Panel testing Unitec for university qualifications

An international panel arrives in West Auckland today to assess Unitec's application to become a university.

The polytechnic has been battling for recognition as a university for more than five years, but says it has been scuppered by a Government determined not to allow the institution to go through the assessment process.

Unitec has taken a $3.5 million legal action against the Government for multiple breaches of law in suspending the application while trying to introduce a law to block it.

The panel of academics from New Zealand, Britain and Australia, will go over Unitec with a fine-tooth comb.

To satisfy university status under the Education Act, the institution must be primarily concerned with more advanced learning, deliver interdependent teaching and research that meets international standards, act as a repository of knowledge and expertise, accept a role as critic and conscience of society and have a wide diversity of teaching and research.

Dr John Webster, Unitec chief executive, said he was confident Unitec had the characteristics of a university.

"After the barriers that we've had to overcome to get to this stage, we are looking forward to proving to the panel that we meet the required standards."

Unitec had established a culture of research and advanced practice that informed teaching and contributed to social, economic and environmental development.

"We have raised our game to a level that should make it extremely difficult for an unbiased panel to come to any conclusion other than that Unitec looks, feels and acts like a vibrant dual-sector university," said Dr Webster.

The panel will report its findings to the Qualifications Authority, which will make its recommendations to the Minister of Education, Trevor Mallard.