2019 news

The University of Canterbury (UC) School of Music and The Arts Centre Te Matatiki Toi Ora present Sing! Sing! Sing! on Sunday 13 October, featuring almost all UC’s performance music students on stage in The Great Hall at the same time.

151 young scholars walked across the stage of the Christchurch Town Hall in the first ever Children’s University Canterbury Partnership graduation ceremony on Wednesday evening.

Our open lunch time discussions continue, with the Salon Series 2019

Best wishes for a safe and relaxing Christmas break and a Happy New Year from all the staff at UC libraries!

180 Degrees Consulting is a UCE-supported club which enables students to gain valuable consulting experience in helping organisations which make a positive social impact.

A University of Canterbury (UC) project that aims to support young people to engage in debates about science and technology issues has received $29,872 in funding from the 2020 Unlocking Curious Minds funding round.

After two years of construction, the new University of Canterbury Students’ Association (UCSA) building Haere-roa, and its Ngaio Marsh Theatre, will be officially opened on Friday 2 August.

Kia kaha, Kia māia, Kia manawanui | Be strong, be brave, be steadfast

Professor of political science at University of Canterbury (UC) Anne-Marie Brady was recently named the 2019 Women of Influence - Global category. The annual awards, sponsored by Stuff and Westpac, recognise the passionate women who are creating real change and forging a path for others.

Join us for a conversation about...climate change action at UC

Happy New Year! We wish you all the best for 2019!

A unique new degree from the University of Canterbury (UC) serves to inspire future leaders in our community, providing them with vital building blocks to champion change in a changing world.

A prominent Ōtautahi artist and University of Canterbury alumnus will be celebrated at an exhibition held in August. Canterbury artist Bill Hammond is best known for his hauntingly beautiful half-human, half-bird creatures.

Enjoy the beautiful changing colours in the last few weeks of Autumn!

Do not underestimate the dangers of physical inactivity, warns University of Canterbury (UC) sports expert Professor Nick Draper, who has edited a new book to examine the causes of, and solutions to, physical inactivity.

‘Food for Thought’ is a five-day series of 15-minute talks in the city, bringing the university’s thought leaders to the public, so people can feed their minds while filling their tummies.

A University of Canterbury public talk – The Collapse of Morandi Bridge – presented by UC Engineering Professor Alessandro Palermo, explores the background and design philosophy of the designer Riccardo Morandi, overviews the construction and design of the Genoa bridge and highlights the possible causes of the collapse.

Discussing a very different kind of string theory, a visiting expert in ethnomathematics is giving a free public talk at UC on how diverse traditional island communities use maths principles in their cultural activities, from weaving and string games to design, ritual and construction.

Award-winning writer Frankie McMillan’s new collection, The Father of Octopus Wrestling, and other small fictions, traverses exciting new terrain.

The Condliffe Annual Memorial Lecture took place on 1 April 2019 hosted by the Department of Economics and Finance of the UC Business School.

All Libraries will be closed for Show Day public holiday.

University of Canterbury (UC) is getting a headstart on one of its New Year resolutions – to better engage with the community, local businesses and the city of Ōtautahi Christchurch.

2019 the University of Canterbury (UC) took the first steps towards establishing a new strategic plan to carry us forward to our milestone 150th anniversary, and beyond.

How do White Americans who are actively antiracist cope with the backlash they sometimes experience?

Like some confused migratory bird, a jumbo jet containing NASA’s flying observatory leaves its sunny home in the California desert every year to spend the winter in Christchurch, New Zealand.

The University of Canterbury extends solidarity and support to our community.

UCE and Women in Business combined to welcome Sue Stockdale to share some of her amazing experiences, and discuss what they have taught her about leadership and teamwork.

Canterbury College Library, pre- dog's day outs, crafternoons and basketball!

Throughout week 4 of the Summer Startup Programme, UCE had four guest speakers visit to share their wisdom, advice and personal experience around marketing.

UCE was humming with entrepreneurial ideas on Wednesday night with an excited group of students taking part in second UCE Deloitte 90 Minute Business Case Competition for 2019.

New toxicology study finds minimal risk of PFOS-linked cancer for Māori eating eel fished from the Oaonui Stream in Taranaki, Aotearoa New Zealand.

How babies learn to talk and how parents and grandparents can assist this process is the fascinating basis for Talking Baby: Helping your child discover language, by child language specialists Margaret Maclagan and Anne Buckley.

A new crowdsourcing project aims to harness UC Arts technology to make the women of nineteenth-century Canterbury more visible in the history of the province.

A chance conversation at the shared Manawa facility has resulted in a mutually beneficial project to transform an assessment room at community mental health service Whakataka House.

The University of Canterbury team, ‘Electric Sheep’, was the only New Zealand team to compete and qualify at the international RoboCup 2019 competition, in Sydney, Australia, recently.

The University has received a further statement from the Former High Court Judge Hon Kit Toogood QC, who is leading the independent investigation into the delay in discovering the death of a student at Sonoda Village residential hall.

The 2019 Stats NZ Prize for a paper with “the best use of official statistics” has been awarded to University of Canterbury researchers whose work concluded that the timing of a child’s fifth birthday, and when they typically first start school, may impact on their NCEA results and University Entrance (UE) later on.

Come and hear Lawrence Patchett's korero about his new book 'The Burning River'

A more balanced approach to harvesting fish could slow down fisheries-induced evolution and result in other conservation benefits, according to collaborative research from UC’s School of Mathematics and Statistics.

Tuia - Encounters 250 is a commemoration for all New Zealanders

An annual publication by the Department for our staff, students, alumni, friends and industry.

by Associate Professor Christopher Vas, MBA Director

Former University of Canterbury staff member Maureen Ahern has bequeathed 12 Roman and Judaean coins to the UC Teece Museum of Classical Antiquities, located in the Christchurch Arts Centre.

The Chalky Carr Trust has announced a project supporting those bound together by cancer. The Chalky Carr Trust Patron, Gemma McCaw, announced the inaugural recipient of the Chalky Carr Trust Scholarship. University of Canterbury first-year Bachelor of Criminal Justice student Mario Williams has been presented with the first Chalky Carr Trust Scholarship at an official ceremony, in front of family and friends of Chalky Carr.

In the past 146 years, University of Canterbury (UC) students of many disciplines have benefited from some truly remarkable teachers of classics, whose influence continues to echo through the generations.

Cam McCracken, Director of the Dunedin Public Art Gallery, returned to his arts school recently – University of Canterbury’s Ilam School of Fine Arts - as a judge for SELECT 19, and reflected on how a Bachelor of Fine Arts shaped his career.

High Court of Australia Judge, Justice Stephen Gageler, will address recent criticism of court judgment delays in Australia, at the University of Canterbury (UC) on 23 July at 6.15pm.

Three very different visiting writers currently based at University of Canterbury (UC) will read both new and published work at Fellow Poets tonight, 15 August, 5 – 6.30pm.

Nau mai, haere mai ki Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori! 9 -15 Mahuru 2019

Winter GradFest is here

Feeling stressed? Take a wander through the lovely Ilam Gardens.

For 10 weeks this summer, seven University of Canterbury (UC) students are going to be repairing life-saving medical equipment and engineering biomedical solutions in Tongan hospitals.

University of Canterbury (UC) mechanical engineering Professor Susan Krumdieck, a pioneer in the emerging field of Transition Engineering, has written the world’s first book on engineering the carbon downshift, including tackling the huge issues of climate change and world decline in oil supply.

UC has today launched a new online reporting tool, Report It.

New research aims to improve coating technology so it can be used on rounded objects, which could disrupt a range of industries and create lucrative opportunities.

First air crossing of Cook Strait

Distinguished Professor Geoff Chase was recently awarded an Honorary Professorship of Engineering, as part of the Astronautics Department at the Northwest Polytechnic University (NPU) in Xi’an, China.

Straight A’ University of Canterbury (UC) student Josh McSkimming is New Zealand’s top economics student and was recently honoured with the prestigious Sir Frank Holmes award in recognition.

Dr Ronán Feehily was recently invited to speak at a Symposium on Restorative Justice at Harvard Law School.

Popular basketball coach and Senior Tutor in Sport Coaching at the University of Canterbury (UC), Piet van Hasselt, has been named Head Coach of the New Zealand Under 23 men’s basketball team.

The results from a University of Canterbury (UC) study into the longer term effects of micronutrients on ADHD symptoms in children have been published in the Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology.

Octophonic compositions? They are eight-channel electronic music works that are best performed in 8.1 channel surround sound for a truly immersive experience, explains University of Canterbury School of Music senior lecturer Reuben de Lautour.

The Government will fund 240 student places to enable teachers to earn while they work towards their teacher qualification. Letitia Fickel, Chair of the NZ Council of Deans of Education, comments.

Fine Arts at Canterbury College

Brief outage of some library web-page functions 1pm 12th February

The University of Canterbury’s (UC) top finance students have won the biggest finance competition in the country to secure their place representing New Zealand in South Korea.

The University of Canterbury is celebrating 50 years of postgraduate journalism excellence on 7 September, with graduates from all over the world congregating to celebrate the milestone.

The University of Canterbury's Head of Music, Associate Professor Glenda Keam, has been elected the first female President of the International Society for Contemporary Music.

The average party in 2019 would look rather tame alongside a Classical Greek symposium. What the Greeks got up to on these boozy social occasions is the subject of an illustrated talk at the Teece Museum of Classical Antiquities on 13 September.

Start your study off right with our 15 minute online workshops.

Canterbury’s emerging young women leaders gathered at University of Canterbury (UC) yesterday to learn from inspiring alumnae and discuss the opportunities available to women at UC.

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Talofa lava Vaiaso o le Gagana Samoa - Welcome to Samoan Language Week!

Final days to view the exhibition. Now extended until October 18.

University of Canterbury researchers are launching a community storytelling project about the residential red zone.

The University of Canterbury (UC) is amidst an exciting week celebrating the hard work of students who are graduating over the next two days.

A BioHeritage project co-led by a University of Canterbury academic has inspired the creation of what could be the ultimate biodiversity guide for New Zealand farmers.

Japanese language students at the University of Canterbury (UC) chat to students in Thailand, Korea and Japan in online forums and mentor younger Japanese language students as part of ground-breaking initiatives that develop better proficiency and create enduring communities of learners.

Major quake aftershocks are not all seismic; they include legal, health, economic and social consequences that have previously come as a shock, according to two University of Canterbury law experts looking at Wellington’s situation.

The University of Canterbury Motorsport (UCM) team took home five trophies from the Formula Student competition in Victoria, Australia, in which students from across Australia, New Zealand, India and Japan took part in race events.

EPECentre Research Engineers have had a further paper on Joule Log Heating published in Applied Thermal Engineering.

Changes in food production have been shown to affect community capacity in the small town of Mataura, Aotearoa New Zealand.

Earlier this month, a rocket blasted off from the Waikato countryside, firing up through the clouds to an altitude of 31,000 feet – carrying with it the first biological experiments launched and recovered from a rocket in New Zealand.

Increased opioid and other drug use in Aotearoa New Zealand and around the world is affecting children’s readiness for learning when they start school, according to a new five-year study by a leading child development expert at the University of Canterbury (UC).

... and help a charity

Dame Ngaio Marsh’s fast-paced, successful war-time production script of Hamlet is being published for the first time, along with the original musical score and a selection of archival photographs, in a new book from Canterbury University Press.

The official opening of the Beatrice Tinsley building this week marked a significant milestone for the University of Canterbury (UC) – the completion of the Rutherford Regional Science and Innovation Centre (RRSIC).

Every Wednesday and Thursday night students and members of the community gather at the University of Canterbury (UC) and, under the direction of Balinese postgraduate student, Made Kartawan, they practice traditional Gamelan music and prepare for their big night.

University of Canterbury mathematicians Dr Jeanette McLeod and Dr Phil Wilson have won the 2019 New Zealand Association of Scientists Cranwell Medal for Science Communication.

Over the weekend, an energetic group of 23 University of Canterbury and University of Otago students challenged themselves to solve some of the pressing issues facing the Health sector in Canterbury and New Zealand, at the third UCE disrupt challenge for 2019.

A new book by a University of Canterbury academic explores the role that dogs and other companion animals play in women’s recovery from abuse, and the impacts on the animals themselves.

The Sustainability Challenge 2019 brought together 50 students and challenged them to create a business pitch that could transform New Zealand’s primary industries into the most environmentally-friendly in the world.

A project harnessing data to help athletes perform better and reduce injury has won Engineering New Zealand’s 2019 Student Innovator award.

Associate Professor David Leung’s biodegradable coating can help achieve food security in an environmentally friendly and consumer-conscious way.

A University of Canterbury student spent an American summer researching how insurgents in Afghanistan modify their terrorism techniques.

Adapting new data technologies may lead to fairer food prices for consumers and producers, by increasing transparency.

APA 7th Edition is here...

A Master of Geography student at University of Canterbury (UC) is one of four postgraduate students from across New Zealand to receive the NZ Post Antarctic Scholarship 2019.

University of Canterbury doctoral student Prerna Singh’s academic adventures in computer science have taken her from working with hospital sonographers on ultrasound image enhancement to her current job, data wrangling for Weta Digital in Wellington.

Students’ big ideas and innovative thinking were celebrated to the tune of $85,000 at Entré’s $85k Challenge awards evening at the University of Canterbury (UC) this week.

Astronomers have captured the first image of a black hole, heralding a revolution in our understanding of the universe’s most enigmatic objects, and proving the University of Canterbury’s Canterbury Distinguished Professor Roy Kerr’s 56-year-old solution correct.

The University of Canterbury (UC) is hosting the New Zealand and China Tertiary Education Exhibition until 4 October 2019, demonstrating the engagement between the countries’ academics and students.

The first conference of the Australasian Animal Studies Association to be held in New Zealand takes place in Christchurch this week, following a successful bid from UC’s New Zealand Centre for Human-Animal Studies (NZCHAS) and TourismNZ.

Where would actors, authors, artists and musicians be without expert critics? But is traditional criticism even relevant in the digital age when opinions and platforms proliferate? To find out, spend an evening with three practising critics discussing what reviewers in New Zealand do, what deserves their time and opinion, and how to foster new critics and artists.

An $11m fully immersive dark sky experience is now open to the public in Takapō (Tekapo). Dark Sky Project, formerly Earth & Sky, has opened the doors to its new 1140sqm building on the Takapō lakefront. The centre will be the departure point for the astro-tourism business’s outdoor, evening stargazing experiences at the University of Canterbury Mt John Observatory.

Israel Cooper, Director and Founder at Buildtech Group gave a talk at the latest UC Business School Thought Leadership series. He spoke about making a difference in business by focusing on people, values, and collaboration vs competition.

The sounds of over 60 percussion instruments from around the world, including drums, marimbas, conch shells, tin cans, cricket callers, wooden rulers and a lion’s roar (instrument), will fill the Great Hall at the Christchurch Arts Centre when the Grammy-nominated Los Angeles Percussion Quartet (LAPQ) takes to the stage on 23 September.

This summer, a University of Canterbury Chemistry and Law student is heading to Chile and Antarctica to represent Christchurch and New Zealand at the Antarctic Cities Youth Expedition.

A century ago, two New Zealand-Chinese, University of Canterbury engineering brothers, turned ANZAC soldiers, left their ground-breaking legacy for generations to come.

University of Canterbury School of Teacher Education academics, Associate Professor Misty Sato and Lecturer Desmond Breeze, discuss the upcoming teachers strike.

A paper from University of Canterbury (UC) alumnus Jacob Blokland was published in United States palaeontology journal 'Palaentologica Electronica' this week.

University of Canterbury researchers are launching a community storytelling project about the residential red zone.

This year has been called a mega-mast, as more than half of all beech forests are seeding across New Zealand. The amount of seed and fruit available has been boosted even further by the simultaneous flowering of rimu and tussock. University of Canterbury Professor Dave Kelly, School of Biological Sciences, comments on what stage of the masting cycle we’re in now, and how the mega mast will affect native bird and predator numbers over summer.

Globally, locally, through their research and via community platforms, academics are leading climate change action, and none more so than University of Canterbury (UC)’s Associate Professor Bronwyn Hayward.

UC’s Heritage Collections, housed in the Macmillan Brown Library are now offering access to over 28,000 collection images (and counting) and over 120,000 records

Te Kura Umanga | UC Business School, in conjunction with MYOB, has run a successful teachers conference in 2019.

Need to study at all hours?

A University of Canterbury engineer’s work on liquefaction-induced land damage following the Canterbury earthquakes has been awarded a prestigious international engineering award.

Ground Water Mirror, on display in the Ilam gallery at the University of Canterbury (UC) School of Fine Arts until 19 July, features work by UC’s new photography lecturer Conor Clarke.

Distinguished Professor of e-Learning Niki Davis’s stellar career in e-learning has taught her there is cause for both optimism and caution as education evolves further and faster into online spaces.

Visual artist and University of Canterbury (UC) alumna Ella Sutherland will travel to Germany next October, spending a year researching, networking and developing new work as recipient of the 2020/2021 Creative New Zealand Berlin Visual Arts Residency.

“It looks grim,” says Dr Tyron Love, a senior lecturer of Management, Marketing and Entrepreneurship at the University of Canterbury (UC) College of Business and Law, of the preliminary findings of his research into the future of Māori academics in New Zealand universities.

Studying for exams? Need some caffeine?

Around 25 EPECentre scholars and staff visited Orion’s offices, including their Control Centre, talked to engineers and learnt more about Orion, the electricity industry and the challenges to come.

The Minister of Education Chris Hipkins officially opened the University of Canterbury’s award-winning Rehua building on Tuesday 25 June. Rehua brings the College of Education, Health and Human Development from the University’s Dovedale campus to the central Ilam campus for the first time, joined by the UC Business School’s UC Centre for Entrepreneurship (UCE), and MBA and Business Taught Masters programmes.

Leave your studies ‘behind’!!

When nineteenth century pubs and hotels were rediscovered beneath Canterbury following the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes, few people would have made the connection to ancient Rome.

The Dementia Prevention Research Clinic will be officially opened in Christchurch today – the third in a national network of clinics established by Brain Research New Zealand| Rangahau Roro Aotearoa (BRNZ).

The University has received an updated statement from former High Court Judge Hon. Kit Toogood QC, who is leading the independent investigation into the delay in discovering the death of a student at Sonoda Village residential hall.

Improve your study game with our 15 minute online workshops.

Department of Economics and Finance Professor Jedrzej Bialkowski recently won the Boyle, Lally, and Rose prize for best overall paper at the 2019 New Zealand Finance Colloquium (NZFC).

A University of Canterbury Students' Association (UCSA) fundraiser on 22 November offers the chance to visit the private sculpture park Gibb’s Farm, located just north of Auckland but on a par with outdoor sculpture collections anywhere.

On 8th May, the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) announced a cut to the Official Cash Rate. University of Canterbury Economist and Director of Business Taught Masters, Stephen Hickson, explains what that means and what impact it could have.

International child developmental expert and University of Canterbury alumna, Professor Lianne Woodward has returned home from Harvard Medical School to lead UC’s School of Health Sciences.

There's light at the end of the tunnel!

Former High Court Judge Hon Kit Toogood QC has been appointed by the Chancellor on behalf of the University of Canterbury Council to lead the investigation into the delay in discovering the death of a student at Sonoda Village residential hall where he lived.

Still in holiday mode?

The University has received an updated statement from the Former High Court Judge Hon Kit Toogood QC, who is leading the independent investigation into the delay in discovering the death of a student at Sonoda Village residential hall.

A new focus on promoting and supporting women into electrical engineering study and the wider electrical engineering industry has been announced by the Electric Power Engineering Centre (EPECentre).

The UCE EY Summer Startup Programme wrapped up for another year on Tuesday with UCE’s biggest ever Final Showcase event.

After nine weeks of rapid business development, the 24 ventures in the UCE EY Summer Startup Programme pitched their ideas to a panel of local experts, who selected the top 12 finalists.

The Pons family of five would make an intimidating quiz team. Between them, they hold 11 university degrees, including four from the University of Canterbury (UC), with more on the way.

Still too cold for a walk on the beach? Never!

Featuring works from 3rd, 4th, Honours year and Master’s of Fine Arts studio-artists, ILAM 2019 is once again an astutely curated snapshot of contemporary creative developments within the UC Arts School of Fine Arts.

Zero, zip, zilch, nil, nada, nothing – we have many names for it, but who invented the curious concept of zero? And why have we spent millennia making such a big deal out of nothing at all?

A University of Canterbury scientist is using Kiwi technology in her Antarctic research to capture fascinating footage of life beneath the surface in McMurdo Sound.

Chinese musicians

Sprinkled in star dust, four University of Canterbury scientific alumni and staff have been honoured, featuring among six Kiwis chosen to appear on new ‘New Zealand Space Pioneers’ postage stamps.

The beginning of May saw the second Women in Finance (WiF) symposium, hosted by the UC Business School, Department of Economics and Finance together with the UC Investment Society.

The English editor and publisher who discovered some of the greatest writers of our times, including Salman Rushdie, Julian Barnes and Anita Brookner, will be awarded an honorary Doctor of Letters (honoris causa) by the University of Canterbury at the University’s Arts and Science graduation ceremony.

The TEU has presented an award of excellence to University of Canterbury Political Science and International Relations Professor Anne-Marie Brady.

Snails could stop freshwater invertebrate populations from recovering, even after the stream habitat has been restored. That’s why a University of Canterbury student has spent much of her summer creating snail baskets.

New Zealand rally driver Hayden Paddon plans to take motorsport into the future developing a world-first electric rally car. Paddon publicly announced the electric rally car project yesterday, with the University of Canterbury as a technical partner.

University of Canterbury Engineering academic Professor Maan Alkaisi is looking for the mechanism that triggers cancer. His research into micro-environmental conditions within and between cells may ultimately result in tailored cancer medications.

Professor Rob Lindeman, Director of HIT Lab NZ, is UC's project lead for exploring and programming the humanoid robot, 'Pepper', to interact most effectively with visitors at Christchurch International airport in a new collaborative project.

Stick your tongue out to winter!

Last year, Larissa Wilson starred in TV contest The Great Kiwi Bake-Off. This month the UC Mechanical Engineering BE(Hons) student goes from Bake-off to take-off: she will spend two weeks at the Mars Desert Research Station in Utah, United States.

Two native planting and restoration projects in Canterbury have received support from the One Billion Trees Fund, including a unique project led by the University of Canterbury (UC).

University of Canterbury (UC) researcher Professor Steven Ratuva has secured research funding of more than $588,000 over three years from the Health Research Council of New Zealand (HRC) to investigate Pacific community health.

New research shows timber core-wall systems can be used in mid- to high-rise timber buildings to form lift shafts or staircases, making it easier, more flexible and cheaper to build more eco-friendly buildings.

In recent decades, scientists discovered an uncomfortable truth: What we eat affects our mental health. University of Canterbury Psychology Professor Julia Rucklidge will explore the topic in her upcoming UC Connect public lecture – Feeding the brain: exploring nutrition’s role in mental health – which sold out of tickets early.

UC Library wishes you a safe and happy Easter break!

University of Canterbury (UC) Economics graduate, Christian Hawkesby, has been appointed Assistant Governor/General Manager of Economics, Financial Markets and Banking at Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ).

A Better Start National Science Challenge team has been researching effective ways to accelerate early reading and writing success for children who enter school with lower levels of oral language. “Early literacy success is critical to children’s wellbeing from many perspectives,” says Professor Gail Gillon, University of Canterbury Child Well-Being Research Institute Director and Deputy Director for A Better Start Challenge.

Learning to study was the key to success for Patrick Brand. This week, he is graduating from the University of Canterbury (UC) with a Bachelor of Laws and looking forward to a fulfilling career in litigation.

Aotearoa New Zealand will have to seriously consider gene editing to improve crop production if it is to meet future sustainability targets, according to the University of Canterbury’s newest Professor Emerita, plant biologist Paula Jameson.

What do we know about the Romans and sex? How prevalent was adultery? What do we know about Roman prostitution? And what can we say about the erotic images found in Pompeii and Herculaneum? In this free public (R18) talk we go under the proverbial covers to discuss Roman sexuality.

When assessing a patient’s health, one of the first things a doctor does is measure the patient’s vital signs. But how do you measure vital signs when your patient is a huge, endangered paikea humpback whale?

The ancient Greeks and Romans were obsessed with food. For most, food was a matter of daily survival. However, for the fortunate few, food was a matter of status and a way of expressing their superior tastes or lifestyles. The new exhibition at the University of Canterbury’s Teece Museum of Classical Antiquities focuses on food in the ancient world.

Risky photography on Pioneer ridge, 1907.