Seminars

The first seminar series in 2012, on the Justice System, will be held on five Wednesday afternoons in May. Details will be posted shortly.

The seminars shown below were run in 2011.

Storytelling
October 26: November 2, 9, 16, 23. Wilkins Theatrette, Te Manawa, Main Street. Wednesdays 2-4pm. Free admission. Tea & Coffee provided.

October 26th: Film
Dr Ian Huffer, Massey University
This seminar will introduce storytelling in film. In particular it will examine the tradition of classical Hollywood narrative and consider alternative forms of narrative structure.

November 2nd: The Role of Media in the 21st Century
Michael Cummings, Editor, Manawatu Standard
In this seminar, Michael will provide a historical overview of the press and storytelling, and will look at the use of digital media, and its effect on storytelling in the 21st century.

November 9th: Interuption to a Journey: Poetry and the Refusal of Story
Dr Bryan Walpert, Massey University
This seminar will look at ways poetry refuses to tell us stories we expect and look at the kinds of stories poems ask us to question.

November 16th: Drama
Dr Angie Farrow, Massey University
This seminar will look at storytelling in the theatre, both as an art form and as a way of bringing communities into a deeper connection.

November 23rd: Fiction
Dr Kim Worthington, Massey University
This seminar will consider the nature of fiction, and its reception since it arose as a distinct genre more than 300 years ago. The focus however will be on reading and writing fiction at the present moment.

An Arab Spring?
A one-day seminar in conjunction with Massey University
Saturday 27 August, Social Science Lecture Block, Massey University, 10am-3pm
Gold coin admission. Tea and coffee provided.
Lunch available on-campus.

Topics and speakers:
The Middle East in Relation to New Zealand
Terence O'Brien, Senior fellow, Centre for Strategic Studies, Victoria University

People Power: Standing Tall
Ahmed Zaoui, Businessman and former Professor of Theology

Arms, Oil and Anxiety
Professor Srikanta Chatterjee, International Economics, Massey University

A Strategic-Historical Overview
Alan Millar, Political Commentator and Industrial Disputes Negotiator

Panel Discussion
Chaired by Ashraf Choudhary, MP

Headline Science
April 6, 13, 20 and 27. May 4. Te Manawa Art Gallery 5, Main Street, Wednesdays 2-4pm. Gold coin admission. Tea and coffee provided.

April 6th: Human Genome Project
Professor David Penny, Massey University
What can we learn from the Human Genome Projects? It is a decade since the first draft human genome was announced. Continuing improvements in DNA technology keep accelerating the pace of discovery, and now we have 1000 Human Genome projects nearing completion. We have learned a lot about human genetic diversity, but how do we use this new information to improve human experiences?

April 13th: Nanoscience
Dr Mark Waterland, Massey University
The nascent field of nanoscience is leading to impacts in wide-ranging areas such as biomedicine, communications and environmental remediation. In this talk, Mark will give an introduction to nanoscience, nanotechnology and nanomaterials, will discuss some of their positive impacts, and will examine some of the ethical and environmental issues associated with the use of nanomaterials.

April 20th: Genetic Modification - Plant Biology and Biotech Plants
Dr. Chris Jones, Applied Biotechnologies, AgResearch Ltd., Palmerston North
This seminar will focus on Plant Biotechnology and Biotech plants, and the opportunities afforded by modern science to enhance productivity and improve sustainability in a world with an increasing appetite.

April 27th: Food Futures
Professor Jacqueline Rowarth, Massey University
Amidst concerns about rising food costs, there are also increasing requests for higher standards of environmental protection, animal welfare and working conditions, all of which contribute to increase costs. New Zealand's future could be in providing sustainably-produced premium products to those people prepared to pay for quality, but this will take support from society in terms of the image of farming to ensure not only that our primary product is highly regarded, but also that great people are recruited into the industry.

May 4th: Large Hadron Collider - A short visit to Bensalem
Professor Tony Signal, Massey University
The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is the largest and most expensive scientific instrument ever built. Why was it built? What does it do? What do scientists hope to discover using the LHC? Is there any New Zealand involvement in the LHC? This talk will answer these questions, and many more, and provide an introduction to the fascinating world of particle physics.