checks and intellectual property protections before progressing to the ministerial approval process.
“It is possible that a new name may have been selected and fully approved before the end of the year. Once that is done, we will share it with our audiences,” she said.
“However, we will not be using the new name in market – here or overseas – until 2027.”
Hong said the institute was now the country’s largest provider of on-campus applied education and wanted to be a significant institution for Aotearoa New Zealand and also the Asia-Pacific region.
“Our brand reflects who we are, what we stand for and the promise we make to those who choose to study or partner with us.
“A timely transition to a new name and brand that reflects our purpose, strengthens our identity and resonates with the full breadth of our audiences is therefore a key priority.”