NZVCC Electronic News Bulletin

NZVCC Electronic News Bulletin Vol. 7 No. 5 03 April 2007

Lead item …

Professor Walsh to chair CUAP

Victoria University Vice-Chancellor Professor Pat Walsh has been appointed chair of the NZVCC Committee on University Academic Programmes for a three-year term commencing August 1. CUAP considers academic matters across the university system including the evaluation of proposed new programmes and subsequent moderation procedures. The committee has two new members this year, Associate Professor David Crabbe (Victoria) and Mr Josh Clark (NZ Union of Students’ Associations), and has recently published a new edition of its handbook, Functions and Procedures 2007-2008.

Other items …

Top Achiever Doctoral Scholarships enable vital research

Among the 50 leading doctoral students recently awarded scholarships is University of Otago researcher Rosemary Geddes whose work may shed new light on a major cause of infertility. Top Achiever Doctoral Scholarships, introduced in 1999, are three-year awards by the Tertiary Education Commission. To date, 678 scholars have been awarded a total of $68 million, including this year’s recipients who receive a total of $4.7 million.

Among the other work being funded through the 2007 awards is research on developing a vaccine for treatment of cancer patients. Other research to be undertaken by the successful doctoral students involves the development of a financial risk assessment tool for estimating loss from earthquakes, as well as improved building design to allow structures to be more enduring and safer during earthquake events. Another project will focus on the motivations of people interested in building environmentally sustainable homes. Research funded by top achiever scholarships can be undertaken at New Zealand or overseas institutions but if research is undertaken overseas, the student must return to this country once the scholarship is completed for a period equal to the award’s duration.

Government renews private provider protocol

Tertiary Education Minister Dr Michael Cullen has signed an updated protocol with the NZ Association of Private Education Providers. The protocol “outlines the Government’s continued commitment to consultation with private education providers on tertiary education policy changes”. Such consultation includes the current tertiary education reforms. In this context, Dr Cullen describes the role of individual private training establishments as contributing to a “broad, comprehensive, flexible, efficient and effective network of tertiary education provision which is focused on meeting the needs of stakeholders”. The protocol is not a legally binding document.

Doug Myers Scholarship for 2007

Samuel Coldicutt has been awarded the NZVCC-administered Doug Myers Scholarship for 2007, a three-year award to high-achieving students. As a result, the 18-year-old is off to Gonville and Caius College at Cambridge University later this year to study economics and law. In the meantime Samuel has enrolled in French, Ancient Greek and Russian language papers at the University of Auckland. His success as a national debating champion is complemented by sporting interests such as fencing and skiing while Samuel’s musical talents centre on opera singing, the violin and piano. His long-term plans involve using his Cambridge degree to work in either national or international law or politics, possibly at the European Union or the United Nations.

KAREN collaboration forum planned

Planning is underway for the first forum on KAREN, the Kiwi Advanced Research and Education Network. The event’s aim will be to increase a shared understanding of networking techniques for collaboration, with a three-day programme planned for early July. The target audience is researchers, scientists and academics with an interest in network-based collaboration tools to advance their projects. A range of disciplines will be covered by the forum including social sciences, arts and humanities, bio-informatics, bio-engineering, computer science and medical and health sciences.

The programme will feature sessions on research and education networks from both discipline-based and network perspectives, structuring for collaboration, identifying capability needs, case studies and demonstrations and making connections between researchers and scientists based in this country and their international counterparts. Further information is available from Research and Education Advanced Network NZ Ltd (REANNZ), contact: julie.watson[at]reannz.co.nz

REANNZ supports 10 projects

Meanwhile, REANNZ has awarded more than $2.6 million to 10 projects in the first round of grants from its Working and Development Fund, aimed at developing capability around the use of KAREN. The successful projects are led by eight KAREN member organisations, five universities and three Crown Research Institutes, and cover the fields of e-research, microbiology, earthquake engineering, bio-informatics, grid computing and social sciences.

Cricket and triathlon feature in university sport

The latest issue of University Sport New Zealand reports that the Auckland University of Technology men’s team defeated 2005 champions Victoria by one wicket in the final of 2007 Uni Cricket Championship, held in Auckland, to take the title for the first time. In the first-ever women’s competition, Auckland University overcame AUT by nine wickets. The publication also covered the first Uni Triathlon Champs which took place in Whangamata in March. Massey Albany’s Anna Hamilton won the women’s race and Canterbury’s Thijs Hubber the men’s event. Contrary to Stuart Middleton’s suggestion in the current issue of Education Review, university sport in this country is in good shape as the annual winter and summer tournaments attest.

USP farewells Vice-Chancellor

The Vice-Chancellor of the University of the South Pacific, Professor Anthony Tarr, has tendered his resignation which comes into effect on April 30. At a farewell function this week, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Dr Esther Williams said that although Professor Tarr was with USP for two years, his contribution to the university’s development was tremendous. In response, Professor Tarr said his time at the university would always be cherished. “Not many people appreciate that USP in boxing terms punches well above its weight – when you consider its budget and student load compared to other institutions in Australia and New Zealand, it does a remarkable job.” When Professor Tarr’s resignation was announced, USP Council Chair the Hon. Fiame N. Mata’afa said the Vice-Chancellor had restructured the university in a short period of time with a high level of co-operation from staff at all levels.

Pressures on Australian university research infrastructure

Infrastructure pressures on Australian universities and stresses across the system stemming from under-funding were identified in the Productivity Commission Research Report – Public Support for Science and Innovation released last week. Australian Vice-Chancellors’ Committee President Professor Gerard Sutton welcomed the report as a timely reminder of the importance of public support for science and innovation for Australia’s economic, social and environmental future. “The report’s findings affirm the AVCC’s representations to the Productivity Commission, in particular concerns regarding the current infrastructure funding for universities which provides the platform for science and innovation.” The AVCC had recommended to the Productivity Commission that the Government fund increased research infrastructure block grants to better support basic research and research training. The report findings supported the AVCC’s call for greater investment in Australia’s future through its universities.

ENDS

© Scoop Media