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More investment in literacy skills needed to end persistent disparities for Pasifika students On The Conversation, Senior Lecturer of Economics Stephen Agnew shares insights from a recent study that found low English literacy rates in Pasifika students a key predictor of exclusion from school. Photo by Chris Lawton Our study analysed a cohort of over…
NZ’s first Climate Adaptation Plan – Expert Reaction The National Adaptation Plan is a welcome step to urgently adapt to the worst impacts of climate change, says University of Canterbury Professor Bronwyn Hayward. University of Canterbury Professor Bronwyn Hayward The Climate Minister says the National Adaptation Plan will support community-led and Māori-led adaptation, provide better…
Free public talk – What’s your poison: How do we resist antibiotic resistance? In his Tauhere UC Connect public lecture on Wednesday 10 August, University of Canterbury Professor Jack Heinemann will explain how we created antibiotic-resistant bacteria and how we can help stop them. According to University of Canterbury genetics and molecular biology expert Professor…
Barbie: the strange evolution of an iconic doll As Jane Goodall joins Barbie’s ‘inspiring women’ series, University of Canterbury Professor Katie Pickles asks if the plastic doll can ever really empower girls. The plastic ideal: Barbie dolls have been criticised for promoting an idealised, white body type that reflected women’s subservient place in society. Getty…
NZ is touting a green hydrogen economy, but it will face big environmental & cultural hurdles UC academics Andy Nicol and David Dempsey join Ludmila Adam and Kēpa Morgan to dig deeper into New Zealand’s green hydrogen future, raising cultural and technical issues to be addressed, in an article on The Conversation. But to provide…
In an article on The Conversation, University of Canterbury Professor Jack Baggaley explains the science behind the bright green fireballs recently sighted in New Zealand. More at the source
How do people react to Women Doing Science? International scientists are using social media to both promote images of diverse women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths) and study how people respond to these posts. Women Doing Science Their newly published study in academic journal Social Media + Society looks at how successful the Women Doing…
Professor Michael Plank takes a look at the most recent Covid-19 wave and shares key findings in an collaborative multi-author article on The Conversation. More at the source
Unique underwater drone a game changer The mussel and scallop industry could be revolutionised by a new autonomous underwater drone. An autonomous underwater drone developed by a University of Canterbury research team lead by Professor Richard Green assesses mussel ropes. Research lead Professor Richard Green says the drone, or autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV), can survey…
People affected by climate change in regions such as the Pacific are often portrayed as victims and their history of resilience to environmental challenges is too often overlooked in policy and research. More at the source
Tauhere UC Connect: Hard to swallow – retraining the brain It’s something we often take for granted – the ability to drink a glass of water or enjoy a meal with friends or family. Consider those notable life events – birthdays with decadent cakes, champagne celebrations and indulgent holiday feasts. But what if you couldn’t…
Scientists are requesting public reports of last night’s spectacular green fireball, caused by a meteor entering the Earth’s atmosphere. More at the source
How can we address rising living costs? Inflation is 2022’s boogeyman. On The Conversation, University of Canterbury Director of Business Taught Masters Stephen Hickson discusses how we can help bring it down. Russia’s war in Ukraine and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has caused a cost-of-living crisis. Getty Images For those experiencing high inflation for the…
How can we address rising living costs? How can we address rising living costs? Inflation is 2022’s boogeyman. On The Conversation, University of Canterbury Director of Business Taught Masters Stephen Hickson discusses how we can help bring it down. Russia’s war in Ukraine and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has caused a cost-of-living crisis. Getty Images…
In a new article on The Conversation, University of Canterbury’s Dr Serena Kelly and Dr Mathew Doidge explain how the deal shows the EU’s international ambitions. More at the source
UC academics Dr Michele Bannister and Associate Professor Karen Pollard comment on NASA’s release of the first images taken by the James Webb Telescope. More at the source
UC public lecture: Whakamanahia ngā tamariki: Empowering our tamariki through language, culture and identity University of Canterbury Senior Lecturer Kay-Lee Jones (Te Aitanga a Māhaki, Ngāti Porou, Te Whānau a Kai) will lead a kōrero on the importance of empowering cultural identity/identities and ancestral language/s of our tamariki/mokopuna in our Aotearoa teaching and learning settings….
Why aren’t we enforcing international laws to stop fishing vessel plastic pollution? University of Canterbury Professor Karen Scott says more financial incentives to mark and retrieve fishing gear could reduce ocean plastics. Read more in an article from The Conversation. Two international regimes regulate the deliberate or accidental discharge of plastics from ships. Shutterstock/Jennifer Bosvert…
The purposefully positive approach used by international action campaigns such as Plastic Free July (PFJ) is characteristic of the direction sustainability social marketing is going, according to environmental psychology researcher and Head of Psychology at University of Canterbury (UC) Professor Don Hine. More at the source
Equivalent to 1,800 tonnes of TNT: what we now know about the meteor that lit up the daytime sky above New Zealand In a piece on The Conversation senior lecturer in Astronomy Michele Bannister explains what makes the meteor that was seen in New Zealand last week so unusual. It had the explosive power of…
University of Canterbury asteroid hunters name space rock for Distinguished Professor Roy Kerr University of Canterbury asteroid hunters have named an asteroid they discovered in honour of eminent mathematician University of Canterbury Distinguished Professor Roy Kerr, renowned for his influential work in astrophysics resulting from his solving Einstein’s equation of relativity relating to rotating black…
QUARTZ hits the road Churches, a cathedral and an art gallery will echo with classical violin music this month when four talented violinists from the University of Canterbury’s School of Music hit the road on a 10-concert tour during July. Quartz Violinists Rakuto Kurano, Henry Nicholson, Mekaela Fleener, and Aya McLarty. IMPRESSIONS will be performed…
A new Omicron wave is upon New Zealand, with older people now most at risk – here’s what to expect A group of New Zealand academics, including University of Canterbury’s Professor Michael Plank and PhD student Giorgia Vattiato, explain why this might be the most serious moment in the Covid-19 pandemic this year. RATs help…
University alumni & donors help save Aotearoa’s ‘Wicked Bible’ #Philanthropy@UC A unique English publishing artefact which dates back almost 400 years and contains a blunder of biblical proportions has come to light in Aotearoa, and its conservation and digitisation is under way, with support from the UC Foundation, alumni and generous supporters. The University of…
UC Business School receives global reaccreditation Meaningful research, empowered students, and quality education are phrases that describe the University of Canterbury’s (UC) Business School and are all strengths that have led EFMD Global to grant the school EQUIS re-accreditation. Amo Matua | Executive Dean of Business, Professor Paul Ballantine is pleased to see the UC…
New aerospace engineering degree launches in Christchurch Launching this month, the first class of University of Canterbury (UC) students will embark on the new minor in Aerospace Engineering as part of their Bachelor of Engineering (Hons) degree. The new Aerospace Engineering minor is led by Mechanical Engineering lecturer Dr Natalia Kabaliuk, whose expertise helped a…
Recycling is the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff #PlasticFreeJuly In a new article on The Conversation, University of Canterbury’s Associate Professor Sara Tolbert says it’s time to teach children to demand real change from the worst plastic producers. Aotearoa New Zealand produces over 17 million tonnes of waste each year, 13 million tonnes…
Solutions-based researchers benefit from new scholarships The University of Canterbury has allocated $1.5 million for new scholarships that will help PhD students to tackle sustainability issues. New sustainability-aligned PhD scholarships are one of the ways UC is delivering on its Strategic Vision commitment to sustainability, says Professor Jan Evans-Freeman, Pro-Vice-Chancellor Sustainability. Recipients will be supervised…
UC research giving voice to marginalised refugee groups International data shows that 89.3 million people are forcibly displaced worldwide, which is the highest number the world has seen to date. Despite this huge number, there is little research into their economic integration; in particular entrepreneurial journey of refugees, and University of Canterbury researchers are determined…
From plastic waste to protective gear #PlasticFreeJuly Armed with a bucket-full of plastic scraps from a 3D printer, Engineering Product Design students got busy making treasure out of trash this semester. “First, we shredded up ABS (plastic) in the maker space,” student Levi Painter explains. “The original plan was to use the heat press to…