Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington
@vicuniwgtn.bsky.social
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The official Bluesky page for Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand
Join us for Café Scientifique this June and learn how nature inspires medicine. A chemist and a biologist explore marine organisms, weaving Pacific knowledge with western science. Free, all welcome, nibbles provided. More info:
www.wgtn.ac.nz/scis/about/e...
25 days ago
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We’re proud to celebrate Te Herenga Waka's connections with the honourees of this year’s King’s Birthday Honours! Read more about our alumni and former staff recognised in this year’s honours here:
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Te Herenga Waka alumni celebrated in 2026 King’s Birthday Honours | News | Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington
Dr Te Ripowai Pauline Higgins, QSM (Ngāi Tūhoe) and distinguished alumnus Sir Peter Francis Boshier are among those recognised in the 2026 King’s Birthday Honours.
https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/news/2026/06/alumni-celebrated-in-kings-birthday-honours
about 1 month ago
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E te whānau o Te Herenga Waka, kua hinga tō tātau koroua a Tā Hirini Moko Mead. Nāna tō tātau whare, tō tātau marae i whakatū, hai whakaruruhau mō te tini me te mano o ngā ākonga, o ngā kaimahi, me ngā manuhiri nō ngā hau e whā.
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Te Herenga Waka mourns the passing of Professor Sir Hirini Moko Mead | News | Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington
The vision and leadership of Tā Hirini Moko Mead saw the establishment of Te Herenga Waka marae, and provided a bedrock of mātauranga Māori scholarship.
https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/news/2026/06/te-herenga-waka-mourns-the-passing-of-professor-sir-hirini-moko-mead
about 1 month ago
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Sweeping public sector reforms assume fewer jobs and more AI will deliver better value for taxpayers. But that is far from certain, write Barbara Allen, Jonathan Boston, and Michael Macaulay.
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The push for a smaller public service risks coming at a larger cost for New Zealanders, researchers say | News | Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington
Sweeping public sector reforms assume fewer jobs and more AI will deliver better value for taxpayers. But that is far from certain, write Barbara Allen, Jonathan Boston, and Michael Macaulay.
https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/news/2026/05/the-push-for-a-smaller-public-service-risks-coming-at-a-larger-cost-for-new-zealanders-researchers-say
about 1 month ago
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reposted by
Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington
Dr Dean Knight
about 1 month ago
Busy day outside my office window yesterday. 🧑🏽🎓👩🏼🎓👨🏼🎓
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reposted by
Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington
Dr Dean Knight
about 1 month ago
And always pleased to see some of the folk who crossed paths on their journey celebrate their successes, esp Helena who gave a splendid — and democratised — graduate address. 🙌🏼
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reposted by
Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington
Dr Dean Knight
about 1 month ago
Including the usual first XV photo with our law whānau. 📸
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reposted by
Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington
Dr Dean Knight
about 1 month ago
Graduation day at
@vicuniwgtn.bsky.social
is always special. Congrats to all the folk who signed off their time with us at Te Herenga Waka. 🤓👩🏼🎓🧑🏽🎓👨🏼🎓
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Taitaifono Tamati, who graduates with a Bachelor of Commerce this week, carries his identity with him wherever he goes, and that heritage will carry him across the stage at this May’s graduation.
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The path no cyclone can shatter | News | Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington
With feet still firmly planted on Sāmoan soil, Taitaifono Tamati began planting the seeds for his future—ones that would be sure to bring him back to his roots.
https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/news/2026/05/the-path-no-cyclone-can-shatter
about 1 month ago
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reposted by
Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington
Dr Dean Knight
about 1 month ago
A reminder about this event tonight. Register below.
add a skeleton here at some point
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As the only university that’s an official nominator in New Zealand, Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington is privileged to announce its choice of nominees for the 2026 Earthshot Prize.
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Six remarkable New Zealand climate solutions nominated for the 2026 Earthshot Prize | News | Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington
As the only university that’s an official nominator in New Zealand, Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington is privileged to announce its choice of nominees for the 2026 Earthshot Prize.
https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/news/2026/05/six-remarkable-new-zealand-climate-solutions-nominated-for-the-2026-earthshot-prize
about 2 months ago
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reposted by
Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington
Dr Dean Knight
about 2 months ago
An event this coming Monday evening at the NZ Centre for Public Law at
@vicuniwgtn.bsky.social
that folk might be interested in. Register here:
vuw.eventsair.com/treaty-now-t...
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“Greenwashing” is the term often used to describe companies’ attempts to make themselves seem greener than they really are. Now, there’s a new game in town: greenhushing.
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Why ‘greenhushing’ signals deeper issues with NZ’s climate risk reporting regime
NZ’s world-first regime aimed to improve transparency in how institutions assess climate risk. So why are some choosing to say little about changes being made?
https://theconversation.com/why-greenhushing-signals-deeper-issues-with-nzs-climate-risk-reporting-regime-282037
about 2 months ago
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reposted by
Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington
Stephen Clarke
about 2 months ago
Mighty congratulations Charlotte +
@bwbnz.bsky.social
👏
arts.unimelb.edu.au/news/charlot...
and a reminder that this was a
@royalsocietynz.bsky.social
Marsden funded project in Humanities!
#HumanitiesMatter
#history
@vicuniwgtn.bsky.social
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Charlotte Macdonald awarded the 2026 Ernest Scott Prize
Charlotte Macdonald awarded the 2026 Ernest Scott Prize
https://arts.unimelb.edu.au/news/charlotte-macdonald-awarded-the-2026-ernest-scott-prize
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This King’s Birthday Weekend, a new generation of rangatahi will take to the stage at the National Shakespeare Festival in Wellington, hosted by Shakespeare Globe Centre New Zealand (SGCNZ) with support and sponsorship from Vic Uni.
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Teens reinvent Shakespeare for today's world | News | Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington
Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington is sponsoring the Shakespeare Globe Centre New Zealand festival for the second time this year.
https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/news/2026/05/teens-reinvent-shakespeare-for-todays-world
about 2 months ago
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New research led by Professor of Sociology Kevin Dew shows doctors can act as gatekeepers or brokers—and the role they play can affect who gets access to healthcare. In an article for The Conversation, Kevin and colleagues from Massey and Otago universities discuss the results of their research.
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Doctors can act as gatekeepers or brokers for patients – how they decide can be crucial
Doctors have to balance finite resources and uncertain evidence to decide who should get treatments. The decisions are not always based on need or clinical benefits.
https://theconversation.com/doctors-can-act-as-gatekeepers-or-brokers-for-patients-how-they-decide-can-be-crucial-279845
about 2 months ago
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The government recently announced plans to scrap the BSA. But the decision raises big questions about whether the industry can be trusted to self-regulate & whether news media will still be held accountable to basic standards of accuracy, balance, & fairness, says Associate Professor Peter Thompson.
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Does abolishing the BSA mean the end of enforceable media standards in general?
Scrapping the Broadcasting Standards Authority raises big questions about industry self-regulation and media accountability in the digital age.
https://theconversation.com/does-abolishing-the-bsa-mean-the-end-of-enforceable-media-standards-in-general-282355
about 2 months ago
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reposted by
Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington
Dr Dean Knight
about 2 months ago
A wild and windy day in the capital — and a perfect day for reading and interrogating some public law scholarship in community at
@vicuniwgtn.bsky.social
.
#laws522
#publiclaw
🤓
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A lunch bar in Auckland and Hamilton is serving lo'i hoosi (horse meat) pies, and they are proving popular. But why was there a backlash to them when they were first offered? Radio NZ asked one of our anthropologists, Dr Amir Sayadabdi.
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Why do some feel uncomfortable eating horse meat pie?
Why do the meat eaters among us feel more comfortable consuming some animals more than others?
https://www.rnz.co.nz/life/food/would-you-eat-a-horse-meat-pie
about 2 months ago
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reposted by
Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington
Stephen Clarke
2 months ago
Today . . . Between the Lines: Recent Books in NZ Studies Author Charlotte Macdonald in conversation with
@vomalley.bsky.social
& Peter Cooke When: Wed 6 May 4.10–5.10pm Where: Stout Research Centre + Livestream
www.wgtn.ac.nz/stout-centre...
@vicuniwgtn.bsky.social
@bwbnz.bsky.social
#history
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Recent floods in Wellington are estimated to have cost many millions of dollars in damage to property. But this won’t be the only cost. Extreme weather events also have long-term effects on our lives and livelihoods, says Professor Ilan Noy, Chair in the Economics of Disasters and Climate Change.
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What's left behind when the water recedes
From Victoria University - Comment: Ilan Noy looks at the enduring and pervasive costs of environmental shocks beyond what we can see.
https://newsroom.co.nz/2026/05/01/whats-left-behind-when-the-water-recedes/
2 months ago
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Weight-loss drugs have had plenty of media coverage. But VUW Professor Jessica Lai argues we’re not always getting the full story about the control and marketing of these drugs.
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The weight-loss market, and who gets left behind
Comment from Victoria University: Behind the hype of drugs like Ozempic lie pharmaceutical giants shaping markets, setting prices, and influencing how we think about bodies, weight, and health.
https://newsroom.co.nz/2026/04/22/the-weight-loss-market-and-who-gets-left-behind/
2 months ago
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A new study is shining light on one of the big questions in earthquake research: how do large quakes stop? Turns out, it’s with something of a bang, not a whimper.
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How do large earthquakes stop? New study shines light on one of the big questions in quake research | News | Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington
Researchers have discovered a previously unrecognised 'stopping phase' in big quakes—a whiplash-like effect that has significant implications for buildings and infrastructure.
https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/news/2026/04/how-do-large-earthquakes-stop-new-study-shines-light-on-one-of-the-big-questions-in-quake-research
2 months ago
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Native frogs descended from a pair that escaped a frog breeding research project during a flood in the 1970s have been rediscovered in a backyard in Lower Hutt after 50 years.
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Boy, 12, finds rare frogs while exploring Lower Hutt creek
They were linked to three frogs that had escaped captivity during a flood in the 1970s.
https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/04/27/boy-12-finds-rare-frogs-while-exploring-lower-hutt-creek/
2 months ago
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An ‘ordinary’ storm with extraordinary impacts: what made Wellington’s deluge so intense? James Renwick, Professor of Physical Geography at our School of Geography, Environment and Earth Sciences, explains.
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An ‘ordinary’ storm with extraordinary impacts: what made Wellington’s deluge so intense?
Wellington’s extreme deluge was caused by an unfortunate combination of weather factors. But a warming climate is upping the odds of more of these events in future.
https://theconversation.com/an-ordinary-storm-with-extraordinary-impacts-what-made-wellingtons-deluge-so-intense-281016
3 months ago
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The safety of our students and staff is our highest priority. Due to the risk to life and probable travel disruptions, all campuses are closing. Please prioritise your safety and head home now if you can.
3 months ago
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reposted by
Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington
Society for Conservation Biology Oceania
3 months ago
@vicuniwgtn.bsky.social
newsroom.co.nz/2026/03/15/d...
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Destructive, screeching kākā win back Wellington
Comment from Victoria University: The sassy kākā have forced people to think about Wellington and its environment – that maybe the city is better when it’s wilder
https://newsroom.co.nz/2026/03/15/destructive-screeching-kaka-win-over-wellington/
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reposted by
Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington
Society for Conservation Biology Oceania
3 months ago
Kākā burst back into Wellington after more than 70 years of regional extinction. Scientists were concerned that public opinion might turn against the destructive & noisy birds, but they have become a much-loved poster child for Wellington’s conservation success.
#ConservationOptimism
#EarthOptimism
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reposted by
Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington
Big Picture Science
3 months ago
“Rocks are quite fascinating, and if you're prepared to sort of spend a bit of time looking at them, they are a window on a world that you would never know existed,” says
@VicUniWgtn.bsky.social
geologist Simon Lamb. Earth’s oldest rocks, on this week’s episode:
bigpicturescience.org/episodes/old...
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Three Te Herenga Waka professors have been elected as Fellows of the Academy of the Royal Society Te Apārangi. Fellowship recognises researchers who have achieved excellence in their field of study.
3 months ago
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The 2026 Ferrier Public Lecture, titled Drug discovery inspired by peptide natural products, will be delivered by Professor Richard Payne from the University of Sydney. Register here:
vuw.eventsair.com/ferrier-publ...
3 months ago
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As the Labour leader deals with the fallout from his ex-wife’s social media allegations, we ask if the private lives of our politicians have really been shielded from public scrutiny in the past. Lara Greaves, associate professor of politics at Vic Uni, shares her thoughts.
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Chris Hipkins, Tory Whanau and when private lives become political fodder
There's a belief that New Zealand media stays away from the personal lives of politicians. But have these boundaries ever really been applied consistently?
https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/18-03-2026/chris-hipkins-tory-whanau-and-when-private-lives-become-political-fodder
4 months ago
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Wellington’s flocks of sassy kākā have won the hearts of many residents. But despite their current popularity, the reintroduction of kākā into the capital city hasn’t always been smooth sailing, says Cathy Breed, a PhD candidate at VUW.
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Destructive, screeching kākā win back Wellington
Comment from Victoria University: The sassy kākā have forced people to think about Wellington and its environment – that maybe the city is better when it’s wilder
https://newsroom.co.nz/2026/03/15/destructive-screeching-kaka-win-over-wellington/
4 months ago
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Will climate change be one of the big issues in this year’s general election? As we count down to election day, VUW politics researcher Dr Sam Crawley has looked at what we know about climate concerns and voting behaviour.
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After a summer of weather disasters, will Kiwis make climate an election issue?
More than 60% of New Zealanders would like the government to do more to address climate change. But this won’t necessarily change how they vote.
https://theconversation.com/after-a-summer-of-weather-disasters-will-kiwis-make-climate-an-election-issue-277078
4 months ago
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Individual performance appraisals are an annual event in many organisations, but doing them is often pointless, argue VUW’s Dr Danaë Anderson, an occupational health researcher, and AUT’s Dr Jeremy Morrow.
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Job performance reviews are outdated and often pointless. Why do we still use them?
One survey showed employees are 57% less likely than leaders to believe performance management is working well. But there are better ways.
https://theconversation.com/job-performance-reviews-are-outdated-and-often-pointless-why-do-we-still-use-them-277366
4 months ago
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One million Kiwis use a buy now pay later scheme, but research contributed to by Dr Victoria Stace from the Faculty of Law, Victoria University of Wellington, shows that the regulations governing them may not be adequate to protect users from harm.
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The price of instant gratification
Today from The Detail: Financial watchdogs want the rules about buy now pay later schemes strengthened, saying the last tweak didn't work.
https://newsroom.co.nz/2026/03/10/the-price-of-instant-gratification/
4 months ago
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The shortlist for the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards has been released, and four of Te Herenga Waka’s incredible staff members and five alumni are among the 16 finalists.
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Book awards: Dredging literary gold from worlds inside and out | News | Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington
The shortlist for the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards has been released, and four of Te Herenga Waka’s incredible staff members, and five alumni, are among the 16 finalists.
https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/news/2026/03/mining-inner-worlds-for-stories-wins-ockham-finalist-spots-for-staff-and-alumni
4 months ago
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Academic Diana Burton has spent years teaching her students about the black market in European antiquities before discovering Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington had a stolen Roman marble bust in its own collection.
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Illegally excavated marble bust to be returned to Italy following loan agreement | News | Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington
An illegally excavated marble bust is to be repatriated to Italy, years after it was unwittingly sold to the University from the black market in antiquities.
https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/news/2026/03/illegally-excavated-marble-bust-to-be-returned-to-italy
4 months ago
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It’s called the New Zealand Geological Timescale and has just had a major update. In an article for The Conversation, VUW palaeontologist Professor James Crampton and his colleagues explain how measuring the past will help us understand present-day hazards and what climate change may bring.
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Delving into ‘deep time’: what NZ’s ancient past reveals about its present
A newly-dated geological timescale will help scientists connect NZ’s deep past to present day hazards, climate change and biodiversity.
https://theconversation.com/delving-into-deep-time-what-nzs-ancient-past-reveals-about-its-present-270447
4 months ago
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Join us to celebrate Professor Gina Grimshaw from our Faculty of Education, Health, & Psychological Sciences, as she delivers her inaugural lecture. During this lecture, she will reflect on her own experiences studying mental processes, including thinking, memory, perception, attention, and emotion.
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Professorial lecture honours evolving career of mind games | News | Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington
Conventional wisdom often pits thinking against feeling, something Professor Gina Grimshaw has spent a career challenging. She sees emotion as a core aspect of the mind— and is even using virtual real...
https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/news/2026/02/professorial-lecture-honours-evolving-career-of-mind-games
4 months ago
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Despite the harm it can cause, gambling is often defended because it returns money to the community—but the racing industry is largely exempt from doing so, say VUW tax expert Professor Lisa Marriott and research fellow Max Rashbrooke.
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Racing enjoys special treatment under NZ gambling laws. Why?
Despite the harm it can cause, gambling is often defended because it returns money to the community. So why is the racing industry largely exempt?
https://theconversation.com/racing-enjoys-special-treatment-under-nz-gambling-laws-why-275778
4 months ago
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reposted by
Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington
Jérôme OLLIER
5 months ago
Widespread loss of marine sponges possible as heatwaves intensify -
@vicuniwgtn.bsky.social
www.wgtn.ac.nz/news/2026/02...
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Widespread loss of marine sponges possible as heatwaves intensify | News | Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington
New research shows the effects of marine heatwaves on sponges could be much more severe as temperatures rise.
https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/news/2026/02/widespread-loss-of-marine-sponges-possible-as-heatwaves-intensify
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reposted by
Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington
Dr Dean Knight
5 months ago
ICYMI: Last chance to register for our Govt Law - Year in Review on Wednesday -- sign up by lunchtime tomorrow. Don't miss out! 🤓
add a skeleton here at some point
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Last week saw a transformational gift given to support research here at Te Herenga Waka. The George Mason Charitable Trust has given the university $5 million to support multidisciplinary research into the natural environment.
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Transformational gift to support natural environmental research at Victoria University | News | Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington
Te Wāhanga a Manaia—Faculty of Science and Engineering is celebrating a remarkable $5 million gift from the George Mason Charitable Trust to support multidisciplinary research into the natural environment.
https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/news/2026/02/transformational-gift-to-support-natural-environmental-research-at-victoria-university
5 months ago
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More intense marine heatwaves as a result of climate change could lead to the mass loss of a sponge species found around Aotearoa New Zealand, a new study suggests.
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Widespread loss of marine sponges possible as heatwaves intensify | News | Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington
New research shows the effects of marine heatwaves on sponges could be much more severe as temperatures rise.
https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/news/2026/02/widespread-loss-of-marine-sponges-possible-as-heatwaves-intensify
5 months ago
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New Zealand School of Music academic Associate Professor Michael Norris has added contemporary musical influences to the soaring celestial sounds usually associated with cathedrals for his large-scale composition SoundCathedral, being staged at this year’s Aotearoa New Zealand Festival of the Arts.
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Multi-staged cathedral performance alters choral soundscape | News | Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington
Cathedrals are typically associated with soaring celestial choral sounds. New Zealand School of Music—Te Kōkī academic Associate Professor Michael Norris has added contemporary musical influences to make his large-scale composition SoundCathedral both a must-see and must-hear at this year’s Aotearoa New Zealand Festival of the Arts.
https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/news/2026/02/multi-ataged-cathedral-performance-alters-choral-landscape
5 months ago
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reposted by
Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington
Deep Sea Conservation Coalition
5 months ago
Deep-sea news alert! Our round-up brings you top stories from the ocean depths of the past few weeks. Check the images to stay updated. A thread 🧵
#DeepSeaNews
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As part of her PhD research with WSBG, Annika Naschitzki studied restructuring in the public sector between 2018 & 2021. She found that organisations found it easier to signal commitment to change by making visible cuts & declaring new operating models, than the slog of sustained, measured reform.
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Stuck on repeat: why public service restructuring goes wrong
Comment from Victoria University: It’s easier to signal commitment to change by making radical, visible cuts and declaring new operating models, than the hard slog of sustained, measured reform
https://newsroom.co.nz/2026/01/15/stuck-on-repeat-why-public-service-restructuring-goes-wrong/
5 months ago
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PhD candidate Michael Miller is using mathematical modelling to determine whether more than a million people in New Zealand will be able to speak a basic level of te reo Māori by 2040. The impact of policies and interventions that may have interrupted this trajectory is also part of his research.
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A 2040 vision for te reo Māori | News | Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington
PhD candidate Michael Miller is using a background in mathematics and an interest in sociology to try and project how well New Zealanders will soon speak te reo Māori.
https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/news/2025/12/a-2040-vision-for-te-reo
6 months ago
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reposted by
Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington
Jérôme OLLIER
6 months ago
'Absolutely huge' black coral among largest ever seen -
@vicuniwgtn.bsky.social
www.wgtn.ac.nz/news/2026/01...
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‘Absolutely huge’ black coral among largest ever seen | News | Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington
Marine researchers have been wowed by the size of a centuries-old black coral found in Fiordland.
https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/news/2026/01/absolutely-huge-black-coral-among-largest-ever-seen
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