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MAGAZINE FOR FRIENDS AND ALUMNI OF VICTORIA UNIVERSITY OF WELLINGTON

Autumn 2002

Ocean MercierSea of Opportunities

100 years of hi-jinksVUWSA launches history

Merging migrantsIntegration the aim of the game

Victoria InternationalTouches down with export award

Computers at homeSupporting communitydevelopment

A medical curiosity involving some of theworld’s poorest people could potentiallybenefit many in developed countries whosuffer from diseases such as multiplesclerosis (MS).

Biological Sciences lecturer, Dr Anne LaFlamme, has won US funding for herresearch project into the apparent absence ofchronic inflammatory diseases such as MS inthe tropics.

Anne, who arrived in New Zealand lastyear from New York’s Cornell University, isa specialist in tropical parasitic infections.One such disease, schistomsomiasis, a wormwhich infests the blood, afflicts 200 millionpeople. But Anne says people living in thetropics appear to have a significantlyreduced risk of developing chronicinflammatory diseases, such as asthma,diabetes and multiple sclerosis.

She has embarked on a research projectwith Dr Thomas Bachstrom of the MalaghanInstitute of Medical Research in Wellington.His interest is in how people can acquire

immunity to illness whereas Anne specialisesin the innate immunity that some enjoy.

Anne says the preliminary study isassessing whether there is any sort ofprotection that people in tropical regionshave from chronic inflammatory diseases.Funding for the research has come from theNational Multiple Sclerosis Society in theUnited States.

If the research suggests that a chronicparasitic infection such as schistosomiasiscan protect against the development of achronic inflammatory disease, then this maypoint the way to benefits for MS and otherdisease sufferers. “The idea is, can wesomehow mimic that response,” Anne says.

The joint Victoria/Malaghan Instituteresearch project runs until October. By thattime, a decision will have been made onfurther research.

Contact: Tel +64-4-463 6093 E-mail [email protected]

Immunity research trailThese snails, Biomphlaria glabrata, play a lead role in

Anne La Flamme’s study of a tropical human pathogen

that may hold the key to understanding immunity to

inflammatory diseases.

Victorious Autumn 2002 1

1 From the Vice-Chancellor

2 Graduation party timeMana mentorMusic for the godsIT big chief

3 CoRE blimey!

4 Honoured alumniA Doctor in the house

5 A sea of opportunities

6 On the ballMerging migrants ahead

7 PCs @ home

8 Politics and policyBeijing-Taipei relationsFRST chariot off the rank

9 Digitising book trade history100 years of hi-jinks

Contents10 Gift for the future

Meeting of beautiful mindsMuldoon still casts a shadow

11 IIML superstarsPolice youth diversionTV policy goes to air

12 New programmesOne for the road

13 Changes in the moral marketA conflicting issueMature Mäori embracing education

14 From cow to customerSir Ivor comes homeMorena Vietnam

15 Victoria University Press Books

16 Life after Vic

17 Adam Art Gallery update

From the Vice-ChancellorVictoria University is going from strengthto strength. We have been highlysuccessful at competing for recognition inthe Centres of Research Excellenceprocess, many of our staff have receivedawards and professional accolades, wehave exceeded most of our Strategic Plantargets for 2001, and our domestic andinternational student numbers haveincreased. Most universities have static ordeclining domestic enrolments. OurStrategic Plan, which is designed to takeus forward for the next ten years, has setan objective of two percent growth perannum in domestic students. This yearwe expect to achieve that, and more.

We also have an objective for 20percent of revenue to come frominternational activities and we are ontrack to achieving that too. At the sametime, Victoria University has beenhonoured, through a TradeNZ ExportAward, for the quality care provided tointernational students. It is unfortunatethat recent publicity about poorinternational student services in parts ofthe secondary school sector and in someprivate training institutions has tarnishedthe reputations of universities who striveto provide excellent services.

In May 1,500 students graduated. Wewere also able to award honorarydoctorates to three significant NewZealanders. The smiles on the faces ofstaff, students, families and friends as wemarched through the streets of Wellington,confirms that our students are proud to beassociated with Victoria University. Wenow welcome them as members of theAlumni Association, and look forward tokeeping in touch over the coming years.

Stuart N McCutcheon

Victorious is published three times a year by Victoria University of Wellington, Te Whare

Wänanga o te Üpoko o te Ika a Mäui, PO Box 600, Wellington, New Zealand.

www.vuw.ac.nz To notify a change of address: Tel +64-4-463 5128, Fax +64-4-463 5108. E-mail [email protected] Editorial team: Juliet Montague, Jude Urlich, MelanieMacDiarmid, Brendon Burns. Photographs (unless otherwise credited): Image Services,Victoria University of Wellington.

Cover photo: Ocean Mercier, physics PhD graduate, at Industrial Research Ltd, Wellington.

ISSN 1172-0387 © Victoria University, 2002

2 Victorious Autumn 2002

Graduation party time

Professor Sid Huff, Head of the School of InformationManagement, has been appointed as Australasia/Far Eastrepresentative on the Council of the Association of InformationSystems (AIS). Sid, who has taught and researched InformationSystems (IS) for more than 20 years, was elected by his peers in aworldwide web-based election. AIS serves as the premier globalorganisation for academics specialising in IS and seeks to advanceknowledge of information technology to improve organisationalperformance and individual quality of work life.

IT big chief

May’s graduating students swappedmemories of late nights in the library andthe lab for a spin on the dance floor and anight of musical magnificence. Thestudent clobber of t-shirts and trainerswas replaced with bow ties and ballgowns as friends and family joined in tocelebrate the good times.

Music for the gods

A sabbatical in Greece, original home and next host of theOlympics, inspired a new work by John Psathas which is to beperformed during July’s Commonwealth Games in Manchester.

John, Senior Lecturer in music, wrote View from Olympus: DoubleConcerto for Piano, Percussion and Orchestra while on sabbatical in2000. It will premiere at the Royal Gala finale concert of theCommonwealth Games music festival. The piece will be performedby internationally acclaimed percussionist Evelyn Glennie, pianistPhilip Smith, and the Hallé Orchestra.

Mana mentorStormy Mohi always knew that he wouldgo to University—it was just his teacherswho had their doubts!

Stormy’s grades weren’t good enough toget straight into a degree programme butafter completing Tohu Mäoritanga—abridging course at Victoria—and gaining adiploma in Mäori Studies he was ready toforge ahead with a Bachelor’s qualification.Now with a BA in Mäori Studies andLinguistics and working at Te Taura Whiri ite Reo Mäori, the Mäori LanguageCommission, Stormy wants to help othercollege pupils succeed. He’s joined a groupof volunteer graduates participating in a

tutoring scheme established by HeeniShortland, Victoria Community Co-ordinator. Their aim is to increaseparticipation and achievement amongstMäori and Pacific college pupils and showthem the value of a university qualification.For five hours each week, Stormy joinsHeeni to tutor groups of students at Manaand Porirua Colleges. “It’s just as importantfor me to help them with their school workas it is to tell them that university study is agood and accessible option,” Stormy says.

Contact: Tel +64-4-463 6673E-mail [email protected]

This year saw the successfulintroduction of a musical celebration ofgraduation. Presented jointly by theSchools of Music and Law, the Bell GullyGraduation Gala at the Michael FowlerCentre was a musical extravaganzabursting with celebratory works selected inthe spirit of the occasion. Lyell Cresswell,alumnus and honorary doctorate recipient,was paid tribute with a performance of hispiece for the horn and strings, Pianto-InMemoria di Roger Cresswell.

A few nights later in the Old Town Hallthe corks were popping and the musiccranked up a notch for the hundreds ofgraduates and their friends at theGraduation Ball. Organised by VUWSA andsponsored by WestpacTrust and the AlumniAssociation, graduation was not the only

celebration of the night. A cake and tencandles marked the anniversary of theAlumni Association and provided hungryrevellers with the sustenance to keep onpartying!

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Conductor Professor Peter Walls and music graduates.

Stormy Mohi (right) at Mana College.

CoRE blimey!Achieving critical mass throughcollaborative partnerships and passing onthe talent are key themes shared by theUniversity’s involvement in four successfulCentres of Research Excellence (CoRE)projects.

In a hotly-contested application processfor $60 million of new Government funding,five applications of the 45 submitted werefrom Victoria University. Four of theUniversity’s five made it to the initialshortlist of 16. In the final decision, only fiveprojects were chosen and Victoria isrepresented in four of them.

The CoRE funding process is describedby Professor Paul Callaghan FRS, Director ofthe Alan MacDiarmid Institute forAdvanced Materials and Nanotechnology,and President of the Academy of the RoyalSociety of NZ, as “…a reality check for theUniversity system that has put corporategames to bed and discovered excellence inmany surprising places.”

The Alan MacDiarmid Institute forAdvanced Materials and Nanotechnology isa partnership with the University ofCanterbury, Industrial Research Limited andthe Institute of Geological & NuclearSciences. Staff from Massey, Auckland andOtago universities are also involved in keyprojects. The International Advisory Boardincludes eminent alumni Professor AlanMacDiarmid, Nobel Laureate; ProfessorMichael Kelly FRS, University of Surrey;Professor Neil Ashcroft, Cornell University;and Professor Mark Warner, CambridgeUniversity.

The Institute has four research themes:Nanoengineered materials and deviceswhich will involve new optical elementsmade from chiral materials; Novelelectronic, electro-optic and super-conducting materials will study, forexample, blue lasers and high-temperaturesuperconducting wires; Functional mater-ials will explore our knowledge of anti-corrosive paints, paper electronics andcomputers, and self-cleaning and self-sterilizing surfaces; and Soft Materials,Complex Fluids and Porous Media willinvolve paints and plastics, new foodtextures, biomaterials, and the physics of oilextraction.

Paul says that the Institute’s over-arching goal is a completely inter-linked

programme. Passing on learning to ayounger generation is also key. Funds havebeen reserved for secondary school outreachactivities.

The other three CoRE projects Victoria isinvolved in bring together the country’s topresearchers in their fields. The NationalInstitute of Research Excellence for MäoriDevelopment and Advancement: Ngä Pae ote Märamatanga (Horizons of Insights)involves the School of Education’s Institutefor Research and Development in MäoriEducation, He Pärekereke. VictoriaUniversity’s involvement is co-ordinated byWally Penetito while the Institute itself ishosted by the University of Auckland. TheInstitute’s strategic focus is on sustainableand healthy communities, social andeducational transformation and newfrontiers of knowledge. Wally says that thecontext is, “Mäori perspectives andexperiences, discipline-based methodologiesand dual philosophical traditions.”

The Allan Wilson Centre for MolecularEcology is a study of the evolution of life.Professor Charles Daugherty, Head of theSchool of Biological Sciences, is programmedirector of the Centre focusing on theresearch theme of biodiversity. Three othercritical areas of study are being led byresearchers from Massey, Auckland andCanterbury universities. Charles says theCentre’s formation brings new opportunities


for postdoctoral and postgraduate students.“The new tools of DNA analysis willstimulate and promote further research intothe rates and modes of evolution and willassist the Centre to contribute to knowledgeabout the settlement of Aotearoa.”

High-level mathematical techniques areessential to scientific research. The NewZealand Institute of Mathematics & itsApplications brings together a critical massof researchers with high-level quantitativeexpertise. Professor Rod Downey FRSNZ, ofthe School of Mathematics and ComputingScience is also Director of the NZMathematics Research Institute, a partner inthe new CoRE Institute. “While NewZealand needs a knowledge economy, it isimpossible to have good science withoutgood mathematical underpinnings,” saysRod. The Institute’s key focus is on raisingthe knowledge and skills in mathematicalsciences in New Zealand and it will offer 24postgraduate scholarships, four post-doctoral and two Maclaurin Fellowshipseach year.

Contacts: +64-4-472 1000 E-mail [email protected]@[email protected]@mcs.vuw.ac.nz

Professor Alan MacDiarmid & Steve Maharey Associate Minister of Education (Tertiary Education) unveil a

commemorative photo at the new MacDiarmid Institute.


Doctoral students play a vital role in theUniversity’s research life. Under thesupervision of academic staff theircontributions to knowledge, spanning adiverse range of topics, take us closer tofinding answers for some of the issues andopportunities society faces. Below is aselection of work undertaken by studentresearchers who were among 14 to havePhDs conferred at the May graduationceremonies.

Timothy Bollinger The administrative career of Dr W B Sutch: Acase study in New Zealand bureaucratic politicsBureaucratic organisations are the means bywhich political decisions are turned intopolitical actions, and public service leadersare the people who drive them. Tim’sresearch examines Dr William Ball Sutch’sleadership of the Department of Industriesand Commerce (1958-1965) and his role inimplementing policies for the country’seconomic and social development. Sutchwas the only ‘Permanent Head’ ever to beforcibly retired and his example highlightsthe ongoing tension between public officialsand their elected Ministers. In his thesis Tim sheds new light on the concept of

A Doctor in the house

‘ministerial responsibility’ in the NewZealand context.

Gillian Tasker Children’s experiences in an HIV/AIDSsexuality education programme: What theylearnt and implications for teaching and learningin health educationEducation is key to ensuring the health andwell-being of young people. Gillian’s thesisfurthers the understanding of effectivehealth education for students and providesguidelines for successful learning environ-ments. She makes a case study of theteaching and learning processes, and thesocial and physical classroom environment,that influence student learning outcomes in an HIV/AIDS sexuality educationprogramme. Gillian found that opencommunication, the sharing of feelings and asupportive classroom environment resultedin increased knowledge about HIVtransmission and an increase in students’non-discriminatory views towards peopleliving with HIV.

Kristian Paul Bubendorfer Nomad: Towards an architecture for mobility inlarge-scale distributed systemsOnly a small portion of the vast reservoir ofcomputing power represented by theinternet is currently available to applicationsor their clients. Kris’ thesis tackles theproblem of allocating and accessing these

global computing resources through hisdevelopment of the Nomad architecture.Within Nomad, applications negotiate for,and migrate to, remote computing resourcesusing an infrastructure incorporatingtechniques from distributed systems, game-theory and economics. This encouragesmobile applications to reconfigure anddistribute themselves to satisfy client qualityof service constraints and dynamic systemconditions. This research represents asignificant step towards providing a basisfor future global computing systems.

Sharyn Elizabeth Myer Circularisable ligation probes: Synthesis and usefor estimating the frequency of recombination atthe 21-hydroxylase locusSharyn’s PhD research led to a unique wayof improving a clever technique that is usedfor detection of genetic variation. Thistechnique can be used for the diagnosis ofgenetic diseases, but can also be used for other purposes. Sharyn adapted thetechnique for use in estimating thefrequency of mutations occurring in acertain gene. Mutations to that gene canresult in a common human genetic disease,which can result in ambiguous genitalia inbaby girls. Her research has made asignificant contribution towards gaining afuller understanding into the process thatresults in these mutations.

Honoured alumni

It was with great pride in May that the University awarded three honorarydoctorates to honour the achievements ofalumni Kara Puketapu, Lyell Cresswell andDavid Stevenson.

Kara PuketapuKara Puketapu was awarded anhonorary Doctor ofLaws for his life-time contribution to the development ofopportunities for Mäori. For 50 years he hasbeen a leading figure in Mäoridom, havingmade a significant impact in both the publicand private sectors, and in sport. A highlightof his time as Secretary of Mäori Affairs(1977-1983) was designing the series of Hui

Taumata that led to the creation of KohangaReo. In the private sector he helped establishand became Chief Executive Officer of anorganisation which is a major healthprovider, manager of customary fisheries,and contractor for many central and localgovernment agencies.

David StevensonProfessor DavidStevenson FRS wasawarded an honoraryDoctor of Science forhis achievements asone of the foremostplanetary physicists in the world. He hasmade great advances in the understanding ofplanetary development and the evolution ofthe solar system. George Van Osdol Professorof Planetary Science at Caltech since 1995,David is active in the administration of sciencethrough numerous professional associationsand is an internationally sought-after speaker

on planetary science and the evolution of thesolar system.

Lyell CresswellTop composer LyellCresswell was awar-ded an honoraryDoctor of Music forhis musical achieve-ments and promotionof New Zealand music. Based in Scotlandsince 1974, Lyell’s musical creativity, wit,and intelligence has earned him thereputation as a composer of internationalexcellence. He has organised two highlysuccessful festivals of New Zealand musicin Edinburgh, bringing the music oftalented New Zealand composers to theattention of European musicians. Lyell hasbeen a featured composer at music eventsaround the world—and in New Zealandmost recently at the 2002 New ZealandFestival.

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A sea of opportunitiesinfrared and visible light. Her work has contributed a significantbody of measurements to scientific literature that will help shapeglobal understanding of the unique property.

Research of the complexity carried out by Ocean requires a vastarray of equipment. She had access to world-class facilities thanks toa working relationship begun nearly 30 years ago. Ocean’s PhD co-supervisors Professor Joe Trodahl, from the School of Chemicaland Physical Sciences, and Dr Bob Buckley from Industrial ResearchLimited (IRL) have known each other since Joe supervised Bob’sPhD in the 1970s. Since the 1980s when Bob began working at IRL, aclose working relationship has been developed between theinstitutions that now sees the sharing of equipment, funding andpremises. Thanks to this relationship and a Tüäpapa Pütaiao MäoriFellowship from FRST, Ocean was able to take up a PhD position atIRL and conduct the bulk of her research there.

Teaching part time in the School of Chemical & Physical Sciences,Ocean gets a real buzz out of the student interaction. She’sinvigorated by their fresh attitudes and thirst for knowledge, andsays that there’s nothing quite as satisfying as the flash in their eyeswhen the ‘penny drops’.

In the interests of introducing a new generation to the wonders ofa life in science, Ocean also takes part in secondary school visits. Shehopes that these visits will promote science as a vibrant and excitingcareer option that can make significant contributions towardssolving everyday problems. As Ocean says, it’s important to havescience heroes and to show students that it’s not all “lab coats andcalculators”! Ocean has science heroes of her own, including ‘localboy’ Ernest Lord Rutherford.

One can’t help but wonder whether the spark Ocean sees in theeyes of her students is partly because they too have met ahomegrown hero.

Although too modest to admit it, May PhDgraduate Ocean Mercier is a hot post-doctoral prospect in the global market. OfNgäti Porou descent, she’s thought to bethe first Mäori woman in New Zealand tograduate with a PhD in physics, and iscurrently deciding where in the world herwork will take her. Ocean’s research is providing brilliant insights intounderstanding the properties of theunusual materials that many of tomorrow’sinnovative devices will require.

As far back as Ocean can remember, shewas interested in getting to the basics of howthings worked, whether that meantunderstanding the forces of nature orbreaking down the elements of a piece ofelectrical equipment. It was a magic momentwhen she realised the beauty of mathematicsand physics in providing a way to findanswers to these questions.

Her research to date has focused oncolossal magnetoresistance—a recentlydiscovered phenomenon in manganeseoxides. Because of their extraordinarysensitivity to magnetism, the oxides are anideal material for sensing densely packeddata, allowing vast amounts of informationto be held on more compact surfaces. Thispotentially means smarter, faster andsmaller computers. Ocean’s PhD researchmeasured the oxides’ seemingly invisibleinteractions by probing samples with Ocean with her PhD supervisors, Bob Buckley (left) and Joe Trodahl at IRL.


On the ball

To succeed in educational marketingyou’ve got to be on the ball and Victoriahas won an award for playing on thepulling power of our national oval icon.

A Study Abroad campaign providingAmerican university students with theopportunity to play rugby while studying atVictoria is among the innovations thatresulted in a Trade New Zealand EducationExport award in February.

In 1999 there were 453 internationalstudents studying for degrees at theuniversity; this year there are 1157. A thirdare from US/Europe, another third fromChina and the rest from Malaysia, India andother countries.

Tim Fowler, Director of VictoriaInternational (formerly the International

Victoria International’s winning team, Director Tim

Fowler far right.

Centre) says with 13,000 internationaleducational providers in the world, Victoriahas to differentiate itself and find nichemarkets. “We don’t want to be just like otheruniversities,” he says.

With 680 rugby clubs in Americanuniversities, an opportunity was seen tocapitalise on Victoria being based in a citythat boasts several current All Blacks—and an occasionally brilliant team! FiveAmerican students are here this year on theStudy Abroad programme, which includesmembership of the Old Boys-Universityrugby club, playing kit, and tickets to Super12 games. Tim expects there’ll be 20American students under the programmenext year. “We’re really only scratching thesurface in the US.” There’s even interestfrom Sweden.

Tim says the Trade New Zealand awardreflects a change to a total businessapproach. “It’s also welcome recognition fora lot of hard work by staff,” he says. In thelast two and a half years, the University hasstreamlined its approach to attracting andcaring for overseas students. Allinternational functions from establishingglobal marketing networks, promoting andproviding English language training toforming alliances with overseas universitiesare now strategically co-ordinated byVictoria International. Professor NeilQuigley, Pro Vice-Chancellor withresponsibility for Victoria International, will

continue to keep in contact with Victoria’snetwork of global alumni, especially in theAsia-Pacific area.


Visit Victoria International’s website bygoing to www.vuw.ac.nz and clicking on‘International Students’.

Professor Colleen Ward, Head of theSchool of Psychology, was delighted butnot surprised with the results of herresearch into secondary school pupils’views on migrant adaptation.

The research findings of theInternational Comparative Study of Ethno-Cultural Youth blew apart the popular anduntested belief that migrants don’t want tointegrate when they arrive in NewZealand. The reality, a long-held belief of

Colleen’s, is quite the opposite according to the study’s results. Part of a larger comparative study being carried out in 12 other

nations, the study collected data from more than 600 secondaryschool pupils from four ethnic groups: Mäori, Pacific Island, NewZealand European and Chinese.

The overriding response from all four groups was that the preferredmethod of migrant adaptation was integration. Integration meansadopting the strategy whereby individuals maintain their originalcultural heritage but also adopt the new aspects of the new culture—migrants from China might describe themselves as ‘Chinese Kiwis’.

Colleen says that particularly pleasing about the results is that itwas not just the immigrant groups who thought that integration wasthe way to go. Maori and New Zealand European groups bothstrongly thought that the best way that immigrants could behave intheir new country was to integrate.

The groups who were pro integration also showed high levels ofsocial and psychological adaptation. In other words these pupilswere happier, more balanced and in a better position to achieve thanthose who favoured other sorts of adaptation strategies, includingseparation, assimilation or marginalisation.

“The research shows that it’s just as important to help migrants beproud of the culture they’ve left behind, as it is to help them learn tobe a Kiwi,” Colleen says.

The University was selected to carry out the research because ofColleen’s former role as Secretary General of the InternationalAssociation for Cross-Cultural Psychology. Colleen says that there’sa special role for New Zealand to play in the study—we’re the onlybi-cultural nation participating. As such, we’ll act as a case study forother bi-cultural nations wanting to make the most of migration.

A book will be published once data from all thirteen participatingnations is collated. An expert in the area, Colleen published ThePsychology of Culture Shock last year.

Contact: Tel +64-4-463 6037; E-mail [email protected]

Merging migrants ahead

Stan Ruda, psychology graduate from Princeton

University, has an important question he’d like

answered while he’s at Victoria. “I’d like to find

out how Andrew Mehrtens gets so much power in

the ball.” Stan, a fullback, pictured left at

training with Tony Kangas, a tighthead prop from

St John’s University, Minnesota, are among five

American students who’ve come to Victoria under

the new Study Abroad programme which offers

the chance to play rugby for Old Boys-University.

During his five months here, Stan’s studying

business, and he’s hoping to learn how a famous

All Black boot delivers so well.


PCs @ homeNo less than five government agencies are now supportingComputers in Homes, a Victoria University project which hasalready won an international award. It uses recycled computers tobreak the pattern of illiteracy and unemployment.

Barbara Craig, School of Education lecturer, began the project 18months ago. She’s a member of the Wellington City Council 20/20Communications Trust, which saw a role for technology to tackleadult and child literacy especially in migrant and Mäoricommunities. A Computers in Homes pilot scheme in CannonsCreek, Porirua proved so successful that it has been extended toother North Island centres with support from the Ministry ofEducation, Department of Labour, and Ministry of EconomicDevelopment. The private sector provides hardware support andinternet connections (Actrix and Renaissance).

Clare Coman at VicLink manages the project, overseeing theinstallation of computers in homes and the provision of training andtechnical support. Translators are also needed in some homes whereEnglish is very much a second language. Barbara works with parentsto get them on to literacy programmes available via the internet. Theproject is now established in Flaxmere, a suburb of Hastings, andamong Pacific communities in Panmure, Auckland. More than 200families are now participating, with Barbara evaluating the results.She says around 20 percent of those parents involved in the firstprogrammes in Porirua and Panmure have enrolled in trainingcourses or found employment since taking part. “We’ve given themthe skills to write good CVs,” she says.

In May, with Ministry of Education and Te Puni Kokiri support,the trial was expanded to 55 families with children at Mäoriimmersion schools run by the Tuhoe Education Authority in andaround Whakatane. Frank March of the IT Policy Group at theMinistry of Economic Development says the Computers in Homesproject intersects with Ministry policies to ensure children at low-decile schools are not left on the wrong side of the digital divide.“Therefore we were pleased to be able to offer a grant of $5,000 toenable Barbara to complete the first phase of the project and we havecontinued to have a high level of interest in the research and,especially, the outcomes,” Frank says.

Educational publisher, Learning Media, is the latest state agencywanting to play a role, says Barbara. She says a key to the project’ssuccess is that computers are installed in the home, where computer-literate children can assist their parents. Initial training for parents inoperating a computer takes place in training rooms, some of themput into schools by the project. Literacy training takes place online.

The project won a Stockholm Challenge award, given by theSwedish capital for initiatives that use IT to deal with inequalities.Clare and Barbara travelled to Stockholm to receive the award lastOctober, just a week before—and in the same room where—Victoriaalumnus Professor Alan MacDiarmid received his Nobel Prize forchemistry.


The Toloke family, of south Auckland, is one of more than 200 families benefiting

from Computers in Homes.

Clare Coman and Barbara Craig receive their award in Stockholm.


Beijing-Taipei relations

If your knowledge of Roman history relies on themovie Gladiator, Classics doctoral student ClaudineEarley will couple your chariot to something morescholarly.

Thanks to a $75,000 three-year scholarship from theFoundation for Research, Science & Technology,Claudine is carrying out her PhD research on thepolitical and social parallels between ancient Rome andmodern day New Zealand. Her comparative researchwill include the role patronage played in Roman politicsand whether a modern day equivalent can be seen inNew Zealand’s influential interest groups. Claudine saysa prevailing view that the elite ran Rome is now beingchallenged by studies suggesting that the large poorunderclass played an important role. A senior tutor inClassics, Claudine is first concentrating on learningGerman. Germany has a particular fascination withAncient Rome and much of the research material ispublished only in German. Claudine will add thelanguage to her command of Latin, Ancient Greek andFrench.

FRST chariot off therank

By Professor Stuart N McCutcheon

During the 1990s, successive governmentssought to increase the number of tertiarystudents, while at the same time limitingcosts to the public purse. Thus, governmentfunding of universities fell from 0.79% to0.65% of GDP over the period 1991–1999. Atthe same time, the number of universitystudents increased from 67,000 to 95,000 andthe income received per student fell from anaverage of $8,400 to $6,400 in 1991 dollars.This has placed the system underconsiderable pressure and led to the familiarproblems of increasing student fees anddebt, staff salaries which are becominguncompetitive in some disciplines,difficulties in supporting staff and studentresearch, and a low level of reinvestment infacilities and equipment.

Institutions are funded on a per headbasis, encouraging them to acquireadditional students. This makes institutionsmuch more aware of student needs—sincethe students have the option of going

Politics and policyelsewhere and taking their funding withthem—and of increasing self-promotionthrough school recruitment visits andadvertising. The per head funding systemhas led to a number of mergers and strategicalliances as institutions sought to positionthemselves in growing markets. Popularcourses expanded while those with lowenrolments closed.

The present Government is introducing anumber of “reforms” to the system, including:• A Tertiary Strategy to guide future

investment in the tertiary sector • The Tertiary Education Commission

(TEC), to be established from 1 July,acting under instruction from theMinister of Education. A major role ofTEC will be to negotiate with, and deliverfunding to, the tertiary institutions

• A system of charters and profiles toensure that institutions engage only inappropriate educational programmes ofvalue to the nation

• A new funding system, to be introducedin 2004, which will apparently still rely

on per head funding. However, it seems likely to place greater emphasis on funding science/technology/engineering students at the expense ofarts/law/ commerce students

• The division of the government subsidyinto a series of funds

• Modest increases in the actual rate offunding driven largely by the desire toensure that student fees remain at orbelow current levels

• And a greater degree of governmentintervention in such areas as themanagement of institutions that aredeemed to be at risk financially, and inmarketing to, and support of, internationalstudents.

The issue for Victoria will be whether thesereforms genuinely add value to a systemwhich, although funded at a low rate byinternational standards, still producesexcellent graduates—or whether theysimply add to our already considerableburden of overheads and divert preciousresources from teaching and research. Wewill aim to keep you informed of thesedevelopments in future issues of Victorious.

Members of the NZ Institute of International Affairs, students, andpublic servants obtained insights into China-Taiwan relations at aseminar sponsored by the Asian Studies Institute and theInternational Relations Programme. Professor Xu Shiquan, Presidentof the Institute of Taiwan Studies at the Chinese Academy of SocialSciences, said that in the aftermath of September 11, China could nolonger be seen as a primary threat to American security. Taiwan’scommitments to liberalise agricultural trade following accession tothe World Trade Organisation would have an impact within Taiwanitself. While more younger people are pro-unification, China neededto explain to the Taiwan people how ‘one country two systems’works in Hong Kong.

Professor Xu Shiquan

(left) is welcomed to

the NZ Institute of

International Affairs

in Waiteata Road,

by Gerald McGhie,

President of the

Institute.


The University’s New Zealand ElectronicText Centre (NZETC), Wai-te-ata Press and JC Beaglehole Room are pooling theirtechnological, archival and printingspecialist resources for the project. Togetherthey will create a website that details theprint culture and book industry inWellington, from 1840s letterpress printingthrough to present day internet publication.A generous grant from the Trustees of theNational Library is allowing work toproceed.

The project involves participation from awide variety of local libraries and archives,to build up a cultural context for thisimportant regional and national industry.Split into five chronological stages, eachperiod takes a snapshot of aspects of themanufacturing and distribution of printobjects. These include the activities ofprinters and publishers, engravers, inkmanufacturers, wholesalers, booksellers andlibraries. It has been an excellent hands-onlearning experience for student digitallibrarians and information professionals.

On Wairarapa’s Brancepeth Station in the19th century, a horse with saddle-bags fullof books was regularly dispatched—anequine version of the mobile library—tokeep workers at the Station’s outpostsentertained.

Dr Sydney Shep, Director of Wai-te-ataPress and driving force behind a new projectto track the development of the book trade inWellington, cites this story as an example ofthe dynamic role that the printed word hasplayed in New Zealand’s history.

with the era. Kevin O’Brien was VUWSApresident in this period and was one ofseveral VUWSA office holders who, over theyears, went on to become Chancellor. Othersinclude Dick Simpson, Douglas White andRosemary Barrington.

The Vietnam War saw an increasingradicalisation in the 1960s. However, a briefSalient editorship in 1963 by one GeoffreyPalmer saw him attack the “new woman” atVictoria—“a hard and brash super-sophisticate with dyed hair and drip-drymorals.”

Students briefly rejected radicalism in1974 when presidential candidate JohnMcDonald campaigned on a social asopposed to a socialist platform. His call formore stein evenings saw him win with alarge majority. But he immediately cameunder pressure for not being politicalenough and was soon replaced by socialistLisa Sacksen (who easily beat John Clarkewho stood in one of the first outings of thepersona Fred Dagg.)

The 1980s saw students shift to a moreconservative approach as education cutsbegan to bite. However, VUWSA members

Any notion that student radicalism andrampant capping excesses began in theheady days of the 1960s is quicklydispelled in Stephen Hamilton’s book, ARadical Tradition.

The history marks the centenary of theVictoria University of Wellington StudentsAssociation (VUWSA) and records thatpolitical volatility and capping stunts havebeen a feature of student life since theUniversity’s establishment. An extendedpub-crawl by Weir House students in 1936celebrated the first issue of Cappicade, whichStephen records “was generally deemedobscene”.

By 1941, today’s student publication,Salient, had been established by left wingstudents and the drinking horn had become amajor feature of the Easter Tournament. The1950s saw the ejection of left-wing membersfrom the Student Association executive infavour of a conservative committee in tune

Digitising book trade history

100 years of hi-jinks

Students march from the Hunter Lawn, protesting the

1970 All Black tour of South Africa.

Elizabeth Styron, Nicola Frean and Sydney Shep in the

Wai-te-ata Press studio.

mounted their most militant-ever campaignduring the Springbok Tour protests in 1981.A photo of a protest march has been adaptedfor the front cover of A Radical Tradition.

All are welcome to attend the launch of A Radical Tradition: 18 July 2002, CouncilChamber, Hunter Building 5.30-7pm.Contact: Tel +64-4-463 6589E-mail [email protected]

Sydney hopes that people using the booktrade site will move from looking at materialonline to actually visiting the archives thathold the physical materials. For her there isnothing like the ‘real thing’ to bring historyalive—holding an 1840s newspaper revealsthat it’s much smaller than the Evening Postin 2002. A discussion of why this is so bringsup historical, social, and economic reasonsthat are broader than the paper and ink ofthe newspaper itself.

The first snapshot to go live, the 1880shey-day of Victorian printing, was launchedin May during the National Library’s DigitalImpact Forum. When the first stage of theWellington project is finished later this year,Sydney hopes that it will act as a catalyst forother regions to join in and publish theirresearch and collection holdings in thiselectronic medium.

Contact: Tel +64-4-463 5784 E-mail [email protected]/projects/php


A challenge from a former schoolteacher paved the way forErika Kremic to join those making a bequest to the VictoriaFoundation Legacy Club.

The former Wellington coroner joins a special group ofgraduates, staff and other benefactors who are members of thenew Victoria Legacy Club. The Club gives recognition to donorswho have made provision in their wills for a bequest to VictoriaUniversity. Other founding members are former Assistant to theVice-Chancellor Ian Boyd and his wife Karis, former Vice-Chancellor Les Holborow, and former staff member JeremyCommons.

Erika immigrated here after WWII with her husband, andbecame an accounts clerk. On a return trip to Germany in 1960 aformer teacher admonished her for not achieving enough, so in1961 she enrolled in a Bachelor of Law. She plans for her estate toassist able and committed law students who need some help. “Ithought it would be nice to give something back,” Erika says.

VUW Foundation Executive Director Tricia Walbridge says theVictoria Legacy Club allows public recognition of those who havemade provision for Victoria in their wills. Donors receive specialbenefits in return for their generosity.


Gift for the future

Damien Martin hopes to meetfamed physicist ProfessorStephen Hawking at Cambridgeafter being the only NewZealand student to win a placeat the prestigious University’sParticle Physics and AstronomySummer School.

Twenty years old, Damienstarted his studies at Victoria atthe age of 16, having finished 7th

form physics by the end of hissecond year at New PlymouthBoys High School. He’s now

doing his MSc thesis on optics, photons and particles of light and isalso learning Mandarin. His supervisor, Physics Professor JohnLekner, was his referee for the Cambridge application—one of 250received from around the world. Each year, 12 international studentsjoin a dozen others from Britain at the Summer School, with traveland living expenses met. While there are some lectures to attend,much of the time is spent working on projects with universityphysics dons. Damien also gets the chance to visit the world-renowned CERN physics laboratory in Switzerland. He’s readStephen Hawking’s book A Brief History of Time which exploresspace-time and the Big Bang beginning of the Universe. “That’s notthe same as saying I agree with all of Hawking’s theories!”, Damiensays.

Meeting of beautiful minds

Muldoon still casts a shadow

“Ten years dead, he can still pull a crowd,” says Professor ofPolitical Science, Margaret Clark of May’s conference on SirRobert Muldoon.

Two hundred people attended the fifth ParliamentaryConference, organised by the Stout Research Centre for NewZealand Studies and the Former Parliamentarians Association.

Margaret, who chaired opening sessions, says Barry Gustafson’srecent biography His Way: A Biography of Muldoon provided a focusfor further reflection.

The conference, held at Parliament, heard former partyfunctionaries detail their experiences with Sir Robert as PrimeMinister. Noel Lough, a former Secretary to The Treasury, says from1978 Muldoon withheld documents from the Cabinet so it was notfully aware of the economic deterioration. Muldoon-era Cabinetminister, John Falloon, agreed.

Contributions to the conference will be edited by Margaret andpublished as a book later this year by the Stout Centre. Next year’sParliamentary Conference is on the Fourth Labour Government.

Bill Wrathall cartoon from His Way: A Biography of Muldoon by Barry Gustafson,

Auckland University Press, 2000.

Damien Martin is off to Cambridge.

IIML superstars The International Institute of Modern Letters has released somehigh-flying literary rockets in the last couple of months.

In March Catherine Chidgey was announced as inauguralrecipient of the $60,000 Prize in Modern Letters. Catherine, aCreative Writing graduate, was selected from a shortlist containingthe cream of emerging NZ writers—poet James Brown, novelistCharlotte Randall and dramatist Briar Grace-Smith. Catherine willuse the prize, funded by American literary philanthropist GlennSchaeffer, to process the “eight or nine ideas” she has for new books.

The IIML has harnessed the global marketing powers of theworldwide web with Best NZ Poems www.vuw.ac.nz/modernletters/bnzp.html The site is the inaugural annual issue of 25contemporary poems selected to showcase NZ poetry. Bill Manhirehopes that the site will act as a shopfront and encourage readers,especially international ones, to delve further into our poetry.

Paula Morris, 2001 Creative Writing graduate, will soon bepacking her bags and heading off to join some of the world’s bestwriters at the prestigious Iowa Writers’ Workshop. Thanks to aUS$20,000 Scholarship in Modern Letters from Glenn Schaeffer,Paula has received direct entry to the Workshop allowing her to skipthe queue of thousands who compete for one of 20 places. Paula’sfirst novel, Queen of Beauty, will be published in October.

A Cabinet minister announcing Budget spending, Beehive staffbuzzing around, television crews, a press conference—and asecond year media studies class.

Broadcasting Minister and Wellington Central MP Hon MarianHobbs chose a campus visit to announce funding for televisionunder the new broadcasting charter. Ms Hobbs revealed $12 milliona year will go to the state channel and $6 million more to NewZealand on Air to fund increased local programming.

A press conference followed before the media left and studentsbegan a second round of questioning. The Minister fielded questionson the future of Mäori broadcasting, the slowdown on delivering ayouth radio network, and the future of public service broadcastingin the digital age.

Ms Hobbs was impressed. “These students are just so clued-up,they’re a credit to you,” she told Dr Trisha Dunleavy, acting MediaStudies Programme Director.


TV policy goes to air

The way youth offenders are dealt with by New Zealand policeis unique, says a new study by the Crime and Justice ResearchCentre, one of the University’s applied research centres. PoliceYouth Diversion, funded by the New Zealand Police and theMinistry of Justice, describes the way police respond to youthoffending.

Youth Aid officers visit homes and consult victims beforedeciding whether to warn the young person or to arrange adiversionary plan. About half of the sample were simply visitedby police youth aid officers and warned. A third more casesinvolved a diversionary plan. Other young offenders went tofamily group conferences or the Youth Court.

The report particularly focussed on describing diversionaryplans. These usually involved some form of restorative responsesthrough apologies and/or work, donations or reparation to thevictim. A second type of response was to arrange a programme toassist in rehabilitation. A third type of response was to achieveaccountability for offending through work for the community,curfews or other restrictions.

Report co-author, Gabrielle Maxwell, says the amount ofinformation available to police on offenders and how they aredealt with needs to be improved. The analysis has implicationsfor police staffing levels, the use of experienced officers, and theneed for support at the senior level.

Further research will determine whether or not those in thesample group have reoffended, in order to identify best practice inresponding effectively to children and young people who offend.

Contact: Tel +64-4-463 5206; E-mail [email protected]/cjrc

Police youth diversion


Glenn Schaeffer and Prize in Modern Letters winner Catherine Chidgey.

Students in Advanced Media Studies see the big picture with Dr Trisha Dunleavy.

Phot

ogra

phy

by M

icha

el R

oth


Victoria University is providing newprogrammes of study to meet the demandsof students, employers and emergingdisciplines. Equally important is the needto ensure quality academic and researchopportunities to enable students to succeedin their chosen career. The newprogrammes and courses include:

Media Studies A rapidly expanding new major in theBachelor of Arts degree, Media Studiesanalyses the powerful social and culturalrole of traditional media and new media. Bylinking Media Studies papers with majors inother disciplines, students are encouraged toexplore historical, social, political andcultural aspects of the media. The goalsinclude understanding different media, theimpact for New Zealand of mediaglobalisation and the significance of digitaland other new technology.

Contact: +64-4-463 6843 E-mail [email protected]

New programmes

Keep your eyes on the road and your hands on the mouse? A roadcode website project for the Electronic Commerce and Multimediapaper last year has been developed into an award winningapplication.

Completing their IT-focused degrees, Tony Rule and AndrewMayfield saw a gap in the market after being challenged by GeoffMitchell, Senior Lecturer at the School of Information Management.“Completing this project was a great chance to showcase some of the

Tony Rule and Andrew Mayfield ‘revving’ things up with their road code application.

skills we’ve developed over the duration of our degrees,” says Tony.“Geoff gave us the flexibility to do what we wanted to do.”

He and Andrew developed a programme on a pocket PC device.This has now become www.pocketroadcode.com, a website where youwill eventually be able to test your knowledge of the road code.Visitors are given multiple-choice questions and can monitor theirprogress. Graphics show details of the road code.

Tony says that until now, the options for those wanting to testtheir knowledge were to buy a road code book or a relativelyexpensive CD-ROM. “But for the youth of today, the internet is farmore accessible.”

Tony and Andrew’s company, Spikefin Mobile Web Architecturewww.spikefin.co.nz won one of three awards in the Kiwi Start-Up competition. Sponsored by Microsoft, TelstraClear andCompaq, the awards assist new companies working in the IT field.Winners get use of computer hardware and software, industry leadsand support.

The pair have been speaking with the Land Transport SafetyAuthority and the AA about developing the website for widespreadapplication. They want a freely accessible site where learner driverscan test themselves. A global application is foreseen by customisingit for other countries.

Spikefin is also developing an online point-of-sale and customerwebsite for a local pizza chain. Tony and Andrew are also part-timetutors for this year’s Electronic Commerce and Multimedia paper.

Graduate Diploma in Design A two year full-time programme of study,which leads to a professional qualification,currently in one of three areas of study:Industrial Design, Interior Architecture orLandscape Architecture. It is for studentsand practitioners who hold a first degree ina design discipline and want a furtherprofessional qualification. The programmeof study parallels and is closely integratedwith the 300 and 400 level core papers ineach of the design disciplines for theBachelor of Design and Bachelor of Design(Honours) degrees, and leads to the sameprofessional recognition.


Postgraduate Certificate, andPostgraduate Diploma in Public PolicyThese qualifications have been developed inresponse to the need to build policy analysisskills and capacity in the public sector. Manypeople working in the state sector are unableto commit to a masters degree, such as theMaster of Public Policy (MPP) or Master ofPublic Management (MPM), says ProfessorClaudia Scott, Director of the MPP. The newpostgraduate Diploma and Certificate are

staircased and courses completed can becredited at a later stage towards a master’sdegree.


Master of Information ManagementA postgraduate, managerial qualificationthat can be taken on either a full or part-timebasis. The MIM offers focused andcomprehensive learning in informationservices, information systems, and electronicbusiness. A strong emphasis is placed upondevelopment of managerial skills in realisticorganisational environments. The MIM willappeal to professionals with workingexperience who wish to pursue a career inmanagement of information services,information systems, or electronic commerceor to graduates who wish to make the moveto information and knowledge management.


Be early, be organised! To enrol go towww.vuw.ac.nz/enrol or tel 0800 VIC UNI.

One for the road


Mature Mäori embracing education

Emerging research suggests that a searchfor knowledge is an important part of theMäori experience of ageing and is drivinghigher tertiary education enrolment.

Around 840 Mäori around the countrywere interviewed about their experiences ofageing as the Mäori phase of a communitystudy under the 40+ Project/30 Tau NekeAtu for the New Zealand Institute forResearch on Ageing, based at Victoria.Funded by the Foundation for Research,Science & Technology, the project, run by theSchool of Psychology and Te Kawa a Mäui,also established case studies to exploreissues raised by the survey.

One case study assesses mature Mäoriexperiences of tertiary education. Researchfellow Mämari Stephens (Te Rarawa) sayswhile young Mäori are under-represented,mature Mäori students are attending tertiaryinstitutes in slightly higher per capitanumbers than Päkeha. A focus group set upto explore this positive trend suggestsmature Mäori students seek Mäori culturalknowledge rather than career goals. “There’sa certain sense of sad irony that they’ve had

to come to a tertiary institution for thisknowledge,” says Mämari. The study alsosuggests many Mäori students come touniversity not just for themselves but onbehalf of their whänau or hapü.

Another case study investigated matureMäori respondents’ understanding of theTreaty of Waitangi and Treaty claimsprocesses. One striking result was themajority of Mäori respondents over 30 havelittle or no confidence in their understandingof the Treaty claims process. There is alsoevidence of some tension between kaumätuaand younger Mäori in addressing Treatyissues. Modern Mäori organisations oftenhave a structure which tends to relegatekaumätua into advisory roles. The challengeis to integrate kaumätua into thesestructures so they are contributing fully, saysMämari. This finding has already beenpicked up by KPMG Legal, which has a teamworking on Treaty issues.

A forthcoming paper will discuss aconnection discovered between the sense ofwell-being among survey respondents andtheir satisfaction with their level of Mäori

A conflicting issuePsychology senior lecturer Dr Jan Pryorwill draw on material from the biggestinternational research project on divorceand separation in a decade for anupcoming seminar series.

Jan and Australian academic, Dr BryanRogers, spent more than two years lookingat studies on divorce/separation datingback to the 1950s. Jan says their researchshowed that problems are created for

children, not by divorce/separation or staying together but byconflict or dysfunction in a family. Jan says the research underlinesthe need for good family role modelling, whether parents aretogether or separated.

She’ll use the research in presentations to Family Courtprofessionals in August and in three public seminars offered by theCentre for Continuing Education/Te Whare Pükenga in September.A book, Children in Changing Families: Life after Parental Separation, hasbeen published by Blackwells. The Ministry of Social Developmenthas ordered copies and leading American academic Dr Paul Amato,at Penn State, is using it as a teaching text.

Continuing Education: Tel +64-4-463 6556; E-mail [email protected]/conted

Changes in the moralmarketNew Zealand underwent a radicalprogramme of economictransformation from 1984 to 1999affecting every sector of ournational life. Alongside theeconomic changes there was just asvigorous a programme of moralchange.

Thanks to a $175,000 MarsdenFund grant, Professor Paul Morrisof Religious Studies and AssociateProfessor Dolores Janiewski of History are systematicallyexploring these moral changes for the first time.

They are investigating the religious and moral dimensions ofneo-liberalism in New Zealand, within the context of paralleldevelopments in Australia, Britain and the US. Their researchincludes an analysis of moral campaigns during this period suchas the Code of Social Responsibility and Homosexual LawReform, and the influence of the American Christian right andlobby groups on the debates here.

A book is planned under the working title, The TransnationalMarketing of Morality: Neo-Liberalism and the Moral Right.

language skill. According to Dr Susan Gee,40+ Project research fellow at the School ofPsychology, “those most satisfied with theirlevel of te Reo were also most satisfied withtheir lives in general.” She adds this findingis important in view of the renaissance inMäori language learning.

Contacts: Tel +64-4-463 5471 E-mail [email protected] +64-4-463 8037 E-mail [email protected]

Kaumätua who took part in the study at Te Käkano o

Te Aroha marae in Moera, Lower Hutt.

Formed from a merger of New Zealand’sbiggest dairy industry players, Fonterrabrings in approximately 20 percent of thecountry’s GDP. As its global ‘milk run’spreads further around the world, Fonterrarelies heavily on its technology and peopleto ensure that the supply chain delivers.

From cow tocustomer

When former Chancellor Russell Marshallwent to Hanoi last year, he was delighted tomeet more than 50 alumni from the English Language Training for Officialsprogramme (ELTO).

ELTO is funded by the Ministry ofForeign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) anddelivered by the School of Linguistics andApplied Language Studies in conjunctionwith VicLink. Russell was Minister ofForeign Affairs when the first modest intakeof Vietnamese officials arrived in 1990.

Morena Vietnam


Today there are two separate coursesannually totalling 72 government officialsfrom Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Mongolia,Myanmar, Thailand, Indonesia and, mostrecently, East Timor. Students spend sevenmonths at Victoria developing English skillsto a level that enables them to participate ininternational conferences.

MFAT says the course, which has helped452 officials, is paying dividends for NewZealand. John Claasen, MFAT countryprogramme manager for Vietnam,Cambodia, Laos and Thailand says it’shighly valued by the Ministry and by those

Rt Hon Sir Ivor Richardson, recentlyretired Court of Appeal President, willshare his lifetime’s experience with staffand students when he takes up twohonorary positions.

He has recently started a three-year

Sir Ivor comes home

Paul Blackburn and Peter Cook.

Recent Master of Information Management(MIM) graduates Paul Blackburn and PeterCook made an in-depth study of theinformation strategies and infrastructurerequired by Fonterra to bring in the bigglobal dollars.

Marcel Van der Assum, now ChiefInformation Officer of Fonterra, was onlytoo happy to work with the pair. He wasinterviewed as part of the study and alsofacilitated access to interview some of theother key decision-makers in the merger.

The pair aligned their analysis with themerger approach being taken by Fonterra:the practical aspects of how threeorganisations’ existing technologies wouldbe merged; the human resources side ofthings including management structure,staffing and intellectual property; andlonger-term strategies for IT development.Paul and Peter gained a unique insight intothe IT issues surrounding a merger ofFonterra’s proportions, whilst also creating avaluable network of associates.

who come. “They receive very good tuitionand pastoral care here.”

Malcolm Menzies, Business DevelopmentManager of VicLink, says major networkshave been established in Asia of formerstudents with a high regard for Victoria andNew Zealand. “We always joke that they’reout there speaking with New Zealand accentsin international meetings.” An alumniprogramme is now being established forgraduates of the MFAT-sponsored courses.


appointment as a Distinguished Fellow atthe Law School and has also agreed tobecome a member of the Advisory Board forthe Centre for Accounting, Governance andTaxation Research.

Sir Ivor’s connection to Victoria datesfrom 1969 when he spent four years as aProfessor and Dean of the Law School.During this time he also worked in privatepractice as a barrister specialising in revenuecases. From 1979 to 1986 he was theUniversity’s Pro-Chancellor and Chancellorand in 1989 was awarded an honoraryDoctor of Laws.

Tony Hooper, Director of the recentlyintroduced MIM, says that the study is anexample of the calibre of research that heexpects will continue in the MIM. “The MIMis well-placed in Wellington to allow ourstudents to develop working relationshipswith the many large Governmentorganisations and head offices who havesome of the most progressive and interestingIT systems in New Zealand,” Tony says.“Case studies like this one will go on to forma valuable resource for future students.”

Tony says that the appeal of the MIM isthe equal emphasis placed on managementskills and on IST skills. “Experiencedprofessionals from many industries want tofurther their careers by developing theiranalytical, management and communicationskills, and at the same time developing theirability to work with technology that’s goingto deliver business results,” Tony says.


Dean of Law, Professor Matthew Palmer,says the Law School is extremely lucky tohave someone with the vast wealth of legalexperience that Sir Ivor offers. “He will be avaluable resource not just for the Universitybut also the wider legal community.”

Professor Keitha Dunstan, Director of theCentre for Accounting, Governance andTaxation Research says she’s delighted SirIvor has agreed to join the Centre’s AdvisoryBoard. He’ll sit with other prominent legaland accounting practitioners, providingadvice and assisting in driving the Centre’sresearch agenda.

Books


Victoria University Press

Settler DreamingBernadette Hall

A stunning collection of poems from an award-winning writer. Settler Dreaming is an exquisiteproduction complete with illustrations fromKathryn Madill.

After Bathing at Baxter’s: Essaysand NotebooksGregory O’Brien

For O’Brien, the essay and notebook are verymuch ‘lived-in’ forms. This collection teemswith anecdote and personal observation aboutNZ writing, art and O’Brien’s own life.

VUP books are available from all good bookstores or by contacting Tel +64-4-463 6580; Fax +64-4-463 6581; E-mail [email protected]

ChemistryDamien Wilkins

This novel, Wilkin’s fourth, is dark and funny.It’s a story about bad choices and about thosewho suffer the consequences. It’s the finestnovel yet from this Vic alumnus.

Billie’s KissElizabeth Knox

A number one NZ best seller, Billie’s Kiss is astrange, sexy love story combined with anEdwardian mystery. It’s another amazingnovel from Victoria graduate and author ofthe critically-acclaimed The Vintner’s Luck.

Wellington Cathedral of SaintPaul: A History 1840-2001Michael Blain

Wellington’s Cathedral of Saint Paul wasconsecrated on 15 October 2001. This book is arecord of the conflict and resolution, of thechange, challenge and achievements along theway.

Keeping our alumni and friends up-to-date is important tothe University and to your Alumni Association. Upongraduating, our alumni automatically become ordinarymembers of the Alumni Association, and receive Victoriousthree times a year.

We made changes to Victorious following a reader survey in2000. Now we would like to know whether we got it right. Thisis your opportunity to tell us the types of information you enjoyreceiving, and also what you think might be missing. Bysharing your views, you’ll assist us to make Victorious and our

Spark to a Waiting Fuse: James KBaxter’s Correspondence with NoelGinn 1942-1946Paul Millar

“One reads the letters of a great poet for variousreasons, not least among them, the hope ofdiscovering some part of the circumstantialscaffolding of his poems.” James K Baxter, 1954.

This absorbing and detailed book by English lecturer, Paul Millar offersan extraordinary insight into the young J K Baxter as he erected thescaffolding of his life as a poet. Over four years from age 16, Baxter sentmore than 60 letters and 250 poems to Noel Ginn, a conscientiousobjector who’d been imprisoned for his beliefs. Paul has assembled thepoems and letters, many of which are published here for the first time.Spark is, however, more than a collection of Baxter’s writings. Its 100page introduction looks at the young poet’s emerging talent and hisrelationship with Ginn—the literary mentor with whom he sharedeverything in correspondence, at the mores of war-time New Zealand.Paul says the meticulously crafted and chronicled exchanges with Ginnbelie the later image of Baxter as a disorganised, shambling figure. Thebook, which developed out of a PhD thesis, was finally completedwhile Paul was an Exchange Professor and Fulbright Scholar at theUniversity of Hawai’i at Manoa during 2000-2001.

Tell us what you think

other communication with you both relevantand interesting. Please complete thequestionnaire by 31 July 2002, either onlineat www.vuw.ac/home/surveys/victorious.html orby filling in the enclosed question-naire andreturning it to us.If you have any questions about this survey, please contact: [email protected]; Tel +64-4-463 5539.


Life after Vic

Iris Nolan (nee Dickens) MA(Hons) 1937Under the name I E Dickens, Iris startedwriting about her travels around NewZealand during the mid 1930s. This year, asReed Publishing’s oldest surviving writer,Iris’ first book Out of the Mountains will bereissued as a special anniversary edition tomark 95 years of Reed Publishing (NZ) Ltd.Iris is now in her 80s and living inNorthland. She has nine published books,and is currently writing her autobiography.

Gill Boddy Greer BA 1965, PhD 1996Selected by the Labour Party to contest theOhariu/Belmont seat. Gill is the ExecutiveDirector of the Family Planning Association.

Bob Rigg MA 1967 Senior editor for the United NationsOrganisation for the Prohibition of ChemicalWeapons in The Hague, the Netherlands,since 1993.

Ian Ball BCA 1969, BCA(Hons) 1970Appointed Chief Executive of theInternational Federation of Accountantsbased in New York. Professor Ball is alsoProfessor of accounting and public policy atVictoria, a fellow of the Institute ofChartered Accountants and a principal ofPublic Sector Performance (New Zealand),which specialises in public sectormanagement systems and training.

Peter Kyle BA 1968,LLB(Hons) 1972Appointed as LeadCounsel in the World Bankand recently re-elected asChairman of the Board ofDirectors of Outward Bound International.

Ian Brackenbury BSc 1973Teleworking expert based in the HawkesBay and employed by IBM UK and astechnical executive of IBM’s high-volumewebsites team in San Jose.

David Gendall LLB(Hons) 1973Appointed a Master of the High Court byAttorney-General Margaret Wilson.

Grant Gilchrist BSc 1981Director Exploration and New Ventures–West Africa, for Amerada Hess Corporation,an American oil and natural gas company.

Colin Campbell-Hunt PhD 1984New Professor of Management at the University of Otago, managementinnovation expert and author of WorldFamous in New Zealand.

David Murray MA 1985Director and co-founder ofEducatingNZ, an educationconsultancy organisation.

Scott Barker LLB 1986Newly appointed partner at Buddle Findlayand part of the Wellington based litigation,insolvency and credit recovery team.

Gary Hook PhD 1968, DSc 1986Chief Executive of Te WhareWänanga o Awanuiärangiin Whakatane and newlyappointed board member of the Foundation forResearch, Science &Technology.

Bill Shields DipIndRelns 1987Recently appointed manager of the humanresources department, Dunedin CityCouncil. Bill has a varied history of humanresources work. He has worked with SkyCity Casino, Fletcher Wood Panels and mostrecently Waikato District Health Board.

Glen Colvin BCA 1988Has joined Lion Breweries as the Canterburysales manager. Previously Glen was at theNew Zealand Lotteries Commission andMobil Oil NZ.

Gloria McGirr MEd 1989 and Tim McGirr BSc 1987Recently the McGirrs opened a PitmanTraining Centre, the first outside of the UKand Ireland. Pitman Training is computerbased and has evolved from the old Pitmanshorthand and typing exams to include

Wherever you are, we are interested in whatyou are doing. Please write to us with yournews at PO Box 600, Wellington, New Zealandor e-mail [email protected] Manythanks to those who contributed to thisedition.

computer technical training. The McGirrsundertook extensive research of UK andIrish Government e-learning initiatives inaction before making this move.

Rebecca Priestley BSc(Hons) 1993Rebecca has started a PhD in the University of Canterbury’s newprogramme in the Historyand Philosophy of Science.Rebecca’s thesis NuclearNew Zealand: The Big Picture looks at thehistory of nuclear science in New Zealand.

Dale Stephens MPP 1997Running as the National Party candidate forthe Ohariu/Belmont electorate in this year’selection.

Michael Norris BMus(Hons) 1997After being the Composer-in-Residence with theSouthern Sinfonia 2001,Michael has been appointedto the prestigious MozartFellowship at OtagoUniversity for 2002.

Kim Young BSc 1987, DipAppSc 1999Freshwater ecologist with the Department ofConservation, Kim has recently starred inthe documentary series, Park Rangers.

Michelle Howard BA 1994, LLB 1996New associate with Wanganui basedCameron Ross Law Partnership; Michelleworks in the fields of family law and civilwork as well as assisting with Crownprosecutions.

Darren Hughes BA 1999Currently executive assistant to outgoingOtaki MP, Labour’s Judy Keall, Darren has been selected to stand as Labour’srepresentative in the Otaki electorate in thisyear’s election.

Fritha Jameson BMus(Hons) 1999Fritha is teaching at Wellington College and on the Composers Advisory Paneladministered by SOUNZ–Centre of NewZealand Music.


Queensland College of Art Gallery whereshe held the position of Gallery Managerand lectured in Curatorial Studies and ArtTheory. She is presently nearing completionof her PhD entitled Ideology, Identity andImage: Art in Taiwan. Already familiar withVictoria University and the Adam ArtGallery, Sophie visited Wellington in 2000 asan independent freelance curator when theGallery hosted the exhibition Face to Face:Contemporary Art From Taiwan. “I’mexpecting this role to be both challengingand rewarding, whilst offering a great dealof scope. Having spent many years in Asia,I have enjoyed working in different culturalenvironments. New Zealand has some greatartists, whose work I am familiar with and Ilook forward to working with many ofthem,” Sophie says.

Sophie will lauch two compellingexhibitions at the end of June. ProfoundlyDeaf American artist Joseph Grigely’s wallpieces and table-top tableaux incorporatethe scraps of paper he uses to conductconversations with hearing people when hecannot read their lips. These works explorethe unique characteristics and complexitiesof communication—spoken, written, read orheard.

New work by Christchurch artist PaulineRhodes gives rise to a very differentexperience, revealing how her ephemeralworks have challenged conventionalrepresentations of landscape and traditionalsculptural practice in New Zealand. The

Highly regarded gallery manager andcurator Sophie McIntyre started at the endof May as new Director of the Adam ArtGallery. Sophie’s appointment willcontinue the Gallery’s growing role as aresource for both Victoria’s community ofscholars and the now extensive audience oflocal, national and international visitors.

Sophie, who has been closely involvedwith Australian university communities inthe course of her career, has come toWellington from the Griffith University

Adam Art Gallery update

Joseph Grigely, 8 Blue Conversations, 2000.

Art History student, Rachel Dunne planning the June

exhibition with Joseph Grigely.

Pauline Rhodes, Conduits & Containers: Leakage from the Text (preparatory detail), 2002.

New Director, Sophie McIntyre.

exhibition project will coincide with thelaunch of Ground/Work: The Art of PaulineRhodes, by Christina Barton, Lecturer in ArtHistory, and published by the Adam ArtGallery and Victoria University Press.

Meet new Director, Sophie McIntyre,and join other gallery staff and guests forthe opening of these exhibitions: Friday 21June, 5.30pm. Exhibitions run from 22 June– 18 August 2002.

Contact: Tel +64-4-463 5489www.vuw.ac.nz/adamartgal

C a l l 0 8 0 0 V I C U N I o r v i s i t o u r w e b s i t e a t w w w. v u w. a c . n z

It makes you think.

Lear

ning

curve

?

You never stop learning. Victoria, the Capital City University, invites you to take the challenge of learning as much in your lifetime as physically possible. From postgraduatedegrees and diplomas to fascinating single courses, Victoria offers a wide range ofopportunities for those who are still hungry to learn. The exciting thing is you can beginright now. Enrol for the second trimester and your pursuit of knowledge can resume in July.

To learn more, call 0800 VIC UNI or visit www.vuw.ac.nz/home/trimester2

MAGAZINE FOR FRIENDS AND ALUMNI OF VICTORIA … · 2013-06-11 · awards and professional...

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Transcript of MAGAZINE FOR FRIENDS AND ALUMNI OF VICTORIA … · 2013-06-11 · awards and professional...