Centre appoints first Distinguished Honorary Scholar

An internationally renowned public health strategist who has dedicated her life to advancing the rights of indigenous communities has been appointed the first Distinguished Honorary Scholar at the University of Essex’s Centre for Global Health and Intersectional Equity Research.

Emma Rawson - Te Patu will help strengthen the Centre’s commitment to intersectionality and indigenous perspectives in public health practice and policy through her scholarship, advocacy and strategic acumen.

Emma is currently serving as the first indigenous president of the World Federation of Public Health and Associations and is due to take up the post of Expert Member of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues in January 2026.

She brings deep expertise in Tiriti-based and rights-based frameworks, Indigenous knowledge systems, culturally responsive policy development, and public health leadership.

Emma said: “It is profoundly important to me that we connect and collaborate as widely as we can as people and practitioners, researchers and decision makers to ensure that Human Rights, Indigenous Rights, and Equity are a common, coherent and cohesively understood everyday conversation.

“We must ensure that everybody gets what they need, where they need it, how they need it, when they need it.

“It is my honour to join the University of Essex’s Centre for Global Health and Intersectional Equity Research (CGHIER) as Distinguished Honorary Scholar to continue to challenge the status quo and support and grow opportunities for us all within this community and beyond.”

As a former Expert Advisor at Te Kāhui Tika Tangata, the New Zealand Human Rights Commission, Emma is a tireless advocate for equity, planetary health, and Indigenous leadership in shaping just and sustainable futures.

Her work at Manu-Kahu Associates has shaped national and international strategies through training, research, facilitation, and values-based community development.

The Centre for Global Health and Intersectional Equity Research’s director, Professor Anuj Kapilashrami, said: “I am delighted to welcome Emma Rawson- Te Patu as a Distinguished Honorary Scholar with the Centre.

“Emma’s appointment marks a milestone in our commitment to centring indigenous leadership, decolonising global health, and forging bold, intersectional approaches to equity, while leaving no one behind.

“It provides unparalleled opportunities for research and teaching in indigenous health, creating invaluable learning experiences for students and faculty alike.

“Nau mai, haere mai, Emma. We are honoured to walk this path together with you.”