University of Waikato

The University of Waikato (M?ori: Te Whare W?nanga o Waikato), informally Waikato University, is a comprehensive university in Hamilton, New Zealand. The university was established in 1964 and has a satellite campus located in Tauranga.

The University of Waikato began in 1956 after Hamilton locals launched a petition for a university to serve the needs of the South Auckland region. The group was led by Douglas Seymour, a barrister, and subsequently Anthony "Rufus" Rogers, a Hamilton GP and brother to long-time Mayor of Hamilton, Denis Rogers. Their campaign coincided with a shortage of teachers in the 1950s that prompted the New Zealand government to consider plans for a teachers’ college in the region. In 1960, the newly established Hamilton Teachers’ College opened its doors, and combined with the fledgeling university (then a branch of Auckland University), began a joint campus on farmland at Hillcrest, on the city's outskirts.

In 1964, the two institutions moved to their new home, and the following year the University of Waikato was officially opened by then Governor-General Sir Bernard Fergusson.

The University of Waikato operates from two campuses, Hamilton, and Tauranga. Undergraduate degrees are also offered through a satellite location on the campus of Zhejiang University City College in Hangzhou.