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Shellebrating* groundbreaking turtle research |

Source: Department of Conservation

By Krysia Nowak and Karen Middlemiss

*While leatherback turtles don’t actually have a shell, they have pretty thick skins, so we think they wouldn’t mind the pun.

A leatherback turtle | Nathan Pettigrew

What if we told you the largest sea turtles in the world visit Aotearoa New Zealand and that our waters are important to their survival? That they’re Critically Endangered, and that we know almost nothing about how they spend their time here? 

You might say it’s about time we learn about them, and that’s exactly what we’re doing in our new research collaborating with USA-based Upwell Turtles.  

Turtles crossing borders 

Leatherback turtles aren’t worried about international boundaries.  

The leatherbacks which visit New Zealand waters are part of the Western Pacific population that forage on the US West Coast and then migrate some 12,000km to nesting beaches in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, New Caledonia, and the Solomon Islands.  

Leatherbacks have been tagged for monitoring when they come ashore at nesting beaches overseas, but there aren’t many known foraging areas where it’s possible to tag them in open water and study their movements. The Bay of Plenty is one of those known areas. 

For the love of jelly(fish)

We have the opportunity to tag turtles at sea during summer and early autumn when our waters are full of their favourite food – jellyfish! 

Leatherbacks can weigh more than 350 kilograms and need to eat more than 1/2 their body weight in jellyfish to get enough energy for long trips. The jellyfish-rich waters off the Bay of Plenty are important to leatherback migration success.

Human for scale: Upwell Executive Director George Shillinger tagging nesting leatherbacks in Playa Grande Costa Rica in 2007 | Upwell Turtles

Running the gauntlet 

Leatherbacks face many risks in various countries across the huge distances they travel between foraging grounds and nesting beaches. Threats can include unintentional capture by fisheries (bycatch), the harvesting of adult turtles and eggs, plastic pollution, nesting beach habitat loss, climate change, and vessel strike.

Currently, the biggest threat to leatherback turtles, globally, is from commercial fishing. Most turtles accidentally caught by fisheries in New Zealand waters are released alive, but we need to learn how to reduce bycatch numbers to better protect them. 

It’s a minefield for a turtle travelling across international boundaries, and we’ve seen a decline in this population of over 80% in the last 40 years. That’s why international collaboration is so important for their research and conservation if we are to have any chance of recovering the population. 

Collaborating for conservation  

We’re working with scientists who have been studying leatherbacks for decades. Being able to work together to study their habitat use in New Zealand waters will be another piece in the migration puzzle for these ancient turtles. 

Dr George Shillinger, Executive Director of Upwell Turtles, says leatherbacks are among the most highly migratory and transboundary marine species on the planet.  

“Effective conservation requires international collaboration from nesting beaches all the way to distant foraging habitats.” 

Some of the leatherback researchers and partners out on the boat | DOC

Taking to the air 

Our turtle-team recently took to the air over the Bay of Plenty as a starting point to find out more about leatherbacks in New Zealand waters. We worked with Upwell Turtles, and with support and expertise from NIWA, Monash University (Australia), and Moss Landing Marine Laboratories (USA).  

While we had George and Scott here from Upwell Turtles, they graciously gave us some of their time and expertise, to help develop our own techniques to catch and tag leatherbacks. 

The international research crew monitoring for leatherbacks from a plane | Sean Williamson

Practice Makes Perfect 

Along with our international experts, we assembled an array of technical equipment, and formed a team including Tauranga DOC staff, Tuhua Island kaitiaki, and a local marine conservationist, all eager to embrace the challenge of finding and netting such large animals. 

Heading out on our DOC boat off the coast of Tauranga on calm, sunny weekend in March we focused our efforts on a large rubber fender co-opted as a ‘pretend’ turtle. Few fenders have had such an exciting couple of days! 

The team has now honed the required skills and techniques to safely net actual turtles. In future, when we do this for real, we will have a spotter plane in the air and other boats on the water to help us find turtles – leatherbacks can be tricky to spot from sea level. 

Practicing netting aboard a DOC vessel | DOC
DOC Senior Marine Science Advisor Dr Karen Middlemiss practicing netting | DOC

Where to from here? 

Because leatherback turtles have historically visited the Bay of Plenty, we’re working to build partnerships with local iwi and hapū, and the Bay of Plenty community, as well as collaborating with our research partners. 

We’re starting to plan our next steps into the world of tagging, aiming for next summer when the turtles and jellyfish have returned to the Bay.  

Everything we learn from tagging studies of leatherback turtles in our waters will help inform future conservation efforts for this species, which is so ancient we call it the tuatara of our oceans. We’ll be doing our part in the international effort to protect a species on the brink of extinction.   

How you can help leatherback turtles: 

• No marine turtles nest on beaches in New Zealand, any turtle on the beach should be reported immediately to 0800 DOC HOT (0800 362 468).
• Spot a sea turtle in the water around New Zealand? You can report sightings to turtles@doc.govt.nz 
• You can help protect leatherbacks and other marine animals by preventing plastics and pollution from reaching our oceans. 

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Milestone moment as EIT Auckland celebrates largest ever graduation | EIT Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

23 seconds ago

Celebrations filled the Aotea Centre as EIT Auckland Campus held its largest ever graduation, with a record 216 students crossing the stage in front of proud family, friends and faculty.

To accommodate the growing number of graduates, two ceremonies were held – 96 students in the morning and 120 in the afternoon. The graduates, many of whom are international students, received postgraduate degrees and diplomas across a variety of disciplines at the ceremony on Tuesday (March 25).

The EIT Auckland Campus held its graduation ceremonies today.

EIT Auckland Campus Director Cherie Freeman congratulated the graduates and acknowledged the commitment and perseverance they had shown throughout their studies.

“This is a momentous occasion for our campus,” she said. “Not only is it our largest graduation to date, but it’s also a celebration of the incredible resilience, hard work and cultural diversity our students bring to EIT Auckland.”

Among those honoured were valedictorians Muddassar Khot, who graduated with a Master of Information Technology, and Mai Nguyễn, who graduated with a Master of Business. Both delivered heartfelt speeches reflecting on their academic journeys and the support of their peers, tutors and families.

EIT Auckland offers a selection of programmes in business, computing and health science, including the Master of Applied Management, Master of Digital Business, Master of Logistics and Supply Chain Management, Master of Information Technology, and Master of Health Science.

“Graduation is a special occasion not just for our students, but for everyone who has supported them along the way,” said Cherie. “We’re excited to see the impact our graduates will go on to make in their communities and industries.”

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There and back again – a Northern Buller’s albatross’ tale | Conservation blog

Source: Department of Conservation

By Katrina Edwards

If you’re after epic adventures, you can’t look past the story of Carlos Zavalaga, who followed Northern Buller’s albatross all the way from Peru to the tiny island of Motuhara in the Chathams and back again!

Northern royal albatross colony. Image: Carlos Zavalaga

Dr Carlos Zavalaga, a researcher at Universidad Científica del Sur in Lima, Peru, knows the migratory Northern Buller’s albatross fly several thousands of kilometres from their breeding grounds in Aotearoa New Zealand to feed in Peruvian waters where artisanal long-line fishing vessels operate.

What he doesn’t know and wants to find out – just like our DOC seabird teams here in Aotearoa – is if the interactions between the birds and the fishing boats are posing a risk to the birds. So, as a secondee to DOC, he crossed the Pacific as albatrosses do, to help find out.

Black-browed albatross, white-chinned petrel, and Northern Buller’s albatross competing for shark guts, southern Peru. Image: Javier Quiñones

Seabird capital of the world

You would’ve heard this already, but it’s worth repeating. Aotearoa is the seabird capital of the world. We host over 30% of the world’s seabirds.

“Looking after them on behalf of the world is our responsibility, but they’re not doing so well,” says Johannes Fischer, Marine Science Advisor.

“Despite our huge efforts to rid predators from a lot of our important seabird breeding islands, our seabirds are generally declining. In fact, 90% of our seabirds are in trouble.”

Our seabirds go beyond our jurisdiction

A lot of these seabird population declines are due to causes beyond our jurisdiction. 

Igor Debski, Principal Science Advisor Marine, says, “These birds use entire ocean basins where they face threats we can’t control. So, we address those threats by working with foreign nations.”

This work falls under New Zealand’s International Seabird Strategy. Mandy Leathers from the International Team, who led the development of the Strategy, says, “Fortunately, there are simple, effective and inexpensive ways to make fishing seabird safe. The Strategy sets a clear roadmap towards seabird-safe fisheries across the oceans where our seabirds forage and live.”

Johannes explains why we’re working with Peru: “Many of our seabirds cross the Pacific and spend a lot of their time in the highly productive Humboldt Current System off the coast of Peru. The Northern Buller’s albatross is a good example of that. So, Peru is an important country for us to work with to make sure our seabirds are safe when they breed here and feed over there.”

Northern Bullers albatross in Peru. Image: Javier Quiñones

A helping hand from 10,000 kilometres away

Peru has a large number of small artisanal fishing fleets. Together with Carlos and his colleague in Peru, Javier Quiñones, we have been trying to identify more precisely which of their fisheries pose the most risk to seabirds such as Northern Buller’s, and then work with those fisheries to help reduce seabird deaths.

We also don’t know much about seabird distributions in their non-breeding range. Carlos had already tried to get some answers by satellite tagging Northern Buller’s in Peru’s waters three years ago. Unfortunately, this project didn’t have much luck with getting data, as all the transmitters were lost – likely due to moulting. Although what he did get showed that Northern Buller’s were following the paths of fishing vessels.

The tail to this tale. Carlos tagged 10 Northern Buller’s albatross with satellite transmitters. Image: Carlos Zavalaga

Colony life

Motuhara (or Motchuhar in Moriori) is home to the world’s biggest colonies of Northern Buller’s albatross and Northern royal albatross. There are also colonies of Northern giant petrels and cape petrels.

Carlos and DOC staff, Mike Bell and Dave Bell, spent 12 days working with all these species – counting nests, checking bands, banding fledglings, recovering geolocators, and most importantly, tagging Northern Buller’s albatrosses with satellite transmitters to get the all-important data for when these birds return to Peru and where they spend their time.

Nest checks for banded Northern royal albatross. The orange paint is to indicate this nest has already been counted. Image: Carlos Zavalaga

A little project making huge gains

Carlos tagged Northern Buller’s albatrosses whose nests had already failed this season in the hopes they would soon leave the colony and fly back to the feeding grounds in Peru. He hoped this would mean he could get enough data before the tail feathers, where the tags are attached, moulted off.

It’s working.

“Five birds are now on their way to Peru – to Carlos – as we speak. It’s all coming together,” Igor says.

It’s also been a win for relationship building with the owners of the island. Being allowed to work on the island was no small deal. It’s privately owned by a conglomerate of over 200 different Māori owners and getting permission is not straightforward.

Carlos met with two of the owners before leaving on the boat for Motuhara. They were really interested in his work and what’s happening in Peru to protect Northern Buller’s albatross.

Motuhara. Image: Carlos Zavalaga

 “This international collaboration is bringing a lot to our general knowledge of the birds, implementing the international seabird strategy, and building important relationships,” says Johannes. “This little project is actually making huge gains in everything.”

To find out more, go to our website and watch the northern royal albatross at Pukekura/Taiaroa Head on Royal Cam: Royal Cam: Royal albatross/toroa (doc.govt.nz)

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Experienced nurse who rose through the ranks is appointed EIT’s Head of Nursing | EIT Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

5 minutes ago

Kat Williams has been appointed Head of the School of Nursing at EIT.

An experienced nurse who has risen through the academic ranks at EIT, has been appointed Head of the School of Nursing.

Katherine (Kat) Williams, who was until her new appointment, programme co-ordinator for the Bachelor of Nursing, began working at EIT in 2017,

“I started off as a casual practicum lecturer, so I was supporting students out on clinical, and then from there I just got more and more involved. I worked my way up to a full-time position and spent most of my time in the first year team.”

After returning from maternity leave for the birth of her first son, Kiwa, Kat took on the role of programme co-ordinator for the Bachelor of Nursing. She was in the role for 14 months before she went on maternity leave for her second son, Te Ariki. She returned in April to assist with Nursing Accreditation- and fulfilled the role of Acting Assistant Head of School until the end of October this year.

Kat says that having the support of her partner,  whānau , friends and colleagues has made fulfilling her roles at EIT possible.

“Although this position is for me, it’s for my whānau too- they are the ones that keep me grounded, motivated, and undoubtably support me.”

It has been a journey for Kat to get to this position, with COVID-19, Cyclone Gabrielle, changes to EIT and Te Pūkenga, as well as changes in the leadership of the School of Nursing all having to be navigated.

One thing is for certain, Kat brings a vast array of experience in all facets of nursing overseas and in New Zealand. Born in Rotorua and schooled in Tokoroa, Kat studied for her nursing degree at Massey University and her Master’s degree at the University of Auckland.

She started off the new graduate programme at Tauranga Hospital, working in Kaupapa Māori and a surgical ward. After 18 months there she decided to apply for a role at Camp America and ended up  being the summer camp nurse, before jumping in a campervan with friends to see the United States.

After another stint in a surgical ward at a hospital in Darwin, Australia, Kat tried her luck in Saudia Arabia. While she enjoyed her time there, she then followed her yearnings to return to Alice Springs, Australia  . She soon became a nurse educator filling in as maternity cover, which ended up being a two-and-a-half year stint.

Kat’s final adventure took a different direction – working in the emergency department in Tennant Creek. Although it was exciting and there was lots of learning, she then had a desire to return home to Aotearoa.

She then worked for TriEX in Auckland and WOHC in Hamilton. Her endeavour at that stage was to continue nursing within an Occupational Health and safety space- however, her now husband lived in  Hawke’s Bay so this changed the plan somewhat.

“This led to my interest in working at EIT within nursing education- and I’ve been here ever since.”

Now that she is Head of School, Kat is focussing on building her leadership team, as well as the wider academic team in the School. She is also focussed on strengthening the relationships  with key stakeholders and gaining an understanding of their needs and the reality of the current workforce demands.

Kat also believes that research is an important part of the School of Nursing and says that in consultation with EIT’s Research team and the Faculty Dean exciting opportunities for this space to grow and develop are on the cards “however, not overnight.”

Dr Helen Ryan-Stewart, EIT’s Executive Dean, Education, Humanities and Health Science, says: “We’re thrilled to have Kat step up into the Head of School, Nursing role. With her extensive experience in nursing in Aotearoa and worldwide, and her proven track record of educational delivery, we’re confident that she will bring a fresh perspective and innovative ideas to our Faculty.”

“It is fantastic to be able to promote from within the organisation, and Kat has consistently demonstrated her commitment to EIT’s values. Kat’s energy is infectious, and we’re excited to see how she’ll inspire and motivate the nursing team.”

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EIT industry-focused forum gives students opportunity to engage with industry representatives | EIT Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

6 mins ago

EIT Auckland Campus Director Cherie Freeman with Nick Larsen of Tataki Auckland Unlimited.

EIT Auckland students and recent graduates have had the opportunity to engage with industry representatives at the Mahi Heke Mai – Working Futures industry-focused forum.

Held on EIT’s Auckland Campus earlier this month, the inaugural Mahi Heke Mai – Working Futures industry-focused forum saw recent graduates and current students meet industry representatives from the IT, supply chain, health and wellbeing and recruitment sectors.

The organiser of the event, Brendon Hickey, said that the occasion provided “an informative and interactive experience for the next generation of Auckland’s workforce talent to share the room with and gain invaluable insights from the experts”.

Brendon, who is the Industry Partnerships Manager at EIT’s Auckland Campus, said that the aim of the event was to provide “a platform and an opportunity for our most recent graduates in the first instance, as well as current students”.

“The opportunity was to enable them to have the curtain pulled back on their spheres of interest, their professional domain, their relevant industry sectors, just to hear directly from people in those areas, so that they could have that credible, authentic exchange with them.”

A high-calibre roster of distinguished presenters and panelists included Nick Larsen, Tech Workforce Lead at Tataki Auckland Unlimited (TAU), the region’s economic development agency. Nick’s presentation contextualised the role skilled migrants and international students play in the local tech, digital commerce and innovation ecosystem, linking their contribution to TAU’s strategic, inclusive workforce development goals.

Garry Green, Founder and Managing Director of Quanton, an Auckland-based AI and automation business transformation enterprise, detailed how his company attracts, nurtures and retains the talent that makes up Quanton’s diverse workforce.

In a similar vein, Dan Kabuuka, Programme Director at Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand, gave attendees first-hand insights into workplace environments and cultures. Personal journeys toward fulfilling professional positions of responsibility, involving responding positively to multiple and complex challenges, were shared by Harini Nanayakkara, Group Compliance Manager at Xplor and high-profile technologist and leadership specialist Gareth Cronin.

Critical and up to date labour market and recruitment expertise was provided by Simon Meehan of Absolute IT and Wayne Fry of Hunter Campbell.

Both experts were able to elaborate on current trends and developments, employer requirements and expectations, and connect these to ongoing and forecast economic cycles, with Wayne generously commenting: “I enjoyed the experience and was impressed with the rest of the panel, the interaction with the students and a well-planned and run event. I’d be delighted to be involved or support future events that you might have.”

Brendon says that he was happy at how successful the event was.

“It was pleasing to see industry guests and attendees mingling enthusiastically long after the scheduled ending of the session. Feedback from all participants was extremely positive, positioning us well to repeat the event in 2025.

A recent EIT IT graduate Rahul Mathew said: “As an attendee, I found the talks truly thought-provoking and insightful. I appreciate the opportunity to engage with industry experts and hope this initiative continues to support future talents in New Zealand’s job market.”

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Chinese university staff visit EIT as part of training and mentoring programme | EIT Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

12 seconds ago

Staff from Zhejiang Yuexiu University (ZYU) recently spent five weeks at EIT in Auckland and Hawke’s Bay as part of a training and mentoring agreement.

Staff from a Chinese university recently spent five weeks at EIT in Auckland and Hawke’s Bay as part of a training and mentoring agreement.

The visit stems from a partnership that EIT has with Zhejiang Yuexiu University (ZYU). The Joint Education Programme partnership between EIT and ZYU began in 2020. That first year saw 230 students starting on the campus in Shaoxing City, Zhejiang Province, Southeast China.

Approval from the China Ministry of Education and the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) paved the way for EIT to deliver its degree programmes in China. The joint venture supports the delivery of two of EIT’s degrees, the Bachelor of Creative Practice and the Bachelor of Computing Systems, with two majors offered in Information Systems and Intelligent Systems.

ZYU staff visited EIT for the purposes of their training. During their time at EIT they developed an understanding of contemporary New Zealand teaching, learning and assessment methods, while spending time enhancing their English language proficiency.

Earlier this year an EIT delegation visited China where it held joint management, teaching and academic meetings to further the partnership and attended the very first graduation ceremony of EIT Data Science and Communication College of Zhejiang Yuexiu University students, who started in 2020.

A recent visit by Zhejiang Yuexiu University (ZYU) staff to EIT stems from a partnership that EIT has with Zhejiang Yuexiu University (ZYU). The Joint Education Programme partnership between EIT and ZYU began in 2020.

The delegation of senior EIT staff, were joined by the EIT Deputy Dean of the Data Science and Communication College who is a resident in China.

John West, EIT’s Executive Dean: Faculty of Commerce and Technology, says the visit was symbolic of the success of the partnership between EIT and ZYU.

“Visits like this build on the solid basis of the relationship and it was a pleasure to host our colleagues from China in this way and for them to experience our culture, campus life and academic practices.”

“We are pleased that our staff have the opportunity to teach in China and for us to welcome ZYU lecturers with the ultimate aim of providing quality education for all out students.”

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Cyclone Gabrielle experience motivates EIT educator to be even more positive | EIT Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

4 mins ago

Geoffrey Mather is EIT’s new Head of Computing.

A near-death experience during Cyclone Gabrielle has motivated Geoffrey Mather to be even more positive than before.

Geoffrey, who has recently been appointed EIT’s new Head of the School of Computing, says the Cyclone forced him to  reimagine his life and not “sweat the small stuff”.

“I don’t worry about a thing now, instead I just get on and do the best I can with what I’ve got.”

Geoffrey, who was the Assistant Head of the Schools of Business and Computing at the time, was living semi-rurally near the Napier Golf Club at Waiohiki. He says that he was fast asleep at about 5.30 am on the day the Cyclone hit last February.

“I was woken by this torrent of water and my mobile’s torchlight showed that there was about 2 foot of water in my bedroom.”

Wherever he went in the house there was rising water and Geoffrey realised that he needed to get out.

Attempts to break windows proved futile, so he made his way to the kitchen where there was a high window that he could climb out of.

“I pushed the window out and jumped into the torrent of water that by this time was running around my place.”

As he tried to make it to safety he came across his landlord and together they were able to make it to higher ground, eventually ending up at a neighbour’s house.

“About this time, I sent a message to John West, my boss, and it’s quite funny on reflection, but it said something like, ‘Hi John, I don’t think I’m going to be able to get into work today’.”

Having escaped with his pyjamas and his mobile phone only, it was the start of a period of rebuilding for Geoffrey and he credits John West and EIT for their understanding, support and compassion.

“When I did come back to work, I initially came back part-time, and also got some counselling through EAP, which I am also very grateful for.”

Since coming back to work, Geoffrey has been acting Head of School for Tourism and Hospitality, Computing and English Language.

He says this has helped him master the art of multi-tasking and ironically given him focus, but he has also benefitted from the counselling and has even created a podcast about his experience.

“My podcast is called Cyclone Gabrielle Smash-up. It’s six episodes and it’s just me sharing. The first episode is a slightly longer account of what happened on that fateful day.”

”I would like to find a way to create a platform where people can share from their experience what they went through, because something I have learned since Cyclone Gabrielle is that whether someone was impacted or not, everyone has a story.”

“I think it can be empowering, insightful, rewarding, not just for the person who’s sharing the story, but those who are receiving it. And I would like to create a way for those sorts of stories to be shared.”

Now living in Taradale, Geoffrey is looking forward to getting into his new role.

“I am excited by where computing and the school could go in the coming years. That excites me. And I’m eager to help make that a reality and propel the school forward.”

He says that his vision is for it to become EIT’s showcase and to deepen the connections and synergies between teams and communities.

“And not just in the Hawke’s Bay, Tairāwhiti and Auckland regions where we deliver programmes, but also internationally. And at the moment, we have a large project in China with Zhejiang Yuexiu University. And another reason why I look forward to working alongside the School of Computing whānau is before joining EIT, I worked in China for 12 and a half years.”

“I think I therefore have an interesting lens within which to grow and support our China-based programme.”

Geoffrey also looks forward to being reunited with his Malaysian-born partner Kenny.  They met 20 years ago in Shanghai and have been living a long-distance relationship for most of that time.  Post the Cyclone, they applied for a Partner Visa for Kenny and are now awaiting Immigration New Zealand’s decision.

John West, EIT’s Executive Dean: Faculty of Commerce and Technology, says: “EIT was delighted to have appointed Geoffrey when he started in April 2022. His subsequent appointment to Head of School reflects EITs commitment to empowering and growing managers.”

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Top EIT researcher wins award from international organisation | EIT Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

7 mins ago

EIT Associate Professor Pii-Tuulia Nikula, has been awarded a prestigious Associate Editor of the Year award.

A top EIT researcher, Associate Professor Pii-Tuulia Nikula, has been awarded a prestigious Associate Editor of the Year award by the Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia (HERDSA).

Pii-Tuulia is well known for her research on management, policy, and sustainability issues in international education, higher education, and the private sector.

Last year she co-edited two books – Student Recruitment Agents in International Higher Education and Sustainable Education Abroad: Striving for Change.

Pii-Tuulia is also an active peer-reviewer and holds editorial roles in international journals. She has contributed to the work of Higher Education Research and Development since 2019, initially as part of the College of Reviewers, and then, as an Associate Editor from 2020 onwards.

The Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia announced last month that Pii-Tuulia is one of two recipients of the Associate Editor of the Year Award for 2023. The other winner was Sylvie Lomer of the University of Manchester in the UK.

The award was established to recognise the outstanding contribution made by the Associate Editors of HERD. Contributions of associate editors are assessed according to the following criteria: Timeliness, Commitment, Decision making, Quality of communication with authors and with the HERD editorial team.

Pii-Tuulia said that she was honoured to be recognised for her work by such an esteemed organisation.

“Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to work with numerous HERD authors, reviewers, and editorial board members, all passionate about making contributions to the field of higher education.”

“I am pleased to be able to play a role in ensuring these articles are published and contributing to the continuing success of HERD as a leading academic forum that informs and challenges researchers, administrators, and policy-makers concerned with the past, present and future of higher education.”

At EIT, Pii-Tuulia teaches courses in sustainable organisations and research methods.

Gareth Allison, EIT’s Head of the School of Business, congratulated Pii-Tuulia on the award.

“Pii-Tuulia is one of our most prolific and active researchers and this award is a testament to the high regard with which she is held in the industry.”

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EIT delegation visits China for meetings and graduation of first cohort of Data Science and Communications programme | EIT Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

5 mins ago

An EIT delegation has paid a visit to China to hold meetings with its partner Zhejiang Yuexiu University and to attend the very first graduation ceremony of EIT Data Science and Communications College of ZYU students, who started in 2020.

An EIT delegation has just returned from China where it held joint management, teaching and academic meetings to further a partnership with Zhejiang Yuexiu University of Foreign Languages (ZYU); and attending the very first graduation ceremony of EIT Data Science and Communications College of Zhejiang Yuexiu University students.

The joint International College partnership between EIT and ZYU began in 2020. That first year saw 230 students starting on the campus in Shao Xing City, Zhejiang Province, Southeast China.

Approval from the China Ministry of Education and the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) paved the way for EIT to deliver its degree programmes in China. The joint venture supports the delivery of two of EIT’s degrees, the Bachelor of Creative Practice and the Bachelor of Computing Systems and , with three majors offered in Information Systems, Intelligent Systems and Digital Media.

The delegation that went to China last month was Philippa Jones, EIT Executive Director International; EIT’s two Executive Deans John West and Helen Ryan-Stewart; and Sue Blackmore, Head of School, Viticulture and Wine Science & IDEAschool. The delegation was joined in China by  Kaylie Tan, Deputy Dean, EIT Data Science and Communications College, China.

The purpose of the visit was twofold – holding joint management, teaching and academic meetings to further the partnership; and attending the very first graduation ceremony of EIT Data Science and Communications College of Zhejiang Yuexiu University students, who started in 2020.

More than 200 students graduated, 56 with an EIT Bachelor Degree in either Bachelor of Computing Systems or Bachelor of Creative Practice, while the other students graduated with the ZYU qualification.

The event was livestreamed across China and received more than 560,000 views. Graduating as top student in their degrees were Ming Tong HU – Bachelor of Computing Systems (Information Systems); Bin GUAN – Bachelor of Computing Systems (Intelligent Systems); and Lequn XU – Bachelor of Creative Practice.

A celebratory dinner for the delegation was hosted by President Gang Xiu, his Executive Vice President Ms Xiaolin WEI; his Vice Presidents (Academic) Mr Wentao Chen, and Vice President (International) Ms Jinling Ge.

The delegation also met with a number of directors and managers of ZYU and EIT Data Science and Communication College. There was also visit to Qi LU University and a meeting with seven institutions as part of the China Center for International People-to-People Exchange (CCIPE).

A group of eight ZYU staff will be visiting EIT’s Hawke’s Bay Campus from July for five weeks as part of a 12-week training programme delivered to upskill ZYU staff both in China and in NZ. A group of 18 ZYU students and a teacher will come on a study tour to EIT Hawke’s Bay Campus in August for two weeks.

Philippa Jones says that the visit was a success as it built on the solid relationship that EIT has with ZYU and also showcased the hard work that had gone into the first graduation.

“We look forward to many more graduations as we continue to see the EIT Data Science and Communications College grow. This is a milestone in our partnership because it is the very first graduation from our ZYU joint education institute partnership.”

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Chinese experience stimulates EIT academic’s artistic research | EIT Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

16 mins ago

Anthony Chiappin, a Graphic Communications Senior Lecturer, is also the programme co-ordinator for EIT’s suite of design offerings.

The experience of teaching an EIT programme in Digital Communications to Chinese students has stimulated an IDEAschool lecturer’s artistic research.

Anthony Chiappin, a Graphic Communications Senior Lecturer, is  part of a team of three NZ Design lecturers that deliver EIT’s Bachelor of Creative Practice in China. His own qualifications are a Bachelor of Design and a Masters in Visual Art from Australia’s Monash University.

His dual focus these days is teaching EIT’s Bachelor of Creative Practice  at Zhejiang Yuexiu University (ZYU) in China, and into the domestic programmes in New Zealand. The Chinese teaching has consisted of firstly online and now over in China, face to face with the students.

It was during his visits to China that Anthony, who is originally from Australia, felt his creativity receive a new lease on life.

“I’ve had two stints in China, a total of four and a half months.”

The last one was just over two months with him returning home in late April.

Anthony, who has been at IDEAschool for 13 years and a researcher for even longer, says research is very important to him.

“I call it the sacred feather in the boa of continuation and connection with things that are important to your teaching, but also important to your career and to the work that you’re doing.”

“It’s been an amazing journey. While I was in China, I took the opportunity to do some artwork and I really ripped into it.  In the ZYU apartment I had room to work and it was the first studio that I’ve been able to work in since the cyclone.”

The work he produced there is his China “Episode” Series. He is hoping to get some funding to be able to exhibit the work in China next year.

Asked how Chinese taste in art differed from that in the West, Anthony said China has a very strong cultural base.

“Even in a contemporary sense. There’s a lot of dialogue around the state of China where it’s at currently, but there’s a lot of cultural significance within the work, whereas the Western model is quite different in that sense.”

He says his art form moves between figurative and abstract, with abstract currently taking hold.

“I call my paintings ‘Episodes’. I see them as an ongoing narrative, kind of like a comic book journey where I use superhero narratives within what I do, based on suburban mythologies.” This dialogue certainly comes to play a part within my teaching practice.”

“It was a fantastic eye-opener to be flung into the epicentre of a more provincial city like Shaoxing.”

A point of difference for this work is that he is using Chinese cardboard packing boxes with colourful motifs as the base for his paintings.

“It is quite powerful because the motifs are proudly ensconced within the work. I had worked on boxes in my master’s series years ago, but it just seemed like a natural fit to be able to grab these boxes from the supermarkets on campus, in particular, and use that as the basis to the work.”

“I used four of the paintings, where I call them ‘The Philosophers’. I was influenced by a lot of the works that I was seeing around Zhejiang province and Shanghai as well. But in particular, the beautiful ink paintings by some of the calligraphers and artists in that region from 200 years ago. It was a bit of a mishmash of all this influence being flung at me because China’s overwhelming.”

Anthony says that at present his main focus is China, be it writing, teaching or researching.

It has been a rewarding experience for him, as last year he won “The Overseas Teacher of the Year Award” along with seven other teachers in many other disciplines at the University.

Another project that he is particularly proud of is one involving his wife, Nikki Gabriel, who is a textile designer and holds a Masters of Art & Design from AUT and is a current PhD Candidate at RMIT University, Melbourne. Nikki has just had a book called Construction Knitting published by Bloomsbury Academic Press, London.

“It’s about designing, but knitwear design with geometric shapes is the premise to that. So it’s been an eight-year journey to get that to the point where it’s now published and out in the world.”

Anthony says he was responsible for the photographs and illustrations, with art direction and content by Nikki.

“That’s been a huge part of my research over many, many years. And now that it’s published, I can talk about it as a research project.”

Acting Head of EIT’s IDEAschool Sue Blackmore said: “EIT is encouraging  and supportive of the research endeavours of all EIT lecturers and Anthony’s new series of work inspired by his time in China is very exciting.“

“The team of Bachelor of Creative Practice and Bachelor of Computer Science lecturers that travel and work in Shaoxing are amazing ambassadors for EIT and NZ in China.”