Policy, Management & People

1. Funding A Ngati Ruanui kaumatua has criticised the TEC’s decision not to fund two Maori language courses at WITT, while UCOL has welcomed extra funding for engineering.
2. Certification Airways NZ recognised for its air traffic control training with ICAO TRAINAR PLUS Association Member certification.
3. Merger The merger of BSCITO and Careerforce is almost complete and is now awaiting Ministerial approval (NB not drafted by Dave, who is a Director of Careerforce).
4. UCOL UCOL’s principal has refused to meet with Wanganui’s mayor after the District Council decided to seek judicial review of UCOL’s decision to defer first year intake for fine arts and glass (NB ED has recently done some work for the District Council).
5. Branching Out Former AUT head John Hinchcliff says universities need to be more flexible to meet industry needs.
6. International Agreement Whitireia has signed an MOU with the Chinese institution Xiamen University of Technology to offer teacher exchanges, student exchanges and dual degree co-operation models.
7. Extras: Otago Uni’s Dunedin campus smoke-free from 2014; visa suspensions for four PTEs to continue into new year.

Research & Innovation

1. Citizen Scientists A new Otago Uni project will mobilise an army of “citizen scientists” to monitor biodiversity around NZ’s intertidal coast.
2. Heart Disease Canterbury is using its own powerful ‘Foster’ computer as well as the US ‘Intrepid’ system to predict heart disease progression through computer modelling.
3. Research Agreement Auckland has signed a new MOU with the Auckland War Memorial Museum expected to deliver high quality research partnerships.
4. 3D Printer CPIT will unveil its first three-dimensional printer tomorrow after months of testing.
5. Awards The NZ Association of Scientists has awarded Victoria’s Prof Lionel Carter and Eric Le Ru, Auckland’s Siouxsie Wiles, and Otago Uni’s Prof Michael Hendy awards for their scientific achievements. Victoria issued its own release.
6. Extras: Otago Uni’s Robin Gauld to release health worker survey results; rice straw and wool fabric being refined at Massey; Victoria research contributes to tuatara programme; EIT’s Naomi Hesseling needs adult adoptees for research; Canterbury student researching cost of smoking; Massey student second in global comp for fridge design.

Public Issues

1. Same-Sex Marriage Otago Uni’s Prof Andrew Geddis says the proposed law won’t compel religious groups to marry same-sex couples.
2. Cancer Rates Otago Uni’s Brian Cox on a new OECD report that shows NZ has the third highest death rates from cancer in the Asia-Pacific.
3. Insomnia Auckland’s Tony Fernando on different treatments for insomnia.
4. Mark Lundy… faces a difficult appeal bid, according to Auckland’s Bill Hodge.
5. The Hobbit Victoria’s Miriam Ross on the new technology used to film The Hobbit.
6. 100% Pure Canterbury’s Ekant Veer says NZ should focus on ensuring the slogan is broadly accurate rather than silencing the critics, and the NZ Ecological Society has backed Mike Joy.
7. Extras: Auckland’s Prof Margaret Mutu on iwi sovereignty; Auckland’s Prof Jane Kelsey on the TPP negotiations; Waikato’s Prof Chris Battershill on Rena disaster; Victoria’s Lauren Banting on the best time to exercise; Victoria’s Prof Robert Ayson on Palestine’s UN status.

Students

1. Rec Centre OUSA is planning a $2 million upgrade to the student recreation centre and main office on campus.
2. Pageant A Victoria student has been selected to represent NZ in the World Miss University pageant in Korea.
3. Monk A practising Buddhist monk has been studying ESOL at BOPP and will continue next year.
4. Extras: Auckland politics student taking 2013 off to sail; Canterbury student rower to finish degree before 2016 Olympics; Massey student finalist in Maori Sports Awards.

Stakeholders

1. Learning Media… has won three of six awards at the recent CLNZ Educational Publishing Awards.
2. Strategic Expert… Terence O’Brien spoke at a TPP symposium organised by Victoria and Auckland.
3. Skier A Massey psychology student has won a spot in the best university ski team in America.
4. Engineering Wood Waiariki’s Waipa Campus is currently hosting the first Engineering Wood Products Association of Australia workshop to be held in NZ.
5. Honorary Awards Rocky Horror author Richard O’Brien and former Wintec Council chair Gordon Chesterman will be awarded an honorary Master of Arts and fellowship, respectively, from Wintec.
6. Conference Canterbury will host the annual Maori Association of Social Science conference to look at recent natural and man-made disasters in Christchurch and NZ.
7. Hundertwasser Art Centre Auckland’s Profs Jonathan Mane-Wheoki and Patu Hohepa named on Maori Advisory Panel for Hundertwasser Art Centre project.
   
8. Extras: Canterbury to host second day of cycling festival; Victoria’s Adam Art Gallery running poster competition; India-New Zealand business forum at Waikato (Radio NZ); Auckland hosting youth climate change forums (Radio NZ); Waikato holds Alumni & Friends event; Waikato to host secondary schools touch comp; Waikato glassblower wins awards.

Teaching & Learning

1. Trades Taster An SIT project that offers people on an unemployment benefit a 12-week trade skills course has almost completed its first run.
2. Young Composer An Auckland student has won the NZSO Todd Corporation Young Composers Award (Amplifier).
3. Bees CPIT’s School of Food and Hospitality is installing two rooftop bee hives and hopes other Christchurch businesses will follow suit (Fairfax).
4. Art Final year EIT artists will show their work at a two-month exhibition organised by an EIT grad.
5. Writer Residency Novelist and cartoonist Sarah Laing will spend six months at the Michael King Writers’ Centre as the latest recipient of the University of Auckland Residency.
6. Bodybuilder AUT’s Ruth Naidoo has won two world bodybuilding titles and lecturer of the year at NZ Fitness Awards in the space of two weeks.
7. Exhibitions Otago Uni is holding exhibitions on the craft of bookbinding, including NZ’s oldest English bound book, and the legacy of Scottish botanist and illustrator John Buchanan.
8. Interns Two Canterbury interns are involved in two key marketing projects for Airways NZ.
9. Extras: Waikato welcomes nine hand-crafted German puppets; Otago Poly’s iD fashion week showcases fresh talent; Canterbury and CPIT students creating large city centre murals; UCOL’s Robyn Collins hairdressing Trainer of the Year; TWOA course boosts Maori joining police.