We’re really excited to welcome a new member to our academyEX teaching and learning community -someone who brings a deep commitment to inclusive education, a strong connection to the Pacific, and a genuine belief in the power of learning to create positive change.

Manu e kai i te miro - Nōna te ngāhere The bird that feasts on the Miro - Owns the forest
Manu e kai i te mātauranga - Nōna te ao The bird that feasts on knowledge - Owns the world
Kia ora tātou kātoa Greeting to you all
No Te Awakairangi tōku wāhi whānau Te Awakairangi is the place of my birth
Ko Ngati Pākeha tōku iwi I am of European descent
Ko Ngati Kuki Airāni tōku whānau whāngai I have Cook Islands family connections
Ko Debi Futter-Puati tōku ingoaMy name is Debi Futter-Puati

Debi Futter-Puati has spent her career working across schools, tertiary institutions, ministries and communities - both here in Aotearoa and in the Cook Islands. From teaching in classrooms in Lower Hutt to developing health education programmes and leading the University of the South Pacific’s Cook Islands campus, she’s always been guided by the idea that education should be responsive, relational, and grounded in equity.

“For me, it’s always been about working alongside others who care about social justice - who are committed to making education work for everyone, not just those who fit the system.”

Her connection to Pacific communities runs deep. As part of a Cook Islands anau, she’s lived and worked in Rarotonga since 2003, raising her whānau, contributing to national education projects, and completing both her master’s and doctoral research in Cook Islands health and wellbeing. She’s helped design new tertiary qualifications focused on Indigenous knowledge and language, and has continued to ask important questions about how we can teach in ways that reflect who our learners are.

So, what drew her to academyEX? It was a research project that sparked her interest - a collaboration with one of our master’s learners that combined Pacific models of wellbeing with creative, arts-based research on a remote island in the Pa Enua. That experience showed her there was space here to think differently, to challenge norms, and to honour Indigenous approaches to learning.

“I loved that we could take a culturally grounded idea and bring it to life in a way that made sense for the people and place we were working with. That kind of openness really stood out to me.”

At academyEX, she’s looking forward to supporting our teaching and learning teams to reflect, evolve, and create even more responsive experiences for our learners - especially those from Māori and Pasifika communities. She brings a thoughtful, collaborative approach and believes that learning happens best in spaces where relationships come first, where curiosity is encouraged, and where people feel safe to be themselves.

She’s also a big believer in learning by doing. Whether that’s paddling a vaka as part of a Cook Islands studies course, or giving students space to test out new skills before they take them into the world. And when she’s not in the classroom? You might find her cycling, swimming, teaching a community fitness class, or enrolled in a course herself. Lifelong learning is something she lives, not just talks about.

“Success, for me, is when people feel comfortable enough to bring their whole selves into the space - including the tough stuff. That’s when real learning and change can happen.”

We’re looking forward to the many ways she’ll help shape our learning environment - and we know our students, staff and wider community will benefit from her presence.

Meet Our New Director of Learning: Debi Futter-Puati