Hui Rangahau Graham Nuthall Research Symposium 2026

The Hui Rangahau Graham Nuthall Research Symposium and Annual Lecture Series is the Faculty of Education’s flagship event, celebrating the life and legacy of Professor Graham Nuthall, one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s most influential classroom researchers. 

This annual event showcases our research, inspires new research, supports classroom practice, and ensures that education in Aotearoa remains grounded in deep, evidence-based education.

Register now to join this free event either in person or via livestream

Time: 4.00pm–6.00pm
Location: Central Lecture Theatres, Ilam Campus, University of Canterbury
Livestream: The Graham Nuthall Lecture will be livestreamed from 5pm for those unable to attend in person.

Event timings

From 4pm: Pop-up Research Presentations and Networking

• Refreshments served in the Central Lecture Theatre foyer from 4pm–5pm
• Doctoral research posters on display throughout the foyer
• Pop-up research presentations run between 4.10pm – 5pm: 
  • Associate Professor Christoph Teschers and Dr Andi Delaune: Re-imagining Education for Flourishing People and Societies
  • Professor Cheryl Brown, Dr Helena Cook, Dr Kay-Lee Jones, Professor Kathryn MacCallum, Komathi Ramaya and Associate Professor Christoph Teschers: Assessment Futures: Generative AI, Social Justice, and Principles for Equitable Design
  • Professor John Everatt: Assessment practices for schools and individuals
  • Dr Annie Soutter and Jess Love: Adapting an international inclusion framework for Aotearoa’s educational landscape

5pm - 6pm: The Graham Nuthall Lecture (also livestreamed via Zoom)

Speakers: Dr Hana O’Regan | Kāi Tahu, Pākehā | ONZM and Associate Professor Frauke Meyer

In the Graham Nuthall Lecture, Dr Hana O’Regan and AP Frauke Meyer will present on the Hāpaitia te Ngākau Aroha - Elevate Empathy project, an anti-bias training for teachers designed to act as a "circuit-breaker".

The training introduces teachers to coloniality, research on teacher expectations, and high teacher expectation practices. It further utilises a Virtual Reality (VR) scenario to immerse educators in the perspective of a Māori student over the course of a school day. By enabling teachers to “walk in the shoes” of a Māori student, the scenario makes visible the often subtle, cumulative effects of bias in everyday interactions.

The VR scenario aims to foster perspective-taking and increase empathy. The training aims to challenge deficit thinking and support shifts in teacher awareness and practice.

By weaving together critical scholarship and immersive technological innovation, The Hāpaitia te Ngākau Aroha - Elevate Empathy project team demonstrate how confronting coloniality alongside engaging in perspective-taking opens new pathways toward more culturally responsive teaching.

More about the Graham Nuthall Lecture speakers

Dr Hana O’Regan | Kāi Tahu, Pākehā | ONZM

Hana is the Kaihautū – Chief Executive at Awarua Whānau Services and brings over 30 years of expertise working with her people and many organisations to advocate for and lead indigenous language revitalisation and education responses to inequities that Māori and other groups experience. Her mahi on The Waitangi Tribunal and other inquiries means she deeply understands the impact of embedded and enduring system inequities on the lives of New Zealanders.

Associate Professor Frauke Meyer

Frauke is an Associate Professor at the University of Auckland whose research focuses on educational leadership, school improvement, and equity in student outcomes. She works closely with schools and leaders, with a particular focus on how strategic leadership can improve learning conditions and support equitable student achievement. She brings a strong evidence-based perspective to conversations about educational change, leadership development, and equity-oriented reform. Her work has been published and presented internationally.

Register now to join this free event either in person or via livestream