Events & Notices

Social Sciences, Public Policy, and Difficult Decisions

Date:
Time:
Location:

Monday, 13 September 2010
12:30 - 2:00 p.m.
Council Chambers, Auckland Town Hall, 301 Queen Street, Auckland, 1010. (Ground floor, entrance under clock tower).

Abstract:
The presentation highlights population changes that bring the most difficulty in making effective long term decisions. In examining past and future demographic trends, the presentation considers the opportunity cost of a delayed response to major structural shifts in the population that could be critical to future wealth creation in New Zealand. The talk draws on two papers completed while chair of SPEaR, and looks at how the social sciences can influence timely decision-making, by the capacity for effective anticipation of population shifts.

Biography:
Len Cook was the National Statistician of the United Kingdom from 2000 to 2005, and from 1992 to 2000, he was the Government Statistician of New Zealand. As well as working in Statistics New Zealand in a variety of roles from 1971 to 1999, becoming Deputy Government Statistician in 1986, he was a member of the Royal Commission on Social policy in 1987-88. Some recent roles include Vice-President, International Statistics Institute (2005-2009), Chair, Medical Training Board (2007-2009), Chair, Social Policy and Evaluation Research Committee (2008-2010), President, Institute of Public Administration NZ (2009 - present). Visiting Professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health at UCL, (2006-2010). Chair, Advisory Board, NZ Institute of Mathematics and its Applications (2009 - present).

This seminar is free to the public. No registration is required, you can simply turn up on the day.

Printable flyer

Auckland's Future: What Should We Really Look for in Our Leaders?

Date:
Time:
Location:

Tuesday, 14 September 2010
6.30 - 8.30 p.m.
Room 032, ClockTower Building No. 105, 22 Princes Street, Auckland, 1010.

Abstract:
A great deal of time and energy has been invested into changing Auckland's governance arrangements. Now it is up to the leaders to come forward to bring these arrangements together so that we can finally realise Auckland's long vaunted potential as a world city. This lively and engaging seminar, organised by Continuing Education at The University of Auckland, will tackle timely leadership questions by drawing on some new as well as some quite old leadership thinking.

Full details: http://www.cce.auckland.ac.nz/

New Zealand's Untapped Potential - The Innovation Agenda

Date:
Time:
Location:

Wednesday, 15 September 2010.
12:30 - 2:00 p.m.
University of Auckland: Old Government House, Women’s Federation room. (Paid parking is available at the Owen G Glenn Building on 12 Grafton Road).

Abstract:
Many people in New Zealand share a desire to see the country improve its economic performance and, hence, create more prosperity for all members of our society. But there is less agreement over how that greater economic performance might be achieved. New Zealanders espouse a range of values that some fear could be lost in a quest to significantly improve our economic performance. Less attention appears to be given to the risks associated with maintaining the status quo. In recent years, members of the New Zealand Institute have called for the enhancement of New Zealand’s research and development capabilities. In that view, the national innovation system could do with some major structural adjustments to make it more effective as a generator of knowledge-based products of high value in the global economy. At a less visible level - but just as importantly - significant innovations can be made in production processes across the economy. Such organisational innovation can serve to enhance economic productivity - an area that must be addressed if economic growth is to occur. In this seminar, Dr. Rick Boven will discuss the current research agenda of the New Zealand Institute and answer these questions:

• With respect to promoting export-focused innovation, what should New Zealand be doing to improve its research and development performance?
• With respect to promoting more productivity across the economy, what kind of organisational innovations should New Zealand be pursuing?
• What are the policy implications?

Commentator: Dr Professor Cris Shore, Department of Anthropology, University of Auckland.

This seminar is free to the public. No registration is required, you can simply turn up on the day.

Full details available here.