1. The English language school GEOS New Zealand has apparently been sold by its Japanese owners to one of its NZ managers. I’m working off rumour on this one, via the Let’s Japan blog (see the last comments). I referred to the closure of GEOS Australia closure in a post a few weeks back. Offshore agents have apparently been concerned about GEOS’ other operations so I’m not sure whether it is a good buy.
2. Student groups have set up a Save our Services campaign with website and Facebook page (563 fans – fewer than Save Radio NZ, but a lot more than ED!). The campaign is to fight Roger Douglas’ private member’s bill on voluntary student membership.
3. Speaking of students, Media Design School’s students in the Feb 2009 intake of the Graduate Diploma of Advanced 3D Productions have made a great short film about ”a fisherman being attacked by giant sea animals at the end of a rather standard shift at work”. You can find out more here or just view it below.

Slightly Fishy from Media Design School on Vimeo.

4. The PPTA has also been busy, creating a cartoon attacking Steven Joyce and Anne Tolley over ACE cuts – see my ACE post from yesterday. The Dominion Post has run a story this morning, while the PPTA has launched an associated site at www.dimming.co.nz. I wonder at the PPTA’s continual personal attacks on her (video dialogue: “she’s looking a bit dim. It might help if we put her next to a really bright idea…”). Anyway, I prefer the student film above.

5. Unitec’s students’ association is running a second-hand store, which is an interesting idea.

6. Wayne Mapp, Minister of Research, Science and Technology, has appointed Professor Janis Swan of the University of Waikato to the Marsden Fund Council.