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The University of Waikato’s world-first Bachelor of Climate Change continues to attract students from around the globe, with two of the three 2026 Tower Climate Change Scholarship recipients hailing from outside of New Zealand.
Students Lagi Talalupe, Genifer Tadielo and Ayla Montgomerie have each received a $5000 scholarship from Tower to support their studies.
Lagi Talalupe (19) plans to return to her home country of Samoa once she has completed her degree.
“Samoa is still a developing country, and the availability of resources to address climate issues affecting Pacific nations is very limited, with other issues being prioritised,” she says.
“There’s a Samoan proverb that says E lele le toloa ae ma’au lava i le vai, which translates to, the bird may fly far away, but it will always return to the water. The proverb reminds us that no matter how far we travel, we remain connected to our home. I want to do something to care for and nurture that home, contributing and helping my country in that way,” says Talalupe.
“In all honesty, I did not expect that I would get the scholarship, so it took me by surprise. It was such a roller coaster of emotions. It really serves as a testament to my studies and the sleepless nights I’ve spent working on assignments. I’ve had to be disciplined in a lot of spheres in my life and make sacrifices to be able to invest in this degree.
“It’s a huge source of motivation to have something like the scholarship that serves as
support and recognition of my work.”
Tower has supported the University of Waikato’s Bachelor of Climate Change programme since 2021, providing three scholarships annually to help grow the next generation of climate leaders.
Tower operates in New Zealand and five Pacific countries: Samoa, American Samoa, Tonga, Rarotonga and Fiji. Scholarship recipient Genifer Tadielo, who moved to New Zealand from Brazil 13 years ago and has now become a New Zealand citizen, is studying environmental science and hydrology within the Bachelor of Climate Change programme.
As part of the scholarship application process, Tadielo wrote an essay on how the insurance sector in New Zealand will be affected by climate change.
“Climate change will fundamentally reshape the insurance industry in Aotearoa. It will lead to more frequent and severe claims, higher costs, and changes in what can be insured,” she wrote.
“At the same time, it will drive innovation in technology and highlight the importance of education and sustainability. While the challenges are significant, they also present an opportunity for the industry to adapt and contribute to a more resilient future.”
Joining Talalupe and Tadielo as a 2026 scholarship recipient is Ayla Montgomerie, who has spent the first part of the year studying abroad at Cardiff University in Wales.
The University of Waikato’s Bachelor of Climate Change was the first degree of its kind in the world and equips students with the interdisciplinary knowledge needed to respond to one of the biggest challenges facing communities today.
