On September 24, UC Media and Communication team: Dr Zita Joyce, Professor Natalia Chaban, Professor Donald Matheson, Conan Young, and Nohah Forde (with the help of an intern Elias Redpath) delivered for the second time a one-day practice-oriented course “Communication Matters” for engineers who aim to improve their techniques for effective interactions with government, business, […]
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Following the ongoing contacts between NATO’s Public Diplomacy Division and UC’s research centre Public Diplomacy and Political Communication Forum (directed by Professor Natalia Chaban), interdisciplinary team of students from COMS 420 Public Diplomacy represented the UC in a trans-national simulation Yonsei IP4 Hybrid Threat Simulation 2025 on October 11. The team led by Jacob Laudenslager […]
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The teams of students in the core Bachelor of Communication course, COMS 330 Communication in Context, presented their original social media campaign to the Embassy of France to communicate France’s major science diplomacy initiative in 2025 – the One Ocean science Congress (3 to 6 June 2025), which was organised within the 3rd United Nations […]
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Visit of the Ambassador of Spain to the University of Canterbury The University of Canterbury had the pleasure of welcoming on October 22nd His Excellency Luis Sánchez-Vellisco, Ambassador of Spain to New Zealand, and Mr George Forbes, Honorary Consul of Spain in Christchurch, to campus for a meeting that highlighted the strong and ongoing collaboration between […]
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The Latin America & Spain Film Festival (LASFF) is a vibrant cultural event showcasing contemporary films from across Latin America and Spain. Each year, the UC Spanish Programme, in collaboration with the Embassy of Spain in New Zealand and Viva la Vida Events and Projects, brings this festival to Christchurch, offering audiences an authentic window into the […]
Read more →On Tuesday October 21 at the University of Adelaide Associate Professor Patrick O’Sullivan (Classics) gave The Constantinos Moraïtis Annual Hellenic Public Lecture (sponsored by the Galatis Fund) on the following topic: “Greek Tragedy, the Emotions and Aeschylus’ Oresteia Reconfigured”. This invited lecture focused on the ancient reception of Aeschylus as a poet whose stylistic qualities of grandeur and ‘weight’ were crucial to the […]
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Listen to the Radio New Zealand feature on the Indonesian Echoes event that took place a couple of weeks ago celebrating 30 years since Elaine Dobson oversaw the commissioning of a gong kebyar gamelan set from Bali and its arrival at the University of Canterbury on Christmas Day, 1995. The feature includes sound bites of […]
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UC Music’s performance assessments are free and open to the public to attend. As these are assessed, we ask that guests arrive on-time as the performance cannot be interrupted once it has began. See the full assessment schedule here. All assessments take place at UC Arts at the Arts Centre, 3 Hereford St unless stated […]
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A post-graduate course COMS 420 Public Diplomacy (coordinator Professor Natalia Chaban) continues is long-term collaboration with MFAT NZ. On October 1, students of public diplomacy at the UC met with Andrew Cutler, the Head of Communication Division in the Ministry. Andrew discussed the practice of international strategic communication in New Zealand, and focused specifically on […]
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On October 8, a panel of diplomats met with the students of COMS 420 Public Diplomacy (coordinator Professor Natalia Chaban). HE Lawrence Meredith, Ambassador of the EU to New Zealand (on the photo) was our first presenter. His address was followed by the diplomats from the Embassy of France to New Zealand (Anne Rouault, Attaché […]
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Two teams of 3rd-year Bachelor of Communication students (COMS330) have been selected to work with German diplomats to co-develop communication strategies for their science diplomacy initiative. Joshua Meredith, Connor Johnston, Elias Redpath, Leah Hills, Madeleine Barrett and Ruby Riley developed and presented their original social media campaign to the Embassies of Germany and won the […]
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Friday 10 October the UC Spanish Programme held its traditional party “La Fiesta del Español” to celebrate its students and the end of the academic year. More than 40 students and friends attended, and it was a resound success with activities ranging from folkloric dance performances from Chile (Wladimir Padilla), Mexico (Victoria Escaip) and Argentina (professional dancers Gloria & Graham), a tango dance […]
Read more →The United States Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers has awarded Distinguished Professor Jack Copeland a Certificate of Appreciation for his “work on behalf of IEEE’s Milestones Program and for his efforts preserving and promoting history”. The Certificate reads: “The IEEE History Committee recognizes and commends the efforts and contributions to the IEEE Milestone Program […]
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The UC Spanish Programme is very happy to share with you the Spanish Dance Video Project New Zealand 2025 in which over 500 Spanish language students and teachers from all over New Zealand gathered once again to dance and celebrate the wonderful music and culture of the Hispanic world. This annual project that started in 2016 […]
Read more →The English Department is really happy to announce 2026’s University of Canterbury / Creative New Zealand Ursula Bethell Writers in Residence – Shehan Karunatilaka (January – July 2026) and Becky Manawatu (July 2026 – January 2027)! Shehan is a Sri Lankan New Zealand novelist. He is the author of Chinaman: The Legend of Pradeep Mathew […]
Read more → A post-graduate course COMS 420 Public Diplomacy (coordinator Professor Natalia Chaban) continues is long-term collaboration with MFAT NZ. On October 1, students of public diplomacy at the UC met with Andrew Cutler, the Head of Communication Division in the Ministry. Andrew discussed the practice of international strategic communication in New Zealand, and focused specifically on […]
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Congratulations to Enrica Sciarrino (Classics, School of Humanities) who was recognised twice! at the 2025 Student Choice Awards run by the UCSA: Faculty of Arts Lecturer of the year, and Wellbeing Champion award. Well done Enrica, and well done also to all other nominees. ou can find out more about the awards here.
Read more →One of the past stalwarts of arts at University of Canterbury, Rev. Dr William (Bill) Shepherd died on Sunday 21 September 2025 aged 92, at Burwood hospital. Bill was associate professor of religious studies at University of Canterbury from 1978 to his retirement in 1999. This autobiographical statement via the Routledge featured author website gives […]
Read more →20 Talks. 10 Bars. 1 Night Register here: Christchurch 2025 — Raising the bar
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WORD Christchurch once again lit up the city with stories, ideas and creativity. Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury (UC) was proud to once again be a principal partner of the festival. A highlight was hosting the headline Charlotte Wood: Stone Yard Devotional session with Emily Perkins, the perfect session to follow […]
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Associate Professor Chia-rong Wu (Chinese Programme; Global, Cultural and Language Studies; LSAP) has published a new co-edited volume titled The Southern Discourse in Sinophone Literature: Moving Borders (Routledge, 2025). The book gathers leading international scholars to offer a groundbreaking re-examination of culture and identity in the Chinese-speaking world. This collection challenges the long-standing northern-centric perspective in […]
Read more →Nick Smith published the article “Dependently Independent: Theorizing New Zealand’s ‘Independent’ Foreign Policy via a Neoclassical Realist Lens” in the Q1 journal Global Studies Quarterly. The article offers a theory of New Zealand foreign policy and grapples with the question of where our independent power aspiration best fits in a theoretical causal chain.
Link →Mike Grimshaw (Sociology) has a chapter “With/Out: The Theo/Politics of Exile” in Language and the World: Essays in Honor of Franson Manjali, Saitya Brata Das Editor, [Springer 2025] Franson Manjali was an Indian professsor of linguistics who worked on the philosophy of language in the continental philosophy tradition. The chapter draws upon the exilic position of […]
Read more →Mike Grimshaw (sociology) was on RNZ nights to discuss the impact of AI on questions of the purpose and value of tertiary education today Is it time to rethink education for the age of AI? | RNZ
Read more →Nick Smith published the article “Conceptualizing Utu as a Foreign Policy Doctrine for Aotearoa New Zealand” in the Q1 journal Global Policy. The article argues that the Māori concept of utu – broadly defined as the notion of balance through reciprocation – would provide a useful basis as a foreign policy doctrine.
Read more →Nick Smith have published an article ‘State capacity, military modernisation, and balancing: A conditional model of state capacity neoclassical realism’ in the journal Review of International Studies
Read more →Mike Grimshaw (Sociology) has two articles in a new volume, nr 6, of Logic and Philosophy of Time , celebrating 70 years of tense-logic. These articles, drawing on extensive archival research, discuss the thought of noted philosopher Arthur Prior while he was teaching at Canterbury University College in the 1940s and 1950s, focussing on Prior […]
Read more →Michael-John Turp recently participated in a Human Robot Interaction podcast episode called “The One About Ethics”. Topics for discussion included ethics, robots and moral judgements, generative AI, creativity and moral psychology
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Emma has earnt a PHD in Indigenous Philosophy. Her thesis, ‘Voices Across a Century: Ngāi Tahu Indigenous agency in Letters to the Editor’, looks at the history of how Māori were portrayed in print media from 1850 – right through to the 1950s.
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We’re all very proud of one of this year’s Journalism majors within the Bachelor of Communication, Rosie Leishman, who is finishing her qualification through an exchange with the Danish School of Media and Journalism. She recently had a story published with RNZ where she interviewed Time’s Women of the Year 2022 recipient, Zahra Joya, about […]
Read more →Mike Grimshaw (Sociology) has published a chapter WAITING FOR WINSTON: THE 2023 ELECTION CARTOONS AS THEATRE OF THE ABSURD in the 2023 election book “Back on Track? The NZ General Election of 2023 edited by Stephen Levine (VUW) I discuss 84 cartoons, chosen form the hundreds I collected from 19 January 2023, when Arden stood […]
Read more →Nicholas Ross Smith and Lauren Bland from the National Centre for Research on Europe have published a discussion article in the Australian Journal of International Affairs on the topic of the AUKUS debate in New Zealand. Nick also talked to RNZ about the article in light of the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders’ Meeting.
Read more →Nik Taylor (Human Services and Co-Director, NZCHAS) recently published “Intersectionality, feminist social work, animals and the politics of meat” in The Routledge International Handbook of Feminisms in Social Work, with Heather Fraser (Edited By Carolyn Noble, Shahana Rasool, Linda Harms-Smith, Gianinna Muñoz-Arce, Donna Baines). The abstract is below. In this chapter, we consider how animal […]
Read more →Cindy Zeiher (human services) has recently published an article in S: Journal of the Circle for Lacanian Ideology Critique. The issue, edited by Jean-Michel Rabaté and Sigi Jöttkandt is dedicated to readings of French feminist philosopher, Hélène Cixous. Cindy’s article, Écriture féminine: Spiel on Words: Reading ‘Portrait of Dora’’ closely and critically focuses on Cixous’s […]
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I enjoy meeting prospective students and their families at open days and information evenings and encouraging them to follow their interests in arts-based subjects. My message to them is, ‘Do what you love, and you’ll be surprised at the opportunities that will present themselves to you’. Arts and humanities subjects are often seen as opposite […]
Read more →Professor Bronwyn Hayward was invited to give the opening key note address to the UNFCCC SB60 Expert Dialogue on the Disproportionate Impacts of Climate Change on Children and Relevant Policy Solutions , 4 June 2024. This is a specially mandated session for the 60th session of the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice and the Subsidiary Body for Implementation of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) – Professor Hayward;s contribution was lfilmed and hybrid virtual to the World Conference Centre Bonn , in Germany, Hayward was asked to review the way Children had been treated in the last 10 years of climate research reports and draw on her own insight from leading research groups at UC for the UK Economic and Social Research Council funded Cycles programme (children and youth in cities life style evaluation) about how children an can be supported to flourish in low carbon ways in cities and insights from the Deep South Project about Indigenous Maori and Pacific children’s leadership and decision making in flooded communities here in Christchurch with Profs Steven Ratuva and Sacha McMeeking.
Link →Mike Grimshaw (Sociology): My thoughts on Free Speech and Academic Freedom having attended the Free Speech Union AGM and been on the Academic Freedom panel. Both Free Speech and Academic Freedom are too important to be left to the Left or the Right- or the Liberal Centre – politically. For all positions hold within them […]
Read more →Mike Grimshaw(Sociology) was interviewed by Dom George of REX Rural Exchange radio regarding on-line lectures, the state of the tertiary sector and wider societal issues of the broken social contract. This arose out his widely read article on the tertiary sector https://plainsight.nz/the-broken-system-and-broken-social-contract-of-tertiary-education-in-new-zealand/ that has been reposted across of number of on-line sites and forums.
Read more →Michael-John Turp published and article in the journal Sport, Ethics and Philosophy. The paper examines the relationship between meaning in life and morality through the case study of boxing. While sport is often pursued more for reasons of meaning than morality, philosophers have had far less to say about the former. How are the ends of […]
Read more →Mike Grimshaw (Sociology) has a chapter on AI & ethics in Technology, Users and Uses: Ethics and Human Interaction Through Technology and AI
The chapter is: Not thinking like a young, white, western, secular man: Some ethical questions of whose intelligence and what intelligence is being artificialized?
This chapter takes the form of a thought piece that raises some questions regarding issues of diversity in AI. Its starting point is that while there are myriad academic writings on this issue, most of the wider, educated, interested general public engage with the issues and wider questions of AI from non-academic sources. Therefore, this article, written from an interdisciplinary perspective and reading, engages primarily with these sources to consider how the issues of AI and diversity are presented, encountered and engaged with for such a general public. The argument proceeds by engaging with two main issues. Not only is there a noted lack of diversity in the tech industry, especially as engaged with by more journalistic sources, there are also ethical questions needing to be raised as to what constitutes the “intelligence” in AI. In this chapter questions of “intelligence” are engaged with from considering primarily non-academic source AI discussions as this is the wider public context for questions of AI. As such, this is a deliberately ‘provocative’ reading and discussion, taking as its basis that we could – or rather need to – say: non-white, non-male, non-western minds matter.
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Created by LEGO® masterminds Jake Roos and Emily Fryer, (winner and runner up in Season One of LEGO® Masters New Zealand), this brick-shaped tribute to the gods will feature ancient myth as its story telling heart. Whether you are into building brick masterpieces, or are fascinated by the construction of ancient myth, this will be […]
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UC Fine Arts’ annual week-long event is back for 2025 in which incredible works are on display from our 3rd, 4th, HONs and MFA studio-artists. Opening event: Friday 21 November, 4pm – 7pm. Studios open daily 10am – 4pm, Sat 22 – Thu 27 November.
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Please join us 4:15pm on 3 October for our next Global Visions: Reo, Ahurea Research Seminar when Professor Jo Angouri (University of Warwick, Erskine Fellow) and Professor Meredith Marra (Linguistics, UC) present: “Navigating sociocultural boundaries: Advancing inclusion in the workplace”. Navigating sociocultural boundaries: Advancing inclusion in the workplace 4:15pm, 3 October, Elsie Locke 104A | […]
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Thinking about studying or doing research in Germany? Are you interested in pursuing a Master’s degree at a German university? Are you currently working on your PhD and considering a research stay in Germany? Or are you a postdoc looking for international research opportunities? Then this session is for you! Join Anne and Mareike from DAAD New Zealand for […]
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Bookish 25: Artists’ Books Day Ilam Campus Gallery, UC School of Fine Arts 10am-2pm Saturday 30 August 2025 You can find us on the map at this link: Ilam Campus Gallery. We’re really excited to invite you to join us for our 2025 Bookish event, an Artists’ Books Day exploring collections from the UC Macmillan […]
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Nau mai, tauti mai! Join us at the UCSA Foundry to celebrate 25 years of Te Tari Mātai Pāpāho Media and Communication at UC. Catch up with former classmates and lecturers old and new. Hear how we’ve grown to a centre of research and teaching across four degrees. Date: Sat 20 September 6pm to 11pm, […]
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Global Visions: Reo, Ahurea Research Seminar 4:15pm, Friday 15 August in Elsie Locke 104A Zoom ID: 967 1466 7728 Kleinberg, Wintermute, and Des Maladies Mentales: Reading Hallucinating Language Models with Graphs The usage of two terms, “hallucination” or “confabulation,” to describe the discrepancies in the output of generative AI suggests, based on these terms critical […]
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Thought Experiment #3: Time Dilemma Carl Mika & John Chrisstoffels Friday 1 August, 1 – 2pm Christchurch Art Gallery Auditorium ~ all welcome ~ Thought Experiments: a series of talks/performances between Ilam School of Fine Arts and Aotahi: School of Māori & Indigenous Studies, sharing the depth and breadth of research across our respective schools and […]
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Come celebrate 30 years since Elaine Dobson oversaw the commissioning of a gong kebyar gamelan set from Bali and its arrival at the University of Canterbury on Christmas Day, 1995! Saturday 11 October 6pm – 9pm Free entry – no ticket required Aldersgate Centre, 309 Durham Street North, Christchurch Central Featuring the UC Gamelan Ensemble […]
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Voices of Ōtākaro is a special chamber presentation which celebrates the power of verse set to melody. Sunday 17 August 2pm – 4:30pm Concession: Tickets start at $1.50 Great Hall, The Arts Centre Te Matatiki Toi Ora Join talented musicians from UC Music and our community, and hear the poetry of Mary Oliver, Federico García […]
Read more →Online info-session for our NZ Scholar Awards on 29 July. Fulbright NZ Scholar Awards are for New Zealand academics, artists or professionals to lecture and/or conduct research at US institutions. To be eligible, applicants must: have a PhD or the equivalent professional or artistic training or experience; show professional distinction, leadership skills, and strong ambassadorial […]
Read more →Location: School of Fine Arts Block 2, Seminar Room Time: 4pm Date: 24th Thursday July Supervising Creative PhD & Masters Research degrees : Prof Chris Braddock This seminar discusses the complexities and challenges of supervising the Creative or Practice-Led PhD degree from the beginning of candidature through to examination. It will also be relevant […]
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Saturday 7 June, 2pm – 4pm, UC Arts at the Arts Centre, Recital Room Free entry, registration required: https://events.humanitix.com/nadham-south-indian-vocal-lecture-demonstration Join artists S Adithya Narayanam (vocal) and Avinash Jeyashankar (mridangam), in association with Revathi Performing Arts and New Zealand Carnatic Music Society, for an engaging and informative lecture demonstration. Discover the fascinating world of the human voice, uncovering […]
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Exhibition opening 5pm, Wednesday 28 May Meticulously detailed botanical models crafted from papier-mâché, glass beads, gelatin, and feathers form the starting point for Bellamy and Fauteux’s video work, Radicant. Originally manufactured by the Brendel Company in Berlin in the late nineteenth century, these models were purchased by the University of Otago as vital teaching aids […]
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