Fortnightly newsletter for University staff | Volume 38 | Issue 21 | 7 November 2008 Harnessing research for innovation Key events Take a walk Professor Errol Haarhoff, Associate Dean- Research from the National Institute of Creative Arts and Industries, will conduct a walking tour of the modernist buildings around the City Campus at 1pm on 8 November. Places are limited and bookings are essential. For more information consult the website (www.gusfishergallery.ac.nz). For additional information or for bookings, email [email protected] Kids growing up What can be learned from long-term studies about children’s health and development? A public lecture by Alan Emond, Professor of Child Health at the University of Bristol, At the funding announcement for the NZ Innovation Centre (from left): Shaun Coffey (Chief Executive, Industrial will engage with this question. Professor Emond, Research Ltd), Helen Clark (Prime Minister), Pete Hodgson (Minister for Economic Development), John Banks (Mayor of Auckland), Professor Stuart McCutcheon (Vice-Chancellor), Professor Ralph Cooney (Pro Vice-Chancellor, Tamaki). head of the Centre for Child and Adolescent Health at Bristol and a consultant paediatrician, New Zealand’s first science and technology park is Vice-Chancellor, Professor Stuart McCutcheon, has focused in his research on epidemiology to be established adjacent to the Tamaki Campus. said the NZIC concept arose from the University’s and health service evaluation, including work The Government has pledged $25 million discussions nearly two years ago with the then on the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and towards the New Zealand Innovation Centre Minister for Tertiary Education, Michael Cullen, Children. The lecture will take place on 13 (NZIC) to which Auckland City Council and The and officials of Treasury, Ministry of Economic November at 7pm in Lecture Theatre OGGB4 University of Auckland are pledging land and Development, and NZ Trade and Enterprise. in the Owen G Glenn Building. research facilities. The key to innovation, he said, was to support The combination of leading edge research, fundamental research strongly but also to connect entrepreneurial enterprise and commercial it actively to the market. “An obvious way to do Virtual worlds financial backing will generate new products, that is to bring the science and market together in What do online worlds like Second Life, innovative businesses and skilled jobs. Medium-sized a national science park. The success of this OpenSim and Wonderland offer for teaching, technology growth companies will be the park’s strategy is seen in many examples worldwide.” learning and research in higher education? Find primary focus and it will also spawn start-ups. NZIC addressed the obvious need for a science out at the Centre for Academic Development’s NZIC will interface with University research park in Auckland, the country’s largest business Web 3D and virtual worlds symposium on 21 groups at Tamaki and elsewhere in the University, centre, said Stuart McCutcheon. November. Invited speakers will present projects and building is due to begin in 2009. “Its location at Tamaki is logical given that we they have been working on in this field, and will Government funding for NZIC was announced are developing the campus as a predominantly engage in panel discussion to explore potentials at Tamaki on 21 October by the Prime Minister, postgraduate and research centre with a strong and pitfalls. The symposium will take place from Helen Clark. She was accompanied by the Minister focus on the application of research to industry. 1pm to 4pm in Room IC 420 at the Kate Edger for Economic Development, Pete Hodgson, who Our major strength here is in materials science, Information Commons. All staff are invited, and estimates NZIC’s economic benefit for Auckland with other economic clusters being developed in interested people from outside the University and New Zealand to be $400 million by 2025. health innovation and the environment.” are welcome to register (seating is limited). Industry leaders and local and central He went on: “We are particularly pleased that For more information contact Adam Blake, government officials attended the event in the this venture involves the University in a partnership ext. 87748, email [email protected] School of Population Health atrium along with with the Government, Auckland City Council and Please register to [email protected] University staff. A large media contingent, closely the business community.” following the Prime Minister’s election campaign, Among those whose contribution to the project was also present. (continued on page 2) 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 NZ Studies course in China EDITOR Judy Wilford 3 Law examination 1918 PHOTOGRAPHY Godfrey Boehnke DESIGNER Vanda Tong 5 Humanities Fellows From the (story continue from page 1) Vice-Chancellor he acknowledged were Professor Ralph Cooney, “a great day for New Zealand, particularly good Pro Vice-Chancellor (Tamaki), and Brendan Mosely, for Auckland and even better for the Tamaki In my last column for 2008 it is timely to look Director of the Tamaki Campus. Campus”. NZIC would “make a great difference to back on some of the University’s achievements The Mayor of Auckland, John Banks, said it was the New Zealand economy”. and acknowledge those responsible for them – which really means all of you. Throughout the year we marked the 125th Jubilee of the University with events for current An exciting first for China and former staff, alumni, and our many contribute lecturers as well. external supporters. I am grateful to Raewyn Library resources at the Centre include books Dalziel, the External Relations team, and the written by staff in the Faculty of Arts at The many other staff who contributed to these University of Auckland – many generously donated celebrations. It has been particularly gratifying by their authors. to see the growing numbers of alumni and A great attraction of this course for the students, friends who attend our events in New Zealand Paul explains, is that it is taught in a top Chinese and around the world. This interest in the university by Western teachers in a Western style University has inspired us to launch Leading and with Western assessment methods. the Way, a Campaign to raise $100m to “Virtually all of these students, the top students support outstanding staff and students. We in China, who have been admitted to this elite have already achieved over $48m. This kind of university through a highly-competitive China-wide support will be critical for us to maintain our Staff of The University of Auckland outside the New examination system, plan to do postgraduate study position among the world’s leading universities. Zealand Centre. abroad. Therefore this course will be good for On the teaching front, we have adapted well to the tertiary reforms, and their changes Students of Peking University, attending the first CV-building when it’s time to apply for admission to funding of new student enrolments. A great lecture of the first-ever course in New Zealand to universities around the world. We hope that deal of work has been done to introduce Studies in China, came in full of excitement, says these plans will include New Zealand.” limited entry while ensuring that students from Professor Paul Clark from the School of Asian The course has proven very popular, with the final disadvantaged groups can still access the Studies. enrolment of almost 50 more than double the University. Dawn Garbett and John Hosking “As indeed was I,” he adds with a smile. number expected. For Paul, this course in New won National Tertiary Teaching Excellence This 16-week course, to be presented annually as Zealand Studies is a professional milestone - the awards, attesting to the very high quality of an undergraduate elective at the New Zealand first-ever course of its kind in his more than 30 years our teaching and learning activities. Students Centre at Peking University in Beijing, will introduce of visiting China. However it also means a lot on a also gained significant awards to carry out students to the history, cultures and contemporary personal level, bringing him back as a teacher to this advanced study. Our research continues to go issues of New Zealand through presentations by most prestigious of Chinese universities which he from strength to strength and, while we will University of Auckland and Peking University staff, first entered as a student in 1975 - one of the first fall a little short of our targets for research through feature films and other audio-visual exchange students ever sent from New Zealand. postgraduate enrolments, our level of research materials, and through student projects. “It seems like coming full circle,” he says. income will exceed expectations, and many of The New Zealand Centre was established last In addition, says Associate Professor Chris our staff have achieved notable success in year as a combined initiative of The University of Tremewan, Pro Vice-Chancellor (International), national and international research awards. Auckland and Peking University, with support also who chairs the advisory committee overseeing We have also made a major investment in from the Ministries of Economic Development, the project, Peking University students on the the University’s infrastructure. Here it is Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Education, as well course have already expressed interest in coming appropriate to mention the introduction of our as Otago and Victoria Universities. The Centre to Auckland for a summer course and for new HRConnect+ system, and the preparation aims to promote the study of New Zealand in postgraduate study. This sets up another circle of the most comprehensive and exciting Campus China and to strengthen ties between the two connecting China with Auckland.