7 December 2021
Via email:
[FYI request #17278 email]
Tēnā koe V. K. Raj,
I am responding on behalf of the University to your recent OIA request, in which you have asked for
information regarding the Centre for Culture-Centered Approach to Research and Evaluation
(CARE), Director of CARE Professor Dutta, and Massey University's relationships with overseas
companies/organisations and funding bodies.
I will respond to each part of your request as follows:
1.
What is the total amount of funding given to Center for Culture Centered Approach
to Research and Evaluation (CARE) by Massey University since CARE has been at the
university (2018-2021)?
2018 $160,102
2019 $445,969
2020 $569, 450
2021 $307, 000 (as of 30 September 2021)
2.
Where has CARE received its funding from (both NZ and overseas funding) and what
are the names of the organisations/funding bodies that have funded CARE? I want
details from 2018 to date.
2019: SGD $0.9 Million (Note: Grant funding held by Partner Organisation Tsao
Foundation in Singapore), NZD $2,535 (Celebrating Communities Fund)
2020: NZD $ 17,965.12 (NCA Editorship Stipend)
NZD $279,227.00 (Ministry of Justice)
3.
For each organisation/funding body that has funded CARE, what is the amount of
funding that CARE has received from them? I want a breakdown of the organisation
names and next to it, how much funding that organisation has provided CARE. I want
this from 2018 to date.
Please refer to Question 2 response.
4.
What is the average salary of a Vice-Chancellor at Massey University? An
approximate average is fine.
Information on Public Sector Chief Executive Remuneration can be found on the Public
Service Commission website
here. The salary of the Vice-Chancellor at Massey
University for the full year ending 22 January 2021 was $495,000.
5.
What is the average salary of Deans at Massey University? An approximate average
is fine.
The average salary for a Dean at Massey University is $226,594.
6.
In 2020, CARE applied to MBIE for a grant/funding. Was this grant successful and if
so, how much was CARE awarded by MBIE?
No.
7.
What details did CARE provide in its funding application to MBIE?
The contents and ideas contained in funding application proposals are confidential and
contain commercially sensitive information. Successful grant applications, including
budgets and associated plans, are used to form the basis of a contractual agreement to
be negotiated between the parties.
The information requested is withheld under sections 9(2)(ba) and 9(2)(i) of the
Official Information Act, to protect information which is subject to an obligation of
confidence, and to enable the University to carry on without prejudice or disadvantage
it’s commercial activities.
8.
What details does CARE provide to funding bodies in its application for funding?
Please refer to Question 7 response.
9.
From its inception in 2018 to date, what other government organisations and/or
Ministries has CARE applied to for funding and have they been successful? If
successful, how much was CARE funded by them?
2020: NZD $279,227.00 (Ministry of Justice)
10.
The Director of CARE, Prof. Mohan Dutta, has been doing research on Hindutva in
Aotearoa. What funding has he received for this research? What
organisations/funding bodies (both in NZ and overseas) have funded this research?
And how much funding from each organisation has he received for this research?
Nil
11.
I want to know what evidence Prof. Mohan provided to warrant any funding
approvals for research on Hindutva in New Zealand.
N/A
12.
What funding did Prof. Mohan receive for his paper titled “Cultural Hindutva and
Islamophobia”? Was this paper approved by the Ethics Committee?
Nil funding. Applications to Massey University Ethics Committees are required for
research involving human and/or animal participants and for research involving
genetic technologies.
13.
What was the epistemology, methodology, objectives and results from Mohan’s
research to warrant him publishing the above paper? Other than Prof. Mohan, who
were the other researchers involved in his ‘Cultural Hindutva and Islamophobia’
white paper?
N/A
14.
Is Prof. Mohan’s blog, titled ‘CARE Director’s Blog’ on the official CARE website
subject to the scrutiny of the Ethics Committee?
No.
15.
If one wanted to lodge a formal complaint against Prof. Mohan, his research and
CARE to Massey university, how does one go about doing so and what is the
complaints process?
Please find attached Massey University’s Code of Responsible Research Conduct. This
policy sets out the principles, standards and responsibilities of all research undertaken
by University researchers. This policy identifies three categories of research
misconduct: questionable research practices, breaches of research conduct, and
research misconduct. The processes for dealing with allegations in any of these
categories are set out in Appendix 2 of the Code.
16.
Are Prof. Mohan’s publications approved for by the universities Ethics Committee
prior to him publishing them? If so, I want a copy of the Ethics Committee’s approvals
for all of Mohan’s research and publications, in particular his white paper mentioned
above and his lecture on 24th August 2021 titled “Critically Interrogating the
Hinduphobia Narrative”.
No. Applications to Massey University Ethics Committees are required for research
involving human and/or animal participants and for research involving genetic
technologies.
17.
What details does Prof. Mohan/CARE provide to the Ethics Committee about his
research projects?
N/A
18.
Massey University was a co-sponsor of the “Dismantling Global Hindutva”
Conference. How much funding did it receive for sponsoring this event, and how
much money did Massey Uni spend on co-sponsoring the event?
Nil funding received or provided in relation to this event.
19.
Is Massey Uni a co-sponsor of any similar upcoming events related to Hindutva? If so,
what are the events and how much is Massey sponsoring them?
No.
20.
On Prof. Mohan’s Massey profile page it states “He has received over $4 million in
funding to work on culture-centered projects of health communication, social
change, and health advocacy”. Where did this $4 million come from?
The funding referred to in the profile page pre-dates the staff member’s time at
Massey University. Therefore, this is not official information that Massey University
holds.
21.
Does Massey University still have an agreement with iFLYTEK (a blacklisted company
for human rights violations) and if so, how much funding does it receive from them?
If the agreement is cancelled, how much funding did Massey Uni receive from them
when the agreement was in force?
Massey University does not have any current agreements with the organisation
iFLYTEK.
Massey University previously had a contractual relationship with iFLYTEK that involved
co-funding of a professorial position. Massey University and iFLYTEK mutually agreed
to end the relationship, effective from 1 December 2019. Massey did not receive any
funding from iFLYTEK during the contracted term.
22.
Does Massey University still have links to universities connected to the Xinjiang
paramilitary group? In particular, does Massey Uni still have a
connection/relationship/agreement with Shihezi University? If not, then when the
connection was there, what was the nature of the connection to these universities
linked to the human rights violations against Uyghurs in Xinjiang?
Without a list of specific universities that you note are connected to this group, we are
unable to identify information in relation to this part of your request. Massey
University does not have any agreements with a ‘Xinjiang Paramilitary Group’.
In relation to the second part of this question, please find below one current and four
expired agreements with Shi He Zi University:
Contract Title
Start Date
End Date
Contract Status
Agreement for Scientific Research and
12/10/06
11/10/11
Expired
Academic Cooperation with ShiHeZi
University, China
Memorandum of Understanding on a
19/06/10
18/06/13
Expired
Three-Year Faculty Exchange Program
Between Shihezi University and Massey
University
The Agreement for Academic
25/09/12
24/09/17
Expired
Cooperation between Peking University,
Shihezi University and Massey University
- 2012
Peking Universtiy, Shihezi University and
28/01/13
27/01/23
Current
Massey University Modern Grassland and
Sheep Industry Academic Cooperation
Agreement
Cooperation Agreement for Corps
01/12/19
31/12/20
Expired
Financial Science and Technology Plan
Project - Bingtuan Science and
Technology Project with Shihezi
University
23.
Does, or did Massey Uni ever, have a connection/relationship with Xinjiang
Production and Construction Corps (XPCC)?
We have found no relationship between Massey University and Xinjiang Production
and Construction Corps (XPCC).
24.
Is Massey Uni still part of the Tripartite Agreement? And if so, how much funding
does it receive from this agreement? If not, how much funding did it receive when it
was signed onto this agreement?
We are unable to answer this question without further information regarding the
specific tripartite agreement referred to.
25.
What companies/organisations and/or funding bodies does Massey currently have a
relationship with that are located in the People’s Republic of China? Does Massey
have any ongoing relationships with blacklisted groups (from China or elsewhere)?
Please find on the next page a table which lists agreements where the contracting
party is listed as located in the People’s Republic of China.
*Please note, the search parameters included organisations that were listed as located
within the People’s Republic of China and may not include organisations where the
contract information does not specify the organisation location.
We are unable to answer the section of this question regarding relationships with
blacklisted groups without due specificity of the names of groups referred to.
I trust this is the information you require.
Ngā mihi,
Christabelle Marshall
Office of Governance and Assurance | Massey University
Contract Title
Start Date
End Date
Contract Status
Contract Type
Organisation
Master Agreement with Lei Garden Restaurant Group
01/04/17
01/04/22
Completed
C-Research & Development (R&D)
Ever Wealthy International Investment
of Hong Kong
Ltd t/a Lei Garden Restaurant Group
Research on production and evaluation of
15/05/18
15/05/23
Completed
C-Memorandum of Understanding
COFCO Nutrition and Health Research
antimicrobial resistance across the dairy value chain
(Collaboration)
Institute Co. Ltd
Learning economics and finance at Massey (Nanjing
01/01/19
31/12/23
Completed
C-Consultancy
Nanjing University of Finance and
University of Finance and Economics)
Economics
Collaboration on social science and engagement for
23/11/18
23/11/23
Completed
C-Memorandum of Understanding
Tongji University
natural hazards and risk research
(Collaboration)
Milk quality and safety
06/09/19
06/09/24
Completed
C-Memorandum of Understanding
Chinese Academy of Agricultural
(Collaboration)
Sciences
Doctoral Programme Scholarship
02/07/19
28/03/23
Completed
C-Variation to Contract/Agreement
Foshan University
Research cooperation in the field of milk quality and
04/11/19
03/11/24
Completed
C-Memorandum of Understanding
Ministry of Agriculture and Rural
safety
(Collaboration)
Affairs of China
Antimicrobial resistance in dairy farming environments
01/07/21
30/06/24
Completed
C-Subcontract (ex Massey only)
Chinese Academy of Agricultural
- phase 2
Sciences
Improving mental health in construction industry and
01/12/20
30/11/23
Completed
C-Research & Development (R&D)
Henan Yingsong Technology Co. Ltd
improving safety and health of ethnic minority
construction workers in New Zealand
