Winter Lecture Series line up confirmed

8 July, 2013

Winter Lecture Series line up confirmed

From Hobbits to mental health, the arts and education, there’s something for everyone at this year’s University of Waikato Winter Lecture Series.

The series, which runs on consecutive Wednesdays throughout August, brings together the latest university research and experts from the community in a forum which promotes robust discussion on a series of engaging topics. Lectures are free and open to anyone to attend.

Highlights this year will include WORLD fashion designer Denise L’Estrange-Corbet speaking about mental health, arts patron Sir James Wallace delivering his view on the Waikato arts scene and Hamilton & Waikato Tourism head Kiri Goulter exploring the best ways the region can capitalise on the success of the Hobbit movies.

University of Waikato Vice-Chancellor Professor Roy Crawford says last year’s Winter Lecture Series was a great success and showed the university’s continued commitment to providing opportunities for the community to take part in university life.

“The Hamilton community is important to us and we look forward to providing an interesting range of lectures on subjects people will find interesting and engaging,” he says.

“The role of a university within its community is to be a critic and conscience of society and to share knowledge and the Winter Lecture Series helps us fulfil that role.”

This year’s series begins on Wednesday, 7 August with An Unexpected Result: The Business of Hobbits, which will bring together tourism heads and researchers discussing the benefits to the region of having parts of The Hobbit movies filmed here, how we can capitalise on its popularity and what people actually think of the movie.

The discussion will feature Goulter, Sue Whiting, manager of the Matamata PR

Association, and the University of Waikato’s Dr Carolyn Michelle, who has been carrying out worldwide research on perceptions of The Hobbit.

On 14 August, L’Estrange-Corbet - a long time mental health campaigner - will be joined by researchers Associate Professor Cathy Coleborne and Dr Nicola Starkey in It’s All in Your Head: Understanding More About Mental Health while on 21 August leading educational experts Dr Noeline Wright, Dr Deborah Fraser and Dr Bill Ussher discuss the latest educational trends in Class Struggles: Is Our Education on Track?

The series ends with what’s sure to be a lively discussion at A Star is Born: How Hamilton’s Arts Scene Has Come of Age where Creative Waikato head Sarah Nathan, arts patron Sir James Wallace and University Art Collection Curator Steph Chalmers share a couch and discuss how Hamilton has finally thrown off the cultural cringe and is embracing the arts.

The Winter Lecture Series is held in the Gallagher Academy of Performing Arts and lectures are free to attend. The lectures run from 6pm to 7pm with the Opus Bar open from 5pm.

For more information, visit: http://www.waikato.ac.nz/events/lecture-series/winter-lectures.shtml

ENDS

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