Category: Science

Researchers from Victoria University of Wellington’s Ferrier Research Institute, Callaghan Innovation, the University of Canterbury, and Massey University have developed cutting-edge gene engineering technology to help scientists more

Victoria University of Wellington’s Dr Van Jackson and Associate Professor Stephen Epstein are sceptical about the prospects for denuclearisation.

Victoria University of Wellington Religious Studies tutor and PhD graduand Hanlie Booysen explains how violence, not political reform, became the new normal under President Bashar al-Asad.

Researchers from Catchments Otago – a University of Otago Research Theme – are embarking on a year-long study with three Dunedin primary schools into the mysterious ancient velvet worm – peripatus – thanks to a $20,000 grant from the Unlocking Curious Minds Fund from the Ministry for Business Innovation and Employment (MBIE).

The Labour Government has signalled some big changes in priorities – and Thursday’s Budget will be the first step in a long and difficult journey, says Professor Christoph Schumacher

Napier’s Sharron Fabish graduated from the University of Auckland this week after finishing her research into the benefits of IronMāori, an indigenous triathlon.

Roimata Manaia Haynes (Ngāti Awa, Ngāti Maniapoto) says her precious daughter helped carry her through the hard work and years of study required for the masters degree she graduates with from the University of Auckland today.

Anthony Brand would like our architectural encounters to be more meaningful. The thirty-three year-old believes that if we prioritised how buildings made us feel instead of how they look, we could create more touching architectural experiences.

A team from the University of Otago, Wellington has just published a radical new framework for designing international trade and investment treaties.

Urgent attention needs to be paid to frail older New Zealanders’ oral health, a University of Otago study has highlighted.

Wellington will be abuzz with jubilant graduands this week as more than 2,700 students from Victoria University of Wellington celebrate the successful completion of their studies.

Mameshiba, a 2009 film adaptation of a Japanese television series, depicts the journey of a middle-aged man and a two-month old puppy.

Grant Robertson’s first Budget is a real-world test of the strengths and weaknesses of the government’s pre-electoral commitments to its coalition partners.

Students from all over New Zealand are being capped at the University of Auckland’s Autumn graduation this week, among them Waitaki District Council’s Bill Chou.

Postgraduate student James Russell’s immersive, atmospheric lighting installation Light Field is on display this weekend at Bright Nights in the Viaduct Harbour.

Language, literature, teaching and education have always been the backdrop to Peter Goodwin’s life. He inherited a passion or language from his mum, Marineke Goodwin who has taught the subjects here since his early childhood.

Suits characters Harvey Specter and Mike Ross are a highly successful double act, but they also embody the concept of co-leadership, says Dr Ralph Bathurst.

Iraia Nuku wants to set up a youth centre in his home town of Kawerau, while Serena Findlay hopes young people in Otaki will add their views and voices to community developments.

In the final instalment of his Jack Reacher series, Dr Ralph Bathurst explains why leaders can sometimes be the the problem.

With an average pass rate of 95 per cent, Te Rau Puawai programme has achieved phenomenal academic success for its students, but more importantly has had a far reaching impact on Māori mental health services.

The first cohort of graduates from Massey’s Bachelor of Retail and Business Management crossed the stage at this morning’s Auckland graduation ceremony.

Set within the Kaga Domain in the Edo Period in Japan, the Funaki family have swapped swords for kitchen knives in 2013 film A Tale of Samurai Cooking.

In the upcoming months, the Government will begin to consider whether to extend the New Zealand Defence Force deployment of military trainers to the Taji military camp in Iraq. It’s something visting scholar Dr Colin Robinson, from the Centre for Defence and Security Studies, says requires careful thought.

PhD student Chris Vogliano recently gave a keynote presentation at the 63rd annual symposium for the National Dietetics Association of the Philippines.

We need leadership models that bring together thinking and feeling, Dr Ralph Bathurst says. He explains why, using popular television series Suits.

Growing up in the Waikato, James Young never imagined he would one day be in China keeping 50,000 cattle healthy or performing a rectal exam on a four-tonne elephant in South Africa, but he’s living proof that variety is a big part of a veterinary career.

Houses are no longer simply a place to live; they have become a commodity that can be traded, borrowed against and used as a way of accumulating wealth.

Australia’s Royal Commission into its finance sector has revealed some shocking practices. As our largest banks are Australian-owned, do we need our own inquiry?

Entries are now open for the New Zealand Food Awards, giving the crème de la crème of the food and beverage industry the opportunity to showcase their success and innovations.

Re-doing above-ground EQC repairs has been estimated to cost over $160m, but this is only a very small part of a bigger problem, says Dr Michael Naylor.

Einstein called it ‘combinatory play’ – the ability to bring together elements from multiple sources. It’s a skill more leaders should hone, says Dr Ralph Bathurst.

Professor Jenny Carryer wonders if the challenges facing the health sector keeps the Health Minister awake at night – and suggests some ‘courageous’ solutions to some of those challenges.

More than 1000 secondary school students took part in National Biomechanics Day last month, with Massey University and New Zealand leading the way.

Winston Peters’ pre-Budget announcement of a substantial increase in foreign aid spending gets a big tick from Massey Development Studies academics, but they say new priorities – from poverty alleviation to climate change in the Pacific – must be a focus.

Gender is the ‘elephant in the room’ when it comes to any discussion about leadership. And co-leadership between men and women provides a possible solution.

Victoria University of Wellington Provost Professor Wendy Larner has received one of geography’s most prestigious awards, joining an illustrious list of predecessors that includes explorers David Livingstone and Robert Falcon Scott and

Professor Paul Morris from Victoria University’s Religious Studies programme explores the mixed legacy of Sir Lloyd Geering.

Associate Professor Dan Laufer from the School of Marketing and International Business shares his views on the proposal to simplify Victoria University’s name.

Research carried out at Victoria University of Wellington has made big strides in tackling New Zealand’s serious nitrate pollution problem.

PhD student Lauren Vargo from Victoria University’s Antarctic Research Centre discusses the impact of New Zealand’s shrinking glaciers and how scientists from the Centre are monitoring these changes.

The Government’s Tax Working Group must address systemic inequities that significantly disadvantage the poorer members of our community, writes Dr Simon Chapple, Director of Victoria University of Wellington’s Institute of Governance and Policy

Commentary on aid budget increase

Victoria University of Wellington’s Dr Hazel Godfrey graduates with a PhD in Psychology this month, despite spending the last 13 years in chronic pain.

Discussions are continuing with staff, students, alumni and the wider community about a proposal to simplify Victoria University of Wellington’s name by retiring the word ‘Victoria’.

Victoria University of Wellington Chair in Private Law Professor Graeme Austin welcomes the ‘smart thinking’ behind an Opposition MP’s Bill.

There are gaps between best practice and documented management of patients diagnosed with sexually transmitted infections in primary care, which may contribute to high rates of infection, new University of Otago research shows.

In a New Zealand first, University of Otago, Christchurch, researchers have analysed nicotine levels in infants’ hair to get a true measure of the impact of passive smoking on respiratory problems.

A University of Otago palaeontologist’s discovery of an ancient fossil whale that swam the Antarctica seas 34 million years ago has paved the way for new knowledge about the evolution of baleen whales.

Schools and pupils from all over New Zealand are working with the University of Otago and Plant & Food Research to discover what secrets are locked within the wide variety of mānuka around the country – including whether the native plant’s leaf chemistry could provide a natural weed killer.

Government funded stop smoking services will keep losing customers if they refuse to help people who want to try vaping, new research has found.

Massey University researchers are investigating limb injuries in race horses by capturing the 3D movements of their limbs on camera and modelling it on computers.

While celebrating the Department of Conservation’s announcement of a New Zealand sea lion (rāpoka) breeding colony on Stewart Island, a Massey University marine mammal specialist is calling for further action to protect the endangered species.

The lastest Massey University Home Affordability Report shows mixed results, with improvements in affordability for most, but not all, regions.

Two academics played pivotal roles in the New Zealand Association of Cooperative Education conference that focused on showcasing international best practice and research in work-integrated-learning.

Almost 75 per cent of older adults involved in a recent Massey University study were at risk of malnourishment, or were malnourished, when they were admitted to hospital.

Dr Marleen Baling has shown to be just as adaptable as the skinks she has been studying in pursuit of her doctorate degree.

Photo manipulation in the age of fake news is among hot topics on the agenda at the social documentary photo festival Photival, co-hosted at Massey’s College of Creative Arts in Wellington from April 26-29.

Findings from the last Massey University Illicit Drug Monitoring System show a sharp rise in the availability and declining prices for methamphetamine, from 2015 to 2016.

The New Zealand population is ageing, with 21 per cent expected to be aged over 65 years by 2031.

A family discussing scavenging for food in rubbish bins and the ethics of killing a pet rabbit for meat is just one story from Dr Rebekah Graham’s doctoral study on New Zealanders experiencing food insecurity.

A study of almost 50,000 New Zealand children has found exposure to green natural environments, and especially diverse vegetation, may protect against asthma.

In less than 10 days the Wellington waterfront will be brilliantly illuminated with events and exhibits celebrating the LUX Light Festival.

The University pays its respects to Distinguished Alumnus David Mitchell, who died on 26 April 2018 aged 77.

University of Auckland Young Alumnus of the Year 2018, Luke Willis Thompson has been nominated for one of the world’s most prestigious art awards, the Turner Prize.

Lactose intolerant Aucklanders are being sought for a study that researchers hope will make them better able to tolerate dairy.

A new platform to help emerging musicians get discovered has earned its University of Auckland student developers a ticket to Microsoft’s Imagine Cup Worldwide finals in July.

Coastal populations around the world have exploded in recent decades but our enthusiasm for living by the sea coincides with a projected rise in risk to the coastal environment including extreme weather events, sea level rise, and the impact of human activities.

Around the world an estimated 1,000 people a day die of asthma related conditions, with some 340 million affected by this common chronic disease.

You might well have questioned what you were seeing if you’d happened upon a recent performance by Suzanne Cowan: dancer, choreographer, teacher, and wheelchair user.

Using a range of iconic Māori objects to tell a story of New Zealand’s past, Distinguished Professor Dame Anne Salmond (Faculty of Arts) hosts an “ambitious and wide-ranging” TV history series entitled Artefact.

New research shows increasing numbers of children and teens under-15 in Auckland are developing type 2 diabetes, and that rates among Pacific and Māori children are up to 18 times higher than for European children.

Thousands of graduands and their supporters will converge in central Auckland this week in one of New Zealand’s largest celebrations of academic success.

Promiscuity is a bad idea for female stick insects, in fact their smartest option is to have no sex at all.

University of Auckland academics have developed new equations to predict the risk of cardiovascular disease (mainly heart attacks and strokes) in New Zealanders that has just been published in the prestigious medical journal The Lancet.

Heading the internationally recognised Whale Watch Kaikōura, creating an online Māori warrior wahine to harness the power of gaming, and developing a financial literacy tool used by tens of thousands of students are just some of the local smarts that have been recognised among the winners of this year’s University of Auckland Aotearoa Māori Business Leaders Awards.

The old eye chart of diminishing-sized letters used for vision screening might soon be a thing of the past, thanks to work by a University of Auckland student graduating this week.

A report behind studying increases in rheumatic fever in Māori and Pacific people has uncovered claims of racism and ‘rough handling’ of patients suffering from the disease.

Oliver Scott-Mackie is supporting his studies not by making coffees or labouring, but by crewing multi-million dollar boats on the international yachting circuit.

Zoe Poutu Fay and Ashlea Williams are two of the first masters graduates in Indigenous Studies at the University of Auckland.

Lauren Bartley has developed her strong sense of social justice into a career in social work.