No 3 - 11 March 2004 - Communications and Development ...

Chronicle
Volume 39, No. 3 Thursday, March 11, 2004
Canterbury and Otago to collaborate in health sciences
Canterbury and Otago universities have
signed an agreement to work together in
research and teaching in health sciences
and related disciplines.
The Memorandum of Agreement, signed
on campus last Thursday, formalises the
significant collaboration that already exists
between staff and students at the universities,
particularly in research and teaching.
It provides for collaboration in academic
services, research, and library and
information services between Canterbury
and Otago University’s Christchurch School
of Medicine and Health Sciences (CSMHS).
Vice-Chancellor Professor Roy Sharp said
the agreement was timely. “We have just
formed a Health Sciences Centre to provide
a focus for more than 60 staff who work in
health-related areas at Canterbury, teaching
and researching in subjects as diverse as
psychology and bioengineering.”
Otago’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Graeme
Fogelberg, welcomed the agreement. “Our
Christchurch school has a long history of
collaboration with Canterbury in health
sciences and I believe that formalising the
relationship will benefit both institutions
and the whole of the South Island.”
The MOA creates the opportunity for joint
teaching appointments, joint supervision
of Masters and Doctoral theses and projects,
and for staff at both universities to teach into
the programmes of the other.
The agreement also provides for the CSMHS
and staff at Canterbury to work together to
foster health sciences research in Canterbury
and beyond.
It envisages opportunities for both joint
approaches for the purchase and use of
research equipment and facilities, and joint
approaches to funding agencies to support
research projects of mutual interest.
Otago University Vice-Chancellor Professor Graeme Fogelberg
(left) and Canterbury Vice-Chancellor Professor Roy Sharp sign
the agreement, watched by Dr Ian Town (left), Dean at the
Christchurch School of Medicine and Health Sciences, and
Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Bob Kirk.
The two universities have agreed to
collaborate in planning and development of
library and information resources for teaching
and research, with access to those resources
and services through the enrolling institution.
The MOA will be signed for an initial threeyear
period, with provision for alterations at
any time subject to the mutual consent of
both parties.
A Liaison Group will be established comprising
the Dean and Associate Dean of the
Christchurch School of Medicine and Health
Sciences and the Deputy Vice-Chancellor and
Assistant Vice-Chancellor (Academic) of the
University of Canterbury, with one further
representative from each institution.
The Liaison Group will meet at least three
times a year for strategic planning of
teaching and research programmes and to
develop policy and process for resourcing and
servicing those activities.
UC enrolments up by 5%
Enrolments at the University of Canterbury
reached 12,199 at the end of the first
semester enrolment period, up by 560
(4.8%) on the comparable 2003 figure.
Both domestic and international student
numbers have increased compared with
2003 enrolments. First-year student numbers
rose by 90 (3.6%) to 2560.
The increased enrolments were spread widely
across the campus, with the four largest
faculties – arts, commerce, engineering and
science – all showing roll growth.
The roll growth is in line with the University’s
budgetary forecasts. Definitive figures and
EFTS (equivalent full-time student) analyses
will be available at the end of March.
Inside your Chronicle
3. Gift recalls memories of Rita Angus.
4. Clean sweep for biology students.
8. NZIGE to collaborate with UN.
11. Agreement signals closer ties with China.
1

2
Customer Services Manager Irene Bird, the Chairman of the AV Committee David Fortin and AV Group Leader Gil Barker monitor the
action in the new television studio.
Garage finds new life as TV studio
Two hundred dollars and a little kiwi
ingenuity have turned an old garage into a
D.I.Y television studio.
The studio, in the old brick garage in Forestry
Road, is the initiative of the University’s
Audio Visual Group.
Aptly named Garage Productions, the studio
will provide live multi-camera interview
training for students studying mass media
and journalism. It will also provide a recording
and interview facility capable of producing
broadcast quality sound and pictures for
teaching and for promoting the University.
AV Group Leader Mr Gil Barker said the
studio had been developed utilising retired
Chronicle
Next Issue: 25 March, 2004
Deadline: 19 March, 2004
Editor: Jeanette Colman
Ext 6260 or 364 2260
Sub-editor: Col Pearson
Photos: Duncan Shaw-Brown
Artwork: Marcus Thomas
Distribution: Kate Frew
Design and Print Services
E-mail: comms@canterbury.ac.nz
Fax: Ext 6679 or 364 2679
Address: Communications and
Development Department,
University of Canterbury,
Private Bag 4800,
Christchurch.
The Chronicle is typeset and
printed by Design & Print Services.
and surplus equipment, some of it
dating back 20 years. “Most of it we found
in the University warehouse. The old carpet
is from the Music School. About the only
thing new are the lights from
The Warehouse.”
The studio is set up with three live cameras
and a self-contained production suite.
The “Garage” can be booked through AV.
New Zealand’s first high temperature
superconducting transformer (HTST) is
now being assembled at the University
of Canterbury.
The device is the result of collaboration
between the University and Meridian
Energy Ltd. It uses ceramic-based
superconducting material immersed in
liquid nitrogen and is designed to replace
traditional oil-filled machines, with weight
and transport advantages.
The superconductor follows on from the
University’s development of a resonating
high voltage transformer (RHV Transformer)
for use in testing large power generators.
The transformer needed to be portable
enough to be moved around the country for
testing at various power stations. It has been
extensively used at Manapouri underground
power station.
“What is exciting about this technology
is that it offers significant weight, and
therefore transportation, advantages
over commercially available units,” said
Professor Pat Bodger (Electric and computer
Engineering), who heads the development
team. The total crated weight of the
University Council to
meet in city
The March meeting of the University Council
will be held at the Christchurch City Council
offices, in the spirit of the protocol signed
late last year between the University and
the CCC.
The aim of the protocol is to enable the two
organisations to work together to enrich
the cultural and intellectual life of the
city, ensuring CCC access to the education,
knowledge and research of the University,
support for its students and research
activities, and a framework for collaboration
in promoting the University to funders,
researchers, students and employers.
Areas of cooperation focus on student
education and workforce development,
research cooperation and a jointly
sponsored public lecture series. Both
organisations have agreed to involve Ngäi
Tahu wherever possible.
Priorities for 2004 include a joint scholarship
programme for research degrees, a citybased
public lecture series, development of
short courses and professional development
initiatives relevant to the local government
sector, establishing liaison contacts within
the new Colleges, collaboration on research
initiatives of benefit to both organisations,
CCC input into membership of academic
advisory groups, and reciprocal hosting of
Council meetings.
New transformer type under construction at Canterbury
RHV Transformer is under half a tonne,
compared with more than 6.5 tonnes for
other commercial models.
“Moreover, the construction does not
require the use of liquid dielectric oil
which significantly reduces air-freight
issues and costs, as well as environmental
and safety risks,” he added.
A Christchurch company, CanterburyTX,
has been formed to develop the
technology further, while local companies,
Viva and PB Power (NZ) Ltd, are supplying
electrical and mechanical engineering
expertise. The technology is jointly owned
by Canterprise Ltd, the inventors (Professor
Bodger, Wade Enright, Matthew O’Neill
and Rick Liew), and Meridian Energy.
The HTST will undergo its initial
performance testing during March 2004.
“The global power transformer market is
worth billions of dollars,” Professor Bodger
said. “Following the completion of the
first transformer, the objective is to begin
constructing a superconducting power
transformer that can be connected to the
distribution network, in the second half
of 2004.”

Full review of enrolment system
Vice-Chancellor Professor Roy Sharp has
announced a full review into problems with
this year’s enrolment process.
Speaking at the February meeting of
the University Council, Professor Sharp
acknowledged that significant problems
faced by some students were unsatisfactory
and led to unfortunate levels of frustration
for them and for staff.
A lot had been learnt already about the cause
of the problems and the review would build
on that and establish what needed to be
done, he said.
The problems had not affected roll numbers,
however, with enrolments on target to be up
about 4%, in line with budget predictions.
Professor Sharp said the three reasons for
changing the system this year were: to align
Mrs Crumpton recalls her time at Bishop Julius Hostel with a flip through her album of photographs of the period.
Gift recalls memories of Rita Angus
A 1927 Rita Angus sketch of Bishop Julius
Hostel has been gifted to the University by
Edna Crumpton.
Mrs Crumpton, who was attending
Christchurch Teachers College with a group
of her West Coast friends at the time, was
one of 30 young women staying in the
hostel that year.
The acclaimed New Zealand artist Rita
Angus, who later became a key member
of the Christchurch Group, was also at BJH
having travelled from Napier to study at the
University’s School of Art.
While the Teachers’ College students were on
studentships, the art students were not, so
Angus and her fellow artists sold small works
to finance their studies.
Mrs Crumpton bought one of the three BJH
sketches she recalls Angus drawing and
believes she is the only purchaser to have
procedures with the new College structure
and relieve academic staff of some of the
burden; to be able to inform students as
early as possible that they were approved
for their chosen course of study; and to
move towards a fully web and phone-based
enrolment process.
Despite the problems about 5000 students
were fully enrolled before the three-day
on-campus enrolment period, a first for the
University Professor Sharp said.
Students’ Association President Pete Martin
called for better communication to students
about where they were in the process, and
acknowledged the hard work of front-line
enrolment staff, especially on the first day of
on-campus enrolment.
kept such a work all her life.
She recalls clearly Angus’s commitment to
her work and her reluctance to be watched
while working.
“She was good at her drawing but she didn’t
like us watching her for long so we took turns.”
Mrs Crumpton’s career took her back to the
West Coast, teaching in a number of small
primary schools before finishing her teaching
days at Greymouth High School.
All three of her children studied at Canterbury:
Ian completed a BA, went on to study theology
and is now at the local Presbyterian church,
St Ninians; Robert did a BE (Hons) degree in
electrical engineering and is now retired; Joy,
who did a BSc, is now deceased.
The original sketch will become part of the
Macmillan Brown Library collection, and
copies of the work are being made for Mrs
Crumpton and Bishop Julius Hostel.
Photo: Jeff Field, Communications and Development
Foundation’s efforts make
historical instrument
purchase possible
The School of Music is to get a fortepiano
thanks to the fundraising efforts of the
University of Canterbury Foundation.
In just three months the foundation raised
the $60,000 required for the purchase
of a fortepiano, a predecessor to the
modern piano.
UC Foundation Executive Officer Ms
Shelagh Murray said she wanted to
acknowledge the efforts of the UC
Foundation trustees who personally
assisted with the success of the project.
Head of Music Dr Roger Buckton said he was
absolutely delighted that students would
be able to hear and play the instrument for
which a great deal of basic piano repertoire
was intended.
“I would like to convey my thanks to the UC
Foundation and donors who very graciously
and enthusiastically supported this project,”
Dr Buckton said.
“Canterbury students will now have
the opportunity to play and perform on
an historical piano of the type which
Beethoven would have used. As stated by
one of our current piano applicants, Peter
Nagy from the Lizst Academy, Budapest,
it’s not until students have experienced the
same type of instrument that the composer
used can they have any true feeling for the
possibilities behind the music.”
Invented at the turn of the 18 th century,
the fortepiano was the solution to the
harpsichord’s inability to produce different
dynamic levels. Although more limited
than the modern piano, the fortepiano is
capable of a reasonable dynamic range.
The action is much lighter, the pedal has
quite a different effect and the bass has a
much clearer sound.
Canterbury’s fortepiano is being
handcrafted by Aucklander Paul Downie
and will be based on a German instrument
of Conrad Graf built in 1824. It will be the
first six-octave instrument in the country.
The University expects to take delivery of its
new instrument in early 2005.
VC to take over as Deputy
Chair of NZVCC
Professor Roy Sharp will take up an
appointment as Deputy Chair of the New
Zealand Vice-Chancellors’ Committee on 1
July, replacing Professor Graeme Fogelberg.
In preparation for the role, Professor Sharp
was the NZVCC representative at the recent
meeting in South Africa of the Association of
Commonwealth Universities
3

No more IELTS
4
The University of Canterbury is offering
international students a non-IELTS pathway
to tertiary study.
The University has introduced two new
English language preparatory courses which
focus on a range of skills needed to succeed
at tertiary study rather than on passing the
IELTS (International English Language Testing
System) exam.
The English Language Centre’s Programme
Manager, Mr Paul Coleman, said students
were passing the IELTS exams but didn’t
necessarily have the study skills to go on to
achieve at degree level.
“Rather than spending the time preparing
for a one-off IELTS exam, students can now
focus on English language proficiency and
the study skills which will help them succeed
in their degree study,” said Mr Coleman.
“The new English language courses are
about giving the students the best possible
preparation for successful degree study. The
focus is not on getting into university but on
doing well and graduating with a degree.”
Students have the choice of two non-
IELTS pathways. The English for Academic
Purposes for Foundation Studies is a 12 week
course which prepares students for the
University’s non-IELTS Foundation Studies
Programme. The Certificate of English for
Tertiary Studies is a 28 week course which
prepares students for undergraduate and
postgraduate degree study. Both courses are
based on continuous assessment.
This now means that students who pass
either the Certificate of English for Tertiary
Studies or the English for Academic Purposes
for Foundation Studies and the Foundation
Studies Certificate will not have to take the
IELTS examination for entry to most degree
programmes in all New Zealand Universities.
“The Certificate qualifications are approved
by the New Zealand Universities Vice
Chancellors’ Committee,” said Mr Coleman.
The University will still offer an English for
Academic Purposes IELTS Course for students
who prefer this option.
People
Mr Stuart McMillan has been re-appointed
senior fellow in the School of Political
Science and Communication for a further
three-year term.
Dr Milenko Petrovic has been re-appointed
an adjunct fellow in the National Centre for
Research on Europe for a further three years.
Associate Professor Jamie Shulmeister
(Geological Sciences) has been elected
Vice-President of the Australia New Zealand
Geomorphology Group (ANZGG) at a recent
meeting at Mt Buffalo in Australia.
Clean sweep for biology students
A clean sweep of awards isn’t just limited
to the Lord of the Rings. Canterbury
students made it five out of five at a recent
Australasian conference for freshwater
biologists.
Hamish Greig (left), Tanya Blakley and
Francis Burdon picked up all five of the
New Zealand awards on offer at the Joint
Australian Society of Limnology and New
Zealand Limnological Society Congress held
in Warrnambool, Victoria.
Hamish, a BSc Honours student, won the
SIL Award for Best Student Presentation for
his talk on the effect of trout on a caddisfly
at Cass. On the strength of his talk he has
been invited to present his work at the North
American Benthological Society’s Conference
in Vancouver in June.
Fellow honours student Tanya won the SIL
Award for Best Honours/Master Presentation
for her work on urban streams. Her research
Ngäi Tahu representation on Council
The University is to seek a change to the
gazetted composition of the University
Council to allow it to have one of its
three co-opted members appointed after
consultation with Te Runanga o Ngäi Tahu.
Currently the local iwi is represented by Ms
Donna Matahaere-Atariki, appointed by
the Associate Minister of Tertiary Education
on the University’s recommendation after
consultation with Ngäi Tahu.
Council would like to see the change in place
before her period on Council expires in May
2005, and will make representations to the
Minister on the matter.
At the February Council meeting Judge
Stephen Erber questioned whether the
change would give Council less flexibility by
has indicated that road culverts may act
as important and previously unrecognised
barriers to stream insects that are
recolonising restored urban streams.
Francis, a Masters student, won the
SKM Award for Best Applied Talk for his
presentation looking at the effect of stream
productivity upon aquatic-terrestrial linkages.
Tanya and Francis also won Department of
Conservation Awards for their talks.
Drs Jon Harding and Angus McIntosh
(Biological Sciences) said they were very
proud of their three students.
“It is a major achievement for the students
and the first time one University has taken
all the awards,” said Dr Harding.
“All three are producing high quality work and
it great to see them being recognised by their
peers,” Dr McIntosh added.
reducing its co-option choices from three to
two. He favoured a Ngäi Tahu representative
being one of the Minister’s four appointees.
Dr Paddy Austin said giving Council
control over the appointment would
enrich membership and add weight to the
relationship with Ngäi Tahu, in line with
the strategic goal set for 2004 to enable
appointment of a mana whenua link on a
continuing basis. Iwi links were as important
as those with students, staff and the
business community, she said.
Vice-Chancellor Professor Roy Sharp said cooptions
should be used to bring in specialist
expertise and enhance critical relationships
and the University “always wanted to have a
strong relationship with Ngäi Tahu.”

Collaboration with ESR boosts research capabilities
The University of Canterbury and the
Institute of Environmental Science
and Research Ltd (ESR) have signed a
Memorandum of Agreement paving the
way for greater collaboration in the areas of
research, education and public programmes.
ESR, one of nine Crown Research Institutes, is
New Zealand’s leading provider of scientific
services in environmental health and forensic
science. It employs approximately 300 staff
across its three centres located in Auckland,
Wellington and Christchurch.
The memorandum signed on Monday
formalises strong links which already exist
between the University and neighbouring ESR.
Many of ESR’s scientists lecture to
undergraduate students at the University,
and PhD students are jointly supervised
by staff from the University and ESR. Each
year ESR awards summer studentships,
masters and PhD scholarships in areas of
study designed to “protect people and their
environment”.
Chemistry PhD students Barbara Thomson and Anna McCarthy
are jointly supervised by staff at ESR and Canterbury University.
ESR head Dr John Hay (left) and Canterbury Vice-Chancellor Professor Roy Sharp sign the memorandum, watched by General Manager
Environmental Health, Bill Swallow (left), Water Science Manager Alistair Sheat, in-coming Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Science) Professor Ian
Shaw and Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Bob Kirk.
“There are opportunities to build upon these
links and expand into other research areas for
greater mutual benefit to both organisations,”
said ESR Chief Executive Officer Dr John Hay.
“The memorandum will accelerate the process
that has already been started.”
In the spirit of greater co-operation, Dr Hay
announced the appointment of Professor
Ian Shaw as an adjunct senior science leader
at ESR. Professor Shaw headed the National
Food Safety Programme at ESR but is leaving
to take up the position of Pro-Vice-Chancellor
(Science) at the University. During his time at
ESR, Professor Shaw was an adjunct professor
in the chemistry department.
“Stronger links between the two organisations
will give us a competitive edge when we
apply for research funding because of the
potential to achieve even higher quality
outcomes, said University of Canterbury
Vice-Chancellor, Professor Roy Sharp. “Such
partnerships will also strongly contribute
towards the scientific education of both the
current and future workforces.”
Key areas of interest in collaborative
research include the health sciences, where
research is currently being carried out on
the health effects of chemical and microbial
contaminants in diets and drinking and
recreational waters.
In the field of chemistry two PhD students,
Barbara Thomson and Anna M c Carthy,
are researching xenoestrogens and their
receptors and are jointly supervised by staff
from both organisations.
In response to the controversial and
complex issues associated with sustainable
development, research is being carried out
into water management and the role of
science in environmental policy and decisionmaking.
The MOA has been signed for an initial period
of five years.
{ {
FREE GRADUATION SHUTTLE AVOID PARKING HASSLES, METER MONEY AND STRESS
Take advantage of our FREE graduation shuttle service.
For graduands, staff, friends & family.
GETTING TO GRADUATION
Shuttles depart from the Fine Arts Car-park
(Clyde Road end of Arts Road or University Drive)
Times: 8.00, 8.20, 8.40, 9.00, 9.30am for the morning ceremony;
12.00 noon, 12.20, 12.40, 1.00, 1.30pm for the afternoon ceremony.
Route: First stop: The Arts Centre (for graduands), then onto the Town Hall
for supporters.
RETURN TRIP
Shuttles depart from outside the Town Hall on Kilmore Street
Times: 12 noon, 12.20, 12.40, 1.00, 1.30pm (after the morning
ceremony);
4.00, 4.20, 4.40, 5.00, 5.30 (after the afternoon ceremony).
Route: First stop : The Arts Centre, then back to the Fine Arts
Car-park at the University of Canterbury.
For enquiries contact the Alumni Office, Ph (03) 364-2344
6 & 8 April
5

6
Tackling the weighty issues of diets are psychology senior lecturer Dr Lucy Johnston (left), Dr Janet Latner and masters student Gerri
Henry.
Factors in maintaining weight loss subject of study
Finding willing participants isn’t difficult
for Geri Henry and Dr Janet Latner in the
search for people who have lost weight.
Dieting and weight loss affects most
people, for health or body-image reasons
at some stage in their life. Ms Henry, a
psychology Masters student, and Dr Latner
(psychology) are looking at why people find
it difficult to maintain a weight loss. Cosupervising
the work is psychology senior
lecturer Dr Lucy Johnston.
“There is a relative ease to achieving weight
loss, but keeping it off is particularly
difficult,” said Dr Latner. She points out that
in two studies that have looked at people
who have lost more than 5 to 10 percent
of their body weight, only two percent (US
study) and six percent (Finish study) of
participants have kept the weight off longterm.
This indicates that nearly all people
relapse back into previous behaviours and
put the weight back on.
There are common trends in successful
weight maintenance which involve eating a
low-fat diet, exercise and weight monitoring.
However, more emphasis needs to be placed
on psychological and cognitive factors, said
Ms Henry. To do this, the research is being
applied to a theoretical framework or model
called the Relapse Prevention Model. The
Relapse Prevention Model was originally
developed for treating addictions such
as alcoholism and smoking and is now
being applied to other behaviours such as
overeating and gambling.
The model has been adapted for weight
maintenance and includes coping skills,
self-efficacy or confidence, eating and weight
patterns and lapses. The research currently
being conducted aims to look at all stages
of the Relapse Prevention Model using
participants who have lost at least 5% of
their bodyweight at least six months ago.
“By applying the Relapse Prevention Model
to weight maintenance we can look at
treatment for the people who diet and are
dissatisfied with their bodies. We want to
know why they relapse and put the weight
back on. We find that once people lose
weight and achieve a moderate weight
loss, and reach their goal, they are often
still not happy or satisfied with their bodies.
Weight maintenance also involves long-term
behavioural changes,” Dr Latner said.
Dr Latner has recently been awarded a
University of Canterbury Research Grant
for her research into dietary factors in
binge eating, a common problem among
overweight people. “I will be looking
at various dietary factors that may
influence weight in women who binge
eat. For example, my previous research has
investigated eating different food groups,
protein versus carbohydrate, at meals. The
role of protein and carbohydrate in diets had
not been previously examined in women
with eating disorders.”
Dr Latner and Ms Henry are still looking for
participants for the research since there is
more than one study. If you are interested
and have lost more than five percent of your
total body weight in the last six months, or
if you are a frequent binge eater, contact Dr
Latner on 364-2987 ext 3416 or Ms Henry on
364 3152.
Jane Lucas
Poetry in motion
Four of Canterbury’s most illustrious
poets – Graham Lindsay, Claire Hero,
Jeffrey Paparoa Holman and John Newton
will present their works at a special
session on campus on Thursday 18 March.
Hosted by the English programme, the poetry
reading will be held in lecture theatre A4,
from 1-2pm. All are welcome to attend.
Graham Lindsay is the author of seven
collections of poems, the latest being Lazy
Wind Poems (Auckland UP, 2003) which was
chosen for the Listener Best Books List of
2003. He is currently based on campus as
the Ursula Bethell/Creative NZ Resident in
Creative Writing for 2004.
Claire Hero has published poems in Boston
Review, Ploughshares, Post Road, Willow
Springs, and Landfall, and reviews in American
Book Review and Pleiades. Claire has also
served as the senior editor of Pleiades. She
currently convenes the poetry writing course
in English and teaches in the fiction writing
course.
Jeffrey Paparoa Holman’s recent collection, As
Big As A Father, was shortlisted in the Poetry
Section, Montana Book Awards for 2003. Witi
Ihimaera wrote of his previous collection:
“Flood Damages mixes formal structures with
passionate content, politics with aesthetics.
It’s a blast.” Jeffrey is a Ph.D. student in the
Mäori Department, examining the writings of
the ethnographer Elsdon Best.
John Newton’s poems have appeared in
numerous anthologies, including The Penguin
Book of Contemporary New Zealand Poetry
(1989) and An Anthology of New Zealand Poetry
in English (1997). He is four-times winner of the
MacMillan Brown Prize for Writers. His book
Tales from the Angler’s Eldorado was published
in 1985. John is a senior lecturer in English.
Scholarships
Scholarships awarded for 2004 include: Sina
Hustedt, T W Adams Scholarship in Forestry
($600); Julien Jay, Owen Browning Scholarship
in Forestry ($4000); Campbell Lilly, Barbara
Mito Reed Award ($1000); David McCarthy,
Professor CC Farr Memorial Scholarship ($500);
Anita Pau, Guardian Trust Masters Scholarship
in Commerce ($9000 plus tuition fees);
Victoria Scott, Robert McDougall Art Gallery
Scholarship ($1500); Avinash Shrivastava, T W
Adams Scholarship in Forestry ($6300); Serenity
Thurlow, Harry Ellwood Scholarship in Music
($2000); Alanah Tocker, Rosemary Johnson
Muller Scholarship ($2000); Janna Van Hasselt,
Grant Lingard Scholarship (tuition fees); Shen
Voong Wong, PPCS Postgraduate Scholarship in
Business Administration ($2000); Carolyn Wood,
Laura J Clad Memorial Scholarship ($2400)
and Mandala Zakharov-White, Graduates
Association Scholarship ($1500).

Canterbury-based institute collaborating with United Nations on biosafety
The New Zealand Institute of Gene
Ecology (NZIGE) based at the University
of Canterbury is to work with the United
Nations to help improve biosafety and
biotechnology around the world.
The Norwegian Institute of Gene Ecology
(GenØk), in close collaboration with NZIGE
and the Third World Network, has signed
a co-operation agreement with the United
Nations Environmental Programme.
The agreement, which deals with biosafety
and biotechnology capacity building, was
signed at the Meeting of the Parties to
the Cartegena Protocol on Biosafety in
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Wednesday, 25
February. The NZIGE was represented at the
meeting by its director, Dr Jack Heinemann.
“Signing this agreement is an important step
for both the institute and New Zealand, which
is among the fortunate nations of the world
to have a special responsibility to assist in
making the world a better place by addressing
the great mal-distribution of scientific
capacity between developed and developing
countries,” Professor Heinemann said.
The NZIGE will be involved in a series of
activities to strengthen the biosafety and
biotechnology competency of developing
countries, countries with economies in
Making do on the art front
English-born, French-based artist Pip
Culbert’s new show at the SOFA Gallery is
strongly linked to the domestic tradition
of “make do and mend”.
Linen Line casts her artistic net widely
using an increasing range of both new and
discarded material objects while taking
account of increasingly complex issues, each
of which draws the viewer deeper into her
world of tangential metaphors.
With previous shows entitled, As it Seams,
Sequenz, Software and Seamstress, the
uninitiated would be forgiven for assuming
that her new show is more closely aligned
with haberdashery, fashion and craft, than
with an internationally recognised art practice.
Subverting traditional domestic dealings
with fabric and material objects, Culbert’s
work is sculptural but makes reference to the
traditional mediums of drawing and painting.
Since her first exhibition at the Air Gallery
in London in 1985, her work has gradually
taken on a distinctive materiality and an
increasing breadth and complexity. This was
initially characterised in a unique process of
cutting, dismantling and juxtaposing mostly
discarded fabric objects, mainly of domestic
origin, such as worn shirts, dresses, skirts,
trousers and old quilts etc.
transition and Small Island Developing
States (SIDs).
“The NZIGE has been working for some time
to build a specialist programme of research
that is free of commercial interest in the
biotechnology industry. As government
strategic research and for-profit research
become increasingly the norm, finding
resources for independent work for the public
good on biosafety remains a struggle,” said
Professor Heinemann.
The activities will involve a theoretical
and practical biosafety course, global and
regional/sub-regional training workshops
and seminars, an information database and
a book/CD-ROM project. The aim is to build
capacity particularly in nations that have
ratified the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety,
which became international law late last
year. That treaty emphasises the need for
informed and competent capacity to evaluate
the potential harms and benefits that could
arise from the transboundary movement of
genetically engineered organisms.
The first course was trialled last year at the
University of Tromsø in Norway. Invited to
be part of the 12-person teaching team were
three University of Canterbury researchers
Professor Heinemann (Biological Sciences),
These objects were subjected to a process of
“seaming” in which the bulk of the object’s
material was removed, leaving only the
seams. The seams were then hung from
clothes hangers or pinned flat on the wall so
that they resembled what might have been
the object’s first existence, as a drawing.
Pip Culbert first visited New Zealand in 1976 in
the company of her husband, Bill Culbert. Bill,
a University of Canterbury and Royal College
of Arts graduate, had been invited to take up
a Canterbury Visiting Fellowship at the School
of Fine Arts. Since then, Pip and Bill have been
regular working visitors to this part of the
world, making and exhibiting work both here
and in Australia. Pip’s first solo exhibition in
New Zealand was held at the School of Fine
Arts Campus Gallery in 1993.
The SOFA Gallery, situated in the Christchurch
Arts Centre is a contemporary art space for
the University of Canterbury and national and
international artists to stage a diverse range
of arts and cultural programmes through
exhibitions, performances and events.
The show runs from 10 March to 11 April at
the University’s SOFA Gallery at the Arts
Centre. The gallery is open from 11am to
5pm Monday to Friday, and 12pm to 4pm
Saturdays and Sundays.
Dr Joanna Goven (Political Science) and Dr
Hamish Cochrane (Forestry).
“The course was extremely well received
by the nearly 50 participants from as
many developing countries,” Professor
Heinemann said.
Tariana Turia addresses staff and students.
Minister advocates community
approach to social work
The Honourable Tariana Turia gave the
inaugural address to social work staff and
students this year, advocating a strengthbased
community development approach
in the profession.
Introducing Ms Turia to the audience of
80 staff and students, Vice-Chancellor
Professor Roy Sharp said the Minister’s wideranging
portfolios were fitting for a social
work audience.
Ms Turia is Minister for the Community
and Volunteer Sector, and has Associate
Minister responsibilities for Mäori affairs,
the Department of Child, Youth and Family,
social development and employment, health
and housing.
Ms Turia spoke against social work
education and practice which was problem,
risk and deficit-focused and advocated a
strengths perspective.
“I favour a strength-based community
development approach which views and
seeks out the potential of individuals,
families and their communities. I am not a
fan of practices which focus on deficits, risk
aversion and pathology.
“I support kin-based care because that is what
is normal. It is so normal that the majority of
us here today were raised by kin, whether by
our parents, aunts or uncles.”
7

8
New staff
Dr Arno Berger has
been appointed
lecturer in
Mathematics and
Statistics. Dr Berger
has a PhD in applied
mathematics from
the Vienna University
of Technology. His
thesis looked at
the applications
of Conley index theory for proving chaotic
behaviour. His most recent appointment
was as research fellow at the University of
Warwick, UK.
Neil Crombie has
been appointed
lecturer in
Accounting, Finance
and Information
Systems. He is
currently studying
towards his PhD at
the University. Since
March 2000 he has
worked as a tutor
in the AFIS Department and he lectured in
management accounting for the second
semester of 2003.
Glen Koorey has been
appointed lecturer in
Civil Engineering. Mr
Koorey has a Masters
of Engineering degree
from Canterbury
University and is
currently studying
towards a PhD in
transportation
engineering. His
thesis is looking at incorporating safety
into rural highway design. He has worked
as a principal researcher at Opus Central
Laboratories, New Zealand’s foremost road
and transport research facility.
Dr Aisling O’Sullivan
has been appointed
lecturer in Natural
Resources Engineering
in the Department
of Civil Engineering.
Dr O’Sullivan has a
PhD in environmental
science from
University College
Dublin. From July
2002 to November 2003 she was a visiting
fellow at the University of Oklahoma.
People
Mr Robert Tobias has been appointed senior
fellow in the Centre for Continuing Education,
initially for a three-year period.
Canterbury hosts international academics
The School of Biological Sciences is
currently hosting three Visiting Erskine
Fellows. Professor Roger Lew (York
University, Canada) who arrived at the
school on 20 February will be there until
16 May. Professor Lew specialises in plant
cell biology, membrane biochemistry and
electrophysiology. Professor Karl Niklas
(Cornell University) and Dr David Lank
(Simon Fraser University, Canada) will
be at Canterbury until the beginning of
April. Professor Niklas is an expert in plant
evolution, allometry, biomechanics, and
comparative functional morphology. Dr
Lank’s area of expertise is behavioural
ecology and ornithology. The school is also
hosting Dr Pauline Rudd, an Oxford Visiting
Fellow who specialises in glycobiology.
Professor William Davison (Lancaster
University) and Dr Finian Leeper
(University of Cambridge) are Visiting
Erskine Fellows in the Department of
Chemistry. Professor Davison specialises
in aquatic environmental chemistry and
Dr Leeper is an expert in bio-organic
chemistry, enzyme mechanisms and
biosynthesis.
Professor James Mihelcic (Michigan
Technical University) is a Visiting Erskine
Fellow in the Department of Civil
Engineering. Professor Mihelcic, who
specialises in environmental engineering,
will be at Canterbury for six months.
Professor Ann Michael (University of
Tennessee) is a Visiting Erskine Fellow
in the Department of Communication
Disorders, from 9 February to 12 April. She
specialises in speech-language therapy,
language and literacy, clinical education
and multicultural training.
Professor Ricardo Baeza-Yates (Universidad
de Chile) is a Visiting Erskine Fellow in
the Department of Computer Science and
Software Engineering until 15 March. Dr
Baez-Yates specialises in information
retrieval and the world wide web.
Professor Charles Nelson (University of
Washington), Professor Richard Froyen
(University North Carolina) and Professor
Thomas Wallace (Duke University) are
Visiting Erskine Fellows in the Economics
Department. Professor Nelson, who will
be in the department until 26 March,
specialises in macroeconomics, financial
economics and econometrics. Professor
Froyen is an expert in macroeconomics and
monetary policy while Professor Wallace
specialises in econometrics. Both men are
in the department until mid-April.
Dr Marvin Pyles (Oregon State University)
is a Visiting Erskine Fellow in the School
of Forestry from 9 February to 4 April. Dr
Pyles specialises in forest engineering,
specifically geotechnical engineering in
forest and harvest operations.
Dr Audrey Kobayashi (Queen’s University,
Canada), is a Visiting Erskine Fellow in
the Department of Geography from 23
February to 21 May. Her area of expertise is
cultural geography, women’s studies, Asian
youth and transnationalism.
Professor John Garver (Union College,
USA) is a Visiting Erskine Fellow in the
Department of Geological Sciences
from 2 February to 4 June. He specialises
in applications of fission track
geochronology to sedimentology and
sedimentary basin development.
Professor Susan Bell Hanley (University
of Washington) is a Visiting Canterbury
Fellow in the School of Languages and
Culture, for four months from 18 February.
Her area of expertise is Japanese language,
history and culture.
Dr Robert Wyckham (Simon Fraser
University, Canada) is a Visiting Erskine
Fellow in the Department of Management
from 9 February to 23 May. He is an expert
in advertising and promotion.
Professor Joe Perry (IACR-Rothamsted, UK)
and Professor John Dennis (Rice University,
USA) are Visiting Erskine Fellows in the
Department of Mathematics and Statistics.
Professor Perry, who is at Canterbury until
2 April, specialises in applied statistics
in entomology and ecology, and spatial
and temporal dynamics of populations.
Professor Dennis, who is in the department
until 21 March, specialises in applications
of optimisation in engineering.
Professor Ken Wallace (University of
Cambridge) is a Visiting Erskine Fellow in
the Department of Mechanical Engineering,
from 15 February to 9 April. His area of
expertise is engineering design.
Professor Christopher Shields (University
of Colorado) is a Visiting Erskine Fellow
in the Department of Philosophy and
Religious Studies, from 25 February to 7
April. He specialises in ancient philosophy
and metaphysics.
Professor Roger Cowley is an Oxford
Visiting Fellow in the Department of
Physics and Astronomy, from 11 February to
2 April. His area of expertise is condensed
matter physics, quantum physics, neutron
and x-ray scattering and nanotechnology.
Dr Denny Borsboom (University of
Amsterdam) is a Visiting Erskine Fellow
in the Department of Psychology from
21 February to 3 April. Dr Borsboom
specialises in quantitative research
methods, pyschometrics and theoretical
psychology.

GM maize decision expected soon
A decision by the UK on whether to allow
commercialisation of genetically-modified
maize is awaited with keen interest in
New Zealand, where one of the leading
researchers is based.
Professor Joe Perry, a Visiting Erskine
Fellow at the University of Canterbury, led
a consortium undertaking a four-year farm
trial on GM herbicide tolerant (GMHT) maize
in the UK. The group’s findings are the basis
for the British Government’s decision on
whether it will allow GM maize to be grown
on a commercial scale. The government is
likely to make a decision in the next few days,
Professor Perry said.
The case has attracted controversy in
Britain with two contradictory reports being
published within hours of each other last
Friday evening (NZ time). One by Professor
Perry’s group, containing new results from
the trials, was published in the influential
journal, Nature. It was closely followed
by a report from the House of Commons’
Environmental Audit Committee, suggesting
that the trials were flawed and that the
researchers should start from scratch.
At issue is the effect of the two maize strains
on non-crop plants, which in New Zealand
Professor Joe Perry is a visiting Erskine Fellow from IACR
- Rothamsted, UK.
would be considered weeds, but in Britain
are native plants that sustain insects and
birdlife. The trials originally compared GMHT
maize with conventional maize treated with
the herbicide, atrazine. The trial’s critics
contended that as this chemical is to be
banned in the European Union, the results
were skewed.
Professor Perry’s article in Nature showed
that although the advantage of the GMHT
maize would not be as great, when compared
against a conventional crop treated with
another herbicide, it would still let more weeds
flourish. “The consistency of this reduction
across a range of biodiversity indicators gives
us confidence to forecast future effects,”
Professor Perry said in the article.
“We conclude that the comparative
biodiversity benefits from GMHT maize
cropping would be reduced, but not
eliminated, by the withdrawal of triazines in
the UK.”
• Professor Perry will be presenting the
Science Prestige Lecture at the University
next week. He will speak on UK farm scale
evaluations of genetically modified herbicidetolerant
crops. The lecture will be held on
Wedensday 17 March, beginning at 1pm, in
Central Lecture Theatre C2.
THE 2004
MACFARLANE : DOUGALL : STRINGER
Book on 19 th century French physicist published in English
Dr William Tobin’s book on the life of French
physicist Léon Foucault has been published
in English.
Dr Tobin, a senior lecturer in Physics and
Astronomy, has spent nearly two decades
researching Foucault, who lived between 1819
and 1868.
Foucault is best known for his pendulum
which caused a sensation when it was
put on display in 1851. It was the first nonastronomical
proof that, while the stars
appeared to spin around the earth, the reverse
was true – it was the earth that was spinning.
Dr Tobin’s fascination with Foucault
began in 1985 when he took a job at the
Marseilles observatory where Foucault’s
largest telescope is displayed. Dr Tobin, who
speaks and reads French, started reading
about Foucault’s life and collecting historic
newspapers and other documents.
The French version of Dr Tobin’s book, Leon
Foucault: Le miroir et le pendule, was published
in October 2002 in time for an exhibition on
Foucault’s life at the Paris observatory. The
English version, entitled The life and science of
Leon Foucault: the man who proved the earth
rotates, was released by Cambridge University
Press late last year.
The English language edition of the book
featured as the lead review in the Christmas/
New Year issue of the New Scientist. “A very
long pendulum has kept Léon Foucault
famous. But as William Tobin’s thorough,
readable and beautifully illustrated biography
reveals, there was much more to the selftaught
French 19th-century experimental
physicist,” wrote the New Scientist. “This
unconventional experimenter springs back to
life in the pages of this excellent book.”
• The life and times of Leon Foucault: the man
who proved the earth rotates by William Tobin,
Cambridge University Press; hardback, 230 x 155
mm, xiv + 338 pp; 204 half-tones or engravings,
97 line diagrams, 24 colour plates, 21 tables,
0-521-80855-3, published October 2003.
Credit: Image courtesy of Ngaio Marsh House
A team quiz event brought to you by the
University of Canterbury Alumni Association
7.30pm, Tuesday 6 April
UCSA Ballroom
Theme: Death in a White Tie, a Ngaio Marsh murder
mystery (full details on Registration form)
Fantastic prizes
Live band
Refreshments provided
Open to all members of the campus community
(students, staff & graduates).
Five members per team.
For more information and a team
Registration Form, contact the University
of Canterbury Alumni Office (level 5,
Registry), ph: 364 2344,
email: alumni@canterbury.ac.nz
Registrations must be in by 5pm,
Friday 2 April.
9

Study to look at connection between speech disorders and literacy in childhood
A Canterbury University PhD student hopes
to throw new light on why children with
speech disorders may also struggle with
reading and spelling.
Speech-language therapist Dean Sutherland
is conducting the research as part of
his doctoral study in the Department of
Communication Disorders.
“Research has shown that children with
a speech disorder are at greater risk of
experiencing difficulty learning to read and
spell than children with typically developing
speech skills,” Dean explained. “However
many children with speech problems
develop age-appropriate literacy skills.
“My study aims to enhance our
understanding of the underlying reasons for
reading and spelling problems in children
who have a significant speech disorder.”
The study will follow children with and
without speech disorders for two years to
monitor changes in the speech production
and emergence of early reading skills.
Three groups of children will be monitored.
The first group will be children aged 4-5
years with a significant speech disorder.
“This could be indicated by other people
finding their speech particularly difficult to
understand,” Dean said.
The second group will consist of children
aged 5-12 years with no functional speech
yet relatively intact system for the
perception and understanding of speech
such as children with cerebral palsy.
Finally, a group of children aged 4-5 years
with no speech problems will form a
control group.
“The storage of words in long-term memory
is key factor in early reading development.
Several tasks designed to investigate how
children store and access words will be
presented during the course of the study,”
Dean said. “Children will also undergo
in-depth assessments of speech production,
hearing and early literacy skills.”
Dean Sutherland is exploring the links between speech disorders
and literacy.
If you have a child that may meet the criteria
above or have any questions on the research,
phone Dean on 364-2987 ext 7337 or email
des33@student.canterbury.ac.nz.
Scholarships
Justin Allan and Simon Stone have been
awarded Freyberg Scholarships for 2004
valued at $12,000 each. Six scholarships were
awarded nationally to encourage graduate
study into areas relevant to national security.
The New Zealand Defence Scholarships
are named after the late Lord Freyberg in
recognition of his distinguished record in the
New Zealand armed forces.
Alwyn Westbrooke has been awarded the
Keith Laugesen Music Scholarship for 2004,
valued at $10,000.
David Ramm has been awarded the D W
Moore Scholarship for PhD study valued at
$5000.
Jennifer Butt, Matthew Oliver and Stephanie
Soper have been awarded Dr John Innes
Scholarships for 2004 valued at $2500 each.
Christopher Hurst and Oliver Whalley have
been awarded Nelson Science Scholarships
for 2004 valued at $2000 each.
Charter and Profile approval
The University’s Charter and Profile have
been approved by the Minister and the
Tertiary Education Commission respectively.
The Charter has been approved for seven
years, until the end of 2010. Planning is now
under way for the 2005-2007 Profile.
The Charter and Profile can be viewed at www.
canterbury.ac.nz/piru.
10

Canterbury agreement signals closer ties with China
The University of Canterbury and the
National School of Administration of the
People’s Republic of China (CNSA) have
signed a Memorandum of Understanding
which will see closer co-operation between
the two institutions.
It is the first such agreement between the
CNSA and a New Zealand university and
will see Canterbury take a key role in the
training of Chinese government officials. The
agreement also opens the doors for those
Canterbury academics who wish to research
aspects of modern China.
The Director of the Centre for Continuing
Education, Mr Geoff Pearman, said the
agreement formalised a relationship which
had been developing since 2001.
“This agreement is important for the
University not only in that we will be running
intensive courses for senior officials in public
sector management, but also because it
opens the door to a significant government
agency for academic staff who may wish
to carry out research on the major reforms
happening in China today.”
The CNSA is a ministry-level training
institution in Beijing. It is a government
training agency and centre of excellence for
the development of senior and mid-level civil
servants, senior public sector managers and
policy research personnel in China.
Vice-Chancellor Professor Roy Sharp and CNSA Vice-President Zhang Xiuxue swap memorandums.
“Initially we have been asked to run four-week
intensive courses for director generals from
the central state agencies in China,” said
Mr Pearman. “We will do this in association
with Victoria University. The focus will be
on macroeconomic policy and regulatory
environment, budget and fiscal management,
leadership training and competency
development in the public sector as well as
visits to key ministries in Wellington.”
CNSA Vice President Mr Zhang Xiuxue said
the school was delighted to be entering
its first partnership with a New Zealand
university in its 10 th anniversary year.
New book sheds light on our Pacific neighbourhood
For many of us, the Pacific Islands represent
romantic, sun-filled landscapes and golden
beaches. Probably many of us know little of
the history of this dynamic group of nations
other than what we read or see in the media
when natural disasters or other upheavals
draw news attention.
Ian Campbell’s Worlds Apart: A history of
the Pacific Islands, the latest publication by
Canterbury University Press, provides this
knowledge in a comprehensive, easy-to-read,
new book.
Based on his earlier work, History of the
Pacific Islands, the book is a heavily revised
and expanded edition, spanning from first
inhabitance, through to, and including, the
tumultuous decade of the 1990s, thereby
completing the history to the new millennium.
Dr Campbell is an Associate Professor
at Canterbury, and will shortly assume
appointment as Professor of History and
Politics at the University of the South Pacific,
Fiji. He has spent half a lifetime researching,
travelling to and teaching about the Pacific
Islands. His intention, however, was not to
create an academic work. Instead, noting a
lack of general literature on the background
to many island events covered by news
media, he has styled this work for nonacademic
historians, students, travellers and
business people or anyone who wishes to
have a sound knowledge of the area.
• Worlds Apart: A history of the Pacific Islands,
by I.C.Campbell, Canterbury University Press;
limpbound, 230 x 155 mm, 360 pp; 0-908812-99-
X, published December 2003, RRP $39.95.
How good is your knowledge of this region
so close to New Zealand D0 you know,
for instance, the answers to the following
questions
• Can Mäori and Hawaiians understand each
other speaking their own languages (Yes, up
to a point)
• How different are Melanesians from
Polynesians (Not very)
• What is the most widely spoken language in
the Pacific (English, followed by French)
• How was Captain Cook able to find so many
new islands (He knew where to look)
• Did missionaries bring about imperial
annexation (No)
• Who was Arthur Gordon (First governor of Fiji)
• Who unified Tonga (Taufa’ahau)
• Why was World War 1 important in the
Pacific (Changed colonial powers for several
territories)
• Did World War 2 make a difference (Not as
much as people think)
• Where has there been a civil war costing
perhaps 20,000 lives (Bougainville)
11

Work on moa brings major ornithological medal for researcher
Canterbury University senior fellow Dr
Richard Holdaway has been honoured by the
Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union.
Dr Holdaway, and Te Papa research associate
Trevor Worthy, were jointly presented the
DL Serventy Medal for their research on
the avifauna of New Zealand, culminating
in their book The lost world of the moa:
prehistoric life of New Zealand.
The book – co-published in 2002 by
Canterbury University Press and Indiana
University Press – was the result of research
into the pre-human avifauna of New Zealand
funded by the Foundation for Research,
Science and Technology.
Dr Holdaway is a senior fellow in the
Department of Geological Sciences and
in the School of Biological Sciences. Since
1995 he has been working on the arrival
time of Pacific rats in New Zealand, and the
chronology of the extinctions resulting from
human intervention and the introduction of
predators to New Zealand.
Dr Holdaway said he was delighted with the
award and the recognition it gives his field
of research.
He said he was also thrilled with the success
of the book which has had rave reviews from
publications such at the New York Times,
Nature and New Zealand Geographic.
“For a book that is reasonably expensive and
esoteric it is gratifying to see it selling so well.”
The book quickly sold out in New Zealand
and Canterbury University Press has had to
import more copies from overseas.
Getting the low down on high tech
Dr Richard Holding with his book on the moa which earned him
the D.L. Serventy medal.
In presenting the medal at the Australasian
Ornithological Congress in Canberra, the
first recipient, Dr Ian Rowley, spoke of
the contribution that the book – and the
research underpinning it – had made to
the understanding of the avifauna of New
Zealand, and of the processes that affect
faunas when humans arrive in a pristine
environment.
The D.L. Serventy Medal, the premier award
of the Royal Australasian Ornithologists’
Union, is made in recognition of significant
published contributions to ornithology in
Australasia. First awarded in 1991, it honours
Dr Dominic L. Serventy, for many years a
senior scientist with the CSIRO, a major
figure in Australian science, and a pioneer of
long-term studies of a single species.
Only once before has the medal been
awarded to a scientist working in New
Zealand. That was in 1992, when Dr John
Warham of the then Zoology Department at
Canterbury, was honoured for his work on
penguins and petrels.
UC MEMORABILIA
Significant reductions on selected items. See
www.canterbury.ac.nz/Alumni/amemo/intro.
htm for a full price list.
Wine Cooler Set
(wine not included)
Was $50.00
Now $35.00
SALE
Desk Calendar
Was $9.95
Now $6.95
Umbrella
Was $25.00
Now $17.50
Coffee Mugs
Were $10.00
Now $7.00
Plus a 25% discount on Pamela Phillipsʼ
watercolour prints of the historic town site of
the Canterbury College
(now the Christchurch Arts Centre).
12
PhD structural engineering student Nor hayati Abdul Hamid explains her research to visiting scientists and technologists from around
the Asia Pacific region. Four laboratories at the University of Canterbury opened their doors to APEC officials and business people on
Tuesday as part of the Innovation Showcase running alongside the 4th APEC Science Ministers’ Meeting in Christchurch. University
Vice-Chancellor Professor Roy Sharp welcomed the opportunity to showcase Canterbury’s world-leading research, and the commercial
opportunities that flow from developing the University’s innovations in science and technology.
The visits featured the latest nanotechnology research, virtual reality tools being developed by the Human Interface Technology
Laboratory New Zealand (HIT Lab NZ), weather and pollution forecasting at the Centre for Atmospheric Research and the science of
earthquake prediction at the Civil and Structural Engineering Research Group.
Available from the University of Canterbury
Alumni Office, Level 5, Registry, ph: 364 2344,
email: alumni@canterbury.ac.nz.
Proceeds from all Alumni Association memorabilia sales go
to the Alumni Associationʼs Student Scholarship Fund.