TOP TEACHER Music Alumnus Voted Most Inspirational Teacher ENGAGING COMPASSION BEYOND PLUTO in This Issue
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THE UNIVERSITY OF AUCKLAND ALUMNI MAGAZINE | Autumn 2012 TOP TEACHER Music alumnus voted most inspirational teacher ENGAGING COMPASSION BEYOND PLUTO In this issue Ingenio – The University of Auckland Letters to the Editor 4 alumni magazine 8 News 5 Autumn 2012 ISSN 1176-211X Features Editor: Tess Redgrave Top teacher 8 Contributing editor: Helen Borne Art Direction/Production: Brigid Cottrell Compassionate medicine 10 Design: Brigid Cottrell and Laura Dueker Taking Issue 12 Advertising manager: Don Wilson Proof reading: Bill Williams, Treena Brown Stolen to film 14 12 Editorial contact details Dame Robin White 16 Ingenio Communications and Marketing Distinguished Alumni Awards 18 The University of Auckland Private Bag 92019 Auckland Live! 21 Auckland 1142, New Zealand Level 10, Fisher Building Ion men 22 18 Waterloo Quadrant, Auckland Telephone: +64 9 373 7599 ext 84149 Space explorer 23 Facsimile: +64 9 373 7047 14 Email: [email protected] At the library’s helm 24 www.auckland.ac.nz/ingenio COMPASS 26 How alumni keep in touch To ensure that you continue to receive Ingenio, Beadle coins 28 and to subscribe to @auckland, the University’s email newsletter for alumni and Opinion 29 friends, please update your details at: www.alumni.auckland.ac.nz/update Writers festival 30 Alumni Relations Office The University of Auckland 26 19A Princes Street, Private Bag 92019 Regular sections Auckland 1142, New Zealand Telephone: +64 9 923 4653 Alumni achievers 31 Email: [email protected] www.alumni.auckland.ac.nz Alumni News/Noticeboard 32 Copyright Development News 34 Articles reflect personal opinions and are not those of The University of Auckland. No parts Art 36 of this publication may be reproduced without prior consent of The University of Auckland. Books 37 All rights reserved. ©The University of Auckland 2012 Sport 38 Cover photo Alumnus Robert Loretz by Dean Carruthers Ingenio website Check out our website www.ingenio-magazine.com If you’re as happy to read Ingenio online as in print, we’ll stop sending you the magazine and instead you’ll receive an email each time the website is refreshed with the latest Ingenio content. You can search articles, browse by topic, view videos and leave comments on the Ingenio website. Ingenio is printed on 100% recycled, elemental chlorine-free paper, using soy-based ink. 2 | The University of Auckland From the Vice-Chancellor performance. At the same time we grew and • Be a community comprising highly diversified our revenue streams, particularly accomplished and well supported in the areas of external research income and academic and professional staff philanthropy. However, other objectives – for • Attract very able students and give them example, increasing our proportions of Māori an outstanding experience so that they and Pacific students and staff, and raising become successful and influential the international rankings of the University - graduates and loyal alumni remain challenging. • Benefit society by conducting and applying The development of the new Plan is research of the highest quality based on the premise that the future of • Benefit Māori and the University through New Zealand will be dependent upon the partnerships that acknowledge the skills and capabilities of our people. The principles of the Treaty of Waitangi university sector, and in particular research- • Develop strong partnerships with key led universities, help enable this future and organisations and communities, nationally in doing so create major benefits across and internationally society: outstanding graduates who go on to • Adhere to our core values and remain an have a positive impact in their communities; autonomous, sustainable, equitable opportunities for under-represented organisation communities to access the benefits of higher • Be a public university of global standing education; research that contributes to social, that serves New Zealand, is distinctive and economic and environmental development; reflects our place in the Asia/Pacific region independent public comment on issues of importance; international relationships The draft Strategic Plan 2013-2020 thus through university collaborations and focuses on the strategic objectives arising export education; and a substantial public from these aspirations, a series of actions infrastructure. For these reasons most necessary to pursue these objectives and a developed countries, and many developing number of measures that will enable us to countries, value highly their leading research track our progress. The Strategic Plan, in the Have your say: be part of universities and invest heavily in their form finally adopted by the University Council, enhancement. will determine the future of The University of your alma mater’s future The University of Auckland’s position as Auckland over the period 2013-2020. In March the University Council approved New Zealand’s premier research university I hope that you will take the time to a draft Strategic Plan 2013-2020 for has been achieved by the efforts and read both the draft Strategic Plan 2013- widespread consultation with the University excellence of its people, past and present. 2020 and the Supporting Document, think community over a four-month period ending However, the reality is that no New Zealand carefully about how you would like to see 29 June. The Plan sets out a vision for the university is ranked among the top 50 in your University develop over the next eight University and the key objectives which must the world. Our challenge is to ensure that years, and let us have your comments. Your be achieved if that vision is to be realised. In Auckland and New Zealand have a major comments will be gratefully received via its final form it will be the primary document international university, providing a learning the website www.auckland.ac.nz/uoa/draft- in the University's cycle of planning, delivery environment of the highest quality, leading strategic-plan-2013-2020 or by writing to: and accountability and forms the basis for the advancement of knowledge creation Mrs Gill Wilson annual resource allocation. and innovation, and taking our place on the Vice-Chancellor’s Office I invite all our alumni and friends to read global stage as a valued peer of the best The University of Auckland and comment on the draft Strategic Plan public civic universities. Such an institution Private Bag 92019 2013-2020 and read a Supporting Document will create major benefits for New Zealand Auckland 1142 which outlines the University’s recent and will help to ensure that our wider achievements and provides a context for the university system continues to be recognised StuaRT McCUTCHEON new draft Plan. See www.auckland.ac.nz/uoa/ internationally. All this must be achieved draft-strategic-plan-2013-2020. against the background of very low levels of Our previous Strategic Plan 2005-2012 led investment in the New Zealand universities to considerable progress in the development relative to that in our international peers. of the University: planned and limited growth We propose to build on previous of student numbers; growth in the academic achievements by focusing on the creation ability of our entry cohort; a continued of an environment in which highly talented focus on equity of access; appreciable staff and students can flourish. The Strategic growth of the graduate programme; and an Plan 2013-2020 thus proposes seven key environment that supports enhanced research aspirations for our University. These are to: Ingenio Autumn 2012 | 3 LETTERS Letters In response to our feature in the Spring 2011 Ingenio, “Is Auckland the cultural capital of New Zealand?” Victoria Carter, Chair of the Auckland Arts Festival and playwright Roger Hall comment. Because this is where the audiences are, and in 2012, ranging from Dave Armstrong’s Is Auckland the cultural the tough audiences at that! very funny The Motor Camp, to that great capital of the country? Auckland is stuffed full of artistic small-scale music, Little Shop of Horrors. endeavours. Pick up the paper and on any Silo Theatre (younger audience, slightly less In the past ten years Auckland City Council weekend from Papakura to Warkworth mainstream), is offering its usual interesting has made a huge investment in the arts. there is some wonderful artistic endeavour mix, one of the highlights will be a show of From the Vector arena, the Q Theatre, the happening. The new Mangere Arts Centre is a Jacques Brel’s music. impressive new Art Gallery, the Mangere thriving hot bed of Auckland talent. If mainstream isn’t your thing, The Arts centre (funded by Manukau City) to the Auckland has always had proportionally Basement last year offered a wide variety huge cash investment the Council puts (these less funding for its arts than Wellington which of events from plays, comedy and dance — days through the Regional Amenities Fund) perhaps suggests too, that we are healthier? generally the smaller the venue, the greater into the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, The sooner we don’t have to explore the variety of shows. (Alas, I was out of town Auckland Theatre Company, NBR NZ Opera, questions such as ‘is Auckland the cultural for Mary-Jane O’Reilly’s highly acclaimed and of course the Auckland Arts Festival which capital’, the sooner we will know we are erotic dance programme In Flagrente last this year celebrated its fifth festival. That confident that we are. year.) investment is paying off. The Concert Chamber is not used very Victoria Carter (LLB 1987) Auckland artists and arts organisations often but puts on some great plays. (Silo’s have often suffered from getting less funding Brel will be there). Probably the highlights from Government sources but fortunately the Auckland theatre last year were the sell-out seasons of On the Council takes the arts seriously and recognises I’ve lived in Auckland since 1995, and have Upside –Down of the World and Rita and the number of jobs the arts create as well as been amazed at the amount of theatre here Douglas, that starred Jennifer Ward-Leland the economic benefit and social value the arts and equally amazed at how few people seem as Rita Angus, and Michael Houston playing contribute to a healthy, livable city.