Maha Shaktiswara Kepakisan

“Living in Bali, a place known for its tourism industry, has ignited my interest in intercultural communication and ultimately in international relations”, says Dunedin-based Young Leader Maha Shaktiswara Kepakisan of his Indonesian origins and interest in the interconnections between Asia and New Zealand.

Since the age of eighteen, Maha has been living in New Zealand, and is now in his final year of a degree in Accounting and International Management at the University of Otago. His interest in intercultural awareness has resulted in his position as Senior Residential Assistant to Toroa International House.

Currently, Maha has an organisational role enlisting the participation of speakers from five different Asian countries, including himself, for the recently conducted Asia:NZ Young Leaders Network Dunedin event entitled “Asian Scarfies’ Experiences”.

Maha envisages that this event will enable “education providers to understand the population better” and also help provide “a better experience for Asians studying in the region.”