Former Victoria University student Patrick Gower has issued a fiery challenge to the Education Minister.
The vast majority of the University's Council voted in favour of a name change today, which Gower says "hurt" him.
"Dropping the Vic takes away the history, it takes away the heritage," he told The Project.
"It is a short-term pain for a lack of a long-term gain. I'm really sad by it, I think it is arrogant and reckless to ignore the views of 99 percent of the students who said 'don't do it', and 81 percent of alumni like me who said 'don't do it'."
Guest host Wallace Chapman said Gower sounded like "a disgruntled ex-Vic Uni student".
"There's a Vic Uni in Uganda, there's a Vic Uni in Bangladesh, there's a Vic Uni in Canada. Why shouldn't we be different?"
Gower says by virtue of being called the Victoria University of Wellington, or its nickname 'Vic', the tertiary institute is already unique and doesn't need to change.
"My message is to the Education Minister Chris Hipkins, who went to Victoria University actually," he said.
"Minister Hipkins, don't be a traitor. Minister Hipkins, be a leader. Keep the name the way it is, don't be a weak Minister.
"Force the University Council to back down from this - it's over to you."
Newshub.
