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Fortnightly newsletter for University staff | Volume 39 | Issue 15 | 21 August 2009 Centre enters new era Key events Lounge readings Come to Old Government House on 26 August from 5-7.30pm to hear local poets and student wrtiters read their work. Featured in this event are John Adams, Serie Barford, Riemke Ensing, Bob Orr and others. Entry is free, with food and drink available in the Buttery. The readings are a continuing project of the New Zealand Electronic Poetry Centre (nzepc), Auckland University Press and the English Department in association with the Staff Common Room Club. Contact is Michele Leggott, m.leggott@ auckland.ac.nz or ext 87342. Future of energy Associate Professor Basil Sharp, Director of the Energy Centre, and Peter Neilson, NZ Business Council for Sustainable Development, will discuss the future of energy, hosted by the Master of Public Policy Programme in one of a series of lunchtime Political Studies Ted Baker. seminars (Big challenges for a small nation). Dr Rhema Vaithianathan (Economics) will chair In what was both an acknowledgement of the Maurice Wilkins Centre. The centre brings the discussion, which will take place at Old the huge contribution of a world-renowned together researchers from across the country Government House from 12.30-2pm on scientist and a welcome to new researchers with expertise in diverse disciplines, and links 27 August. joining an illustrious team, guests gathered at more than 200 researchers from five universities, the Decima Glenn Room in the Owen G Glenn as well as the Malaghan Institute of Medical Building on 7 August. Research in Wellington, and Industrial Research Antipodean Eminent researcher Distinguished Professor Limited. archaeology Ted Baker was the major focus of the celebration, “This Centre is of huge importance to The Professor Peter Rowley-Conway from the as he steps aside after seven years as Director of University of Auckland,” said Stuart. “It is now at Department of Archaeology at Durham the Maurice Wilkins Centre, one of the country’s the beginning of its eighth year, with another five University in the UK will explore ways in eight Centres of Research Excellence (CoREs), years of funding allocated by the Tertiary which antipodean archaeology has impinged while retaining his role as one of the eight Education Commission, and has an a over-arching on archaeology elsewhere. He will look at Principal Investigators on the Centre’s mission to combat serious human disease, prehistory, at the last 250 years, and at current Management Committee. especially diabetes, cancer, heart disease and attitudes to the past. The lecture will take place Stepping in as Director is Associate Professor infectious disease. Central to this mission is the at 4pm on 3 September in the Human Sciences Building, Room 703. Rod Dunbar, who was also given a warm welcome integrated multidisciplinary approach that has at the event – with strong praise from his been built around a core of high-performing predecessor. world-class groups with expertise in biology, Writing history “I don’t think people can do research well chemistry, medicine and mathematical modelling.” What are the characteristics of stylish without a good environment,” said Ted. “One of Professor John Fraser, Deputy Director of academic writing, and how well do historians the strengths of the Centre is in the way people the Maurice Wilkins Centre, traced the history stack up against academic writers in other work collaboratively together. Rod has a particular of the Centre from the time it began as the fields? Dr Helen Sword will report at 4pm on facility in managing good working relationships.” Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery through its 3 October in Room 59, History Department, Vice-Chancellor Professor Stuart McCutcheon growth and development over the years into 7 Wynyard Street, on analysis of 1,000 articles from peer-reviewed journals across said it was a pleasure to be able to acknowledge the CoRE “which must rate highest in terms the disciplines. For further information Ted’s major contribution to the establishment of of the quality of its science, and its international please contact Linda Bryder, email l.bryder@ story continued on page 2 auckland.ac.nz UNIVERSITY NEWS IS puBLISHED BY Communications and Marketing, Fisher Building In this issue 18 Waterloo Quadrant, Private Bag 92019, Auckland 1142 email [email protected] www.auckland.ac.nz/universitynews 2 Mäori and Pacific role models EDITOR Judy Wilford 3 Accolades for Peter Gluckman PHOTOGRapHY Godfrey Boehnke, Kathryn Robinson 3 Developing future research leaders DeSIGNER Vanda Tong From the Vice-Chancellor Role models an inspiration During the Prime Minister’s Employment Summit earlier this year, I had the opportunity to discuss with Minister of Education Anne Tolley our concerns about the effect of recessionary conditions on students’ ability to find summer work and hence save enough money to return to university. I proposed to her a scheme by which the government would match university funding to provide summer research scholarships that would both help fund students and give them research experience. Further discussions through the New Zealand Vice-Chancellors’ Committee led to an agreement that the government and the universities (collectively) would each contribute $4 million to a programme for the 2009/10 summer. As a consequence, The University of Auckland will be in a position to fund 400 new summer scholarships in addition to the 200 that we fund routinely through an ongoing budgetary provision. The purpose of Summer Research Jim Peters, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Māori), views the role-model posters in the Fale Pasifika. Scholarships will be to give university students experience in research, and hence to “Don’t be ordinary. Be great instead.” was the Pacific keynote speaker. encourage them to pursue postgraduate study. This was the message of one of the successful Hosts for the afternoon were the Māori Students will be expected to conduct a Māori and Pacific students and graduates from The Students’ Association (Ngā Tauira Māori), supervised research project of approximately University of Auckland chosen as role models to University Careers Services, the Pro Vice- ten weeks duration (400 hours). The value of each scholarship will be $5,000 ($3,500 paid inspire others to strive for their highest goals and Chancellor (Māori) and the Pro Vice-Chancellor on commencement of the scholarship and the fulfil their potential. (Equal Opportunities). final $1,500 on approval by the supervisor of “Don’t just look forward but look back as well,” The aim of the project is to celebrate Māori and the final report). were the words of another role model. “Look at Pasifika success and to provide resources that Supervisors should normally be members of how we spread across the Pacific. We have support Māori and Pasifika students and their the academic staff of the University. Where this achievements behind us as well as ahead.” families in career planning, to underpin students’ is not feasible, the proposed supervisor and Both were speaking at an afternoon of retention and success in education and their project should be approved by the Associate celebration for the 40 role models, commencing transition to work. Dean (Research) of the faculty in which the with a pōwhiri at Waipapa Marae on 28 July at The launch was timed to coincide with Te Wiki o student is enrolled, and wherever possible an 1pm and progressing to the Fale Pasifika for a te Reo Māori - Māori Language Week. academic adviser should also be appointed. turou from 2.45pm. The purpose of the event was Angie Smith, Māori careers consultant with However, non-faculty areas of the University to celebrate the role models, bless their images University Careers Services, says: “We want to such as service divisions and UniServices are and launch a set of posters on which they tell their inspire them to come from their Māori and Pasifika also encouraged to consider taking on summer students, provided satisfactory supervision stories and present their messages of cultural values, to cast their nets wide, look over arrangements are in place. encouragement and inspiration. the horizon into the future and see what they must The large number of additional scholarships More than 150 guests attended the celebration do now to build their future.” will require a considerable increase in the including various Māori and Pacific University staff, The posters showcase a range of role models number of supervisors, and potentially also an students, representatives from the Ministry of and careers from across the different disciplines increase in the number of students per Pacific Island Affairs and Carmel Sepuloni, a available at the University, with an initial focus on supervisor. Summer research scholarships are University alumna and Labour Party List MP, who health, law and business. a real opportunity to grow our graduate programme and contribute to our research endeavour. At the same time, they are a story continues from page 1 means of supporting students in difficult financial times, while providing them with connectedness. Its continued success and As a boy at school – he told the guests – he had valuable skills and experience. I encourage evolution owes a great deal to Ted’s foresight had an ambition to be a ship’s captain. “The staff throughout the University to think about and his mild but tenacious manner.” closest I’ve come to that,” he said, “has been as how they can engage with this important Speaking of Ted not only as a “classical scientist Director of the Maurice Wilkins Centre, and in programme. Further details are available at in the true mould, driven by a desire simply to some ways we have certainly been sailing into www.auckland.ac.nz/summerscholarship discover, to understand and to contribute”, but new waters.” also as a “masterful and highly respected leader”, The 12 new associate investigators welcomed he commended his ability “to steer the CoRE in a to the Centre are based at the Universities of new direction and to read and understand the Auckland and Otago.

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