Science challenged
New Zealand Listener|August 5-11 2023
"If you're not teaching a subject, or not teaching a full programme in it, you're not growing future researchers."
Science challenged

AIthough Mike Joy's job at Victoria University of Wellington has been salvaged, financial strife at several universities means hundreds of staff are likely to lose their jobs this year. At the time of writing, about 230 staff were proposed to be shed at Victoria, potentially hundreds at Otago, up to 245 at Massey and a handful at Waikato. Auckland University of Technology may trim a small number of roles.

The root cause was outlined by the vice chancellors of Victoria and Otago in a pleading open letter to the government in June that stated per-student funding has been dropping in real terms for years and in the past decade "has fallen 20% in real terms".

The government responded with $128 million in additional funding to subsidise tertiary tuition fees in 2024 and 2025, on top of a $181 million funding boost in the May Budget to meet forecast demand until the end of 2025. But it won't be enough for the most badly ailing institutions. It has also announced a review into how higher education is funded.

The universities' main income source is bums on seats. The slow burn of shrinking real-term funding was ignited this year by a drop in student enrolments nationally. However, some universities, particularly Canterbury, have increased student numbers and are financially sound. But any university's increased share means a smaller slice of the pie elsewhere.

Denne historien er fra August 5-11 2023-utgaven av New Zealand Listener.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra August 5-11 2023-utgaven av New Zealand Listener.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA NEW ZEALAND LISTENERSe alt
First-world problem
New Zealand Listener

First-world problem

Harrowing tales of migrants attempting to enter the US highlight the political failure to fully tackle the problem.

time-read
3 mins  |
September 9, 2024
Applying intelligence to AI
New Zealand Listener

Applying intelligence to AI

I call it the 'Terminator Effect', based on the premise that thinking machines took over the world.

time-read
2 mins  |
September 9, 2024
Nazism rears its head
New Zealand Listener

Nazism rears its head

Smirky Höcke, with his penchant for waving with a suspiciously straight elbow and an open palm, won't get to be boss of either state.

time-read
2 mins  |
September 9, 2024
Staying ahead of the game
New Zealand Listener

Staying ahead of the game

Will the brave new world of bipartisanship that seems to be on offer with an Infrastructure Commission come to fruition?

time-read
4 mins  |
September 9, 2024
Grasping the nettle
New Zealand Listener

Grasping the nettle

Broccoli is horrible. It smells, when being cooked, like cat pee.

time-read
3 mins  |
September 9, 2024
Hangry? Eat breakfast
New Zealand Listener

Hangry? Eat breakfast

People who don't break their fast first thing in the morning report the least life satisfaction.

time-read
3 mins  |
September 9, 2024
Chemical reaction
New Zealand Listener

Chemical reaction

Nitrates in processed meats are well known to cause harm, but consumed from plant sources, their effect is quite different.

time-read
4 mins  |
September 9, 2024
Me and my guitar
New Zealand Listener

Me and my guitar

Australian guitarist Karin Schaupp sticks to the familiar for her Dunedin concerts.

time-read
2 mins  |
September 9, 2024
Time is on my side
New Zealand Listener

Time is on my side

Age does not weary some of our much-loved musicians but what keeps them on the road?

time-read
7 mins  |
September 9, 2024
The kids are not alright
New Zealand Listener

The kids are not alright

Nuanced account details how China's blessed generation has been replaced by one consumed by fear and hopelessness.

time-read
4 mins  |
September 9, 2024