GlobaLinks NewsWire » New Zealand

Giving Back: Challenge New Zealand Leadership Students Clear Path at New Zealand School

Stacey — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 04:06:24 +0000

The Challenge New Zealand: Leadership Development group from January 2012. Jennifer Hackney is in the front row, fifth person from the right.

For the past five years, participants in GlobaLinks Learning Abroad’s twice yearly Challenge New Zealand: Leadership Development program have thrown their youthful energy into a day of volunteering on behalf of the Houghton Valley School on the South Coast of Wellington.

Jennifer Hackney, of Rowan University in New Jersey, was part of the January 2012 Challenge New Zealand group charged with clearing a track along the school.

“Through the entire experience in New Zealand our group was greeted with kind voices and open arms,” Hackney said, “and we found the Houghton Valley School project as the perfect opportunity to show our appreciation.”

Challenge New Zealand: Leadership Development is a two-week short course emphasizing leadership, personal development and team building. The course travels throughout the North Island of New Zealand, which is widely known as one of the most innovative, culturally diverse, and beautiful countries in the world. Activities include group work, service learning, cultural examination, discussions with community and business leaders, and a five-day program of outdoor, physical challenges.

When the January 2012 Challenge New Zealand group first arrived for their service learning project, Hackney says, they were unsure what to expect until Dave McArthur, caretaker for the school and a member of the green movement in New Zealand for more than 40 years, explained the ongoing effort of gradual environmental restoration of the Houghton Valley, once home to a forest of large coastal trees before becoming a rubbish dump from 1949-1962.

McArthur explains to the volunteer students that the Houghton Valley was an ideal geography for the Maori to live off the land and catch food from the nearby sea. The arrival of Europeans, however, changed the valley. The Maori moved away and the rubbish dump was established. The Houghton Valley School was created adjacent to the dump, and as the valley filled with trash, the area was flattened every few years to create a new playing field for the children. These changes left enormous environmental scars on the area.

“Dave decided when we first became involved with the project that it would be best for our students to focus on one area in the school so that future groups would see the legacy left from their GlobaLinks Learning Aboard predecessors,” said Gavin Murdoch, resident director in New Zealand and facilitator of the Challenge New Zealand Leadership Development program.

“For the last five programs I have been lucky enough to attend this project each time,” Murdoch says. “The way the day unfolds is that students know that there is a volunteer project that is a part of the program, and they generally have mixed feelings and different levels of excitement about the project. What this means is that they are not usually expecting this day to be one of the highlights of the program.”

In Hackney’s case, the program most definitely became a highlight of her time in New Zealand.

“Meeting David and envisioning his dream of creating a place where children and their families could enjoy one another while learning of their native land recalled for each of us our own childhood memories,” Hackney said in essay on her experience. “Remembering that we were only guests in New Zealand for a short time, we found ourselves jumping at the opportunity to put our youth into action.”

With hatchets and picks as their main tools for clearing the path, the Challenge New Zealand students worked together throughout the day to leave a bit of progress behind at the school.

“Each of us agreed that there was something special — almost magical — about working in the gardens,” Hackney said. “We knew long after our shovels were stilled and we returned home, a piece of us was sewn into that garden and would forever stay in New Zealand.”

Murdoch concurs.

“What happens at Houghton Valley School to our students may be sometimes more significant than the real work that they do,” he says. “They see a legacy and are a part of contributing to that. They meet an amazing man with a passion for doing something that will outlast him and that he will never receive any financial reward for and spend a few hours in the beauty for the outdoors in New Zealand doing something for someone else.”

Otago Daily Times reports on University of Minnesota students on environmental short course

Stacey — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 00:30:21 +0000

Armed and ready with their lopping shears, a group of students from the University of Minnesota helps remove invasive wilding pines in New Zealand during an environmental issues short course through Globalinks Learning Abroad. Photo courtesy of Queenstown Resort College.

The Otago Daily Times this week is highlighting the volunteering efforts of 20 University of Minnesota students and an advisor participating in a three-week “Environmental Issues in New Zealand” course through GlobaLinks Learning Abroad.

The students, who started in late December in Auckland and ended in Queenstown in mid January, helped remove the invasive wilding pines, a nuisance weed in New Zealand. The students also attended various lectures from the department of conservation and participated in many activities such as the following:

1. Tiri Matangi Island with guided interpretative nature walk
2. Gloworm caves in Waitomo
3. Hikes near Rotorua in the parks
4. Arthur’s Pass walks with the department of conservation
5. Franz Josef Glaciers
6. Milford Sound Tour
7. Queenstown Resort College lectures and volunteer project

A group of students from the University of Minnesota during their three-week environmental issues short course in New Zealand. Photo courtesy of Queenstown Resort College.

For more details on the students’ volunteer efforts, read the full article here.

Victoria U of Wellington’s First Light House Ranks Third in International Solar Decathlon

Stacey — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 18:26:35 +0000

Two 2010 GlobaLinks Learning Abroad Interns Helped Design Solar-Efficient Home

Victoria University of Wellington, in New Zealand’s capital city, made it to the top finishers’ podium with its First Light house, which took third place out of 20 university teams competing Sept. 23-Oct. 2 in the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2011.

The Meridian First Light House, a solar decathlon entry from Victoria University of Wellington, won third place overall.

As the only entry from the southern hemisphere, the New Zealand team’s solar efficient house won third place for its combined total points in 10 separate competitions measuring everything from hot water output to engineering to home entertainment. Created through Victoria University of Wellington’s Department of Architecture and Design, the team worked for more than two and a half years on the house and for a time included two U.S. students who interned with the department in 2010 through international education program provider GlobaLinks Learning Abroad.

Those individuals are Nicole Chisholm, a environmental and forestry student at SUNY who completed a internship in New Zealand in 2010, and John Fandrey, a University of Missouri – Columbia student who also interned at the university in 2010.

Every two years since 2002, the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon competition has taken place in Washington D.C., showcasing a working display of energy innovation in action.

One of the most ambitious and inspiring events in the U.S., it challenges 20 university teams, through a series of 10 contests, to demonstrate inventive clean-energy solutions by building solar-powered houses that feature cost-effective, energy-efficient construction and incorporate energy-saving appliances and renewable energy systems.

The winner of the competition is the team that best blends affordability, consumer appeal, and design excellence with optimal energy production and maximum efficiency. This year, the winner was the University of Maryland, with Purdue University coming in second and Victoria University of Wellington coming in third with 919 out of 1,000 points, just a few points behind the winner.

“While we may not have won overall we are incredibly proud to have represented New Zealand on the world stage,” said team member Nick Officer in a press release posted on the New Zealand team’s web site. “We had such and amazing response from the U.S. public here along with supporters back home.”

The New Zealand team’s First Light house is inspired by the traditional New Zealand holiday home—the “Kiwi bach.” First Light’s design reflects a relaxed lifestyle in which socializing and connecting with the outdoors are central to living. At the heart of the design is a glazed central section that functions as a bridge between exterior and interior. A cedar canopy supports the solar array, which produces hot water and generates energy to power the house.

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GlobaLinks Learning Abroad Partners With Education New Zealand On Overseas Educational Visits For North American Study Abroad Advisors

Stacey — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 22:10:10 +0000

Select study abroad advisors to discover New Zealand’s rich educational and cultural offerings so they can better advise students

GlobaLinks Learning Abroad, a provider of international education programs across the globe, is partnering with Education New Zealand to give North American university faculty and study abroad advisors first-hand knowledge of the many educational and cultural resources available in New Zealand.

Education New Zealand is a newly established Crown Agency that provides leadership and coordination to maximize the impact of international and domestic export education activities. GlobaLinks Learning Abroad assists U.S. and Canadian students to achieve academic, professional, personal, social and cultural discovery in Australia, New Zealand, Asia, Europe, and the South Pacific.

“Education New Zealand is a great supporter of our efforts to inspire more U.S. and Canadian students to discover the unique offerings of New Zealand,” said Cynthia Banks, founder and executive director of GlobaLinks Learning Abroad. “By providing airfare and other assistance for site visits to New Zealand, Education New Zealand is helping more faculty and advisors on our side of the world gain a deeper understanding of the quality educational offerings and rich cultural heritage of this island country in the South Pacific.”

Education New Zealand this year sponsored two airline tickets that were announced at the annual GlobaLinks Learning Abroad luncheon at the NAFSA: Association of International Educators conference in Vancouver in May. The organization also supported a specialized countrywide New Zealand site visit earlier this year that was attended by two GlobaLinks Learning Abroad staff.

“Education New Zealand is thrilled to be able to support the travel of advisors to New Zealand,” said Sarah Cox, PACE Events and Offshore Network senior manager. “After all, the best way to understand the environment of a country is to visit in person. We are very proud of the quality of education available to students in New Zealand; the relaxed lifestyle here makes it a very easy place for international students to settle in.”

The advisor recipients of the New Zealand site visits are:

Sarah Simmonite, assistant director for the Center for International Education at the College of Charleston. She will attend an advisor site visit in New Zealand, with airfare covered by Education New Zealand and accommodations paid for by GlobaLinks Learning Abroad.
Caryn Lindsay, director of international programs at Minnesota State University, Mankato. She will attend an advisor site visit in New Zealand, with airfare covered by Education New Zealand and accommodations paid for by GlobaLinks Learning Abroad.

“I am excited about this opportunity to visit New Zealand and see firsthand why students rave about their experience there,” Simmonite said. “By visiting a variety of universities, I hope to gain a better understanding of the academic strengths and individual culture of each campus so I am better equipped to advise our students. I am looking forward to discovering how these universities and host cultures enrich our students’ education – both inside and outside the classroom. I am grateful to GlobaLinks Learning Abroad and Education New Zealand for this unique opportunity for professional development and personal growth, as I have only heard wonderful comments about the country and its people.”

“I’m very grateful for this opportunity to learn more about the expertise found at New Zealand universities,” Lindsay said. “It is not only helpful for my advising work with students, but it also provides me with background and contacts for directing interested faculty members toward opportunities to develop faculty-led programs in New Zealand.”

Nearly 100,000 students come from overseas each year to study in New Zealand, which has eight state-funded universities, all of them respected for their academic and research standards. Known in Maori as Aotearoa, or Land of the Long White Cloud, New Zealand is a paradise for outdoor enthusiasts and features varied landscapes and hidden treasures waiting to be explored.

GlobaLinks Learning Abroad offers overseas site visits and educational workshops in New Zealand and other destinations to advisors and faculty. The site visits are designed to deliver a full menu of educational and cultural sites and experiences, including the Bridging Cultures Program, in a short period. The company also supports ongoing advisor education about its pre-program and on-site support services through an Advisor Open House in January and July at its headquarters in Westminster, Colo.

For more information on educational opportunities available for study abroad advisors by GlobaLinks Learning Abroad, visit the Learning About Our Programs page.

Students Receive Study Abroad Scholarships For Short Courses

Stacey — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 15:35:37 +0000

Scholarships are assisting numerous GlobaLinks Learning Abroad participants this summer with their short-term study abroad programs in Australia and New Zealand.

Recipients:

Kristin Larios of the University of Kansas is taking the Tropical Marine Ecology course and received $1,000 from the Foundation for Global Scholars.

Stephen McClanahan of Auburn University is taking the Creating A Green, Sustainable Environment course and received $1,000 from the Foundation for Global Scholars.

Mahdyeh Nowkhandan of Metropolitan State College of Denver is taking the Challenge New Zealand – Leadership Development course and received $1,000 from the Foundation for Global Scholars.

Sabrina Orser of Grand Valley State University is attending Summer School in Australia at the University of Adelaide and received $1,500 from the Foundation for Global Scholars.

Lauren Presutti of Central Michigan University is taking the Wanju Boodjah – Aboriginal Studies in Western Australia course and received $1,500 from the Foundation for Global Scholars, and $500 (AUD) from the Murdoch University Wanju Boodjah Sponsored Scholarship.

Amanda Stewart of the University of North Florida is taking The Australian Experience: Environmental Issues course and received $500 from the Foundation for Global Scholars.

Sara Tullis of Kansas State University is taking The Australian Sporting Industry course and received $500 from the Foundation for Global Scholars.

Ashley Shumar of Indiana University of Pennsylvania is taking the International Business: The Asia-Pacific Connection course and received $1,000 from the Edith Cowan University (ECU) International Business Sponsored Scholarship.

Kireeti Ghanta of the University of Southern Indiana is taking the International Business: The Asia-Pacific Connection course and
received $1,000 from the ECU International Business Sponsored Scholarship.

Sarah Virnig of the University of North Dakota is taking the Coral Bay – Marine Science On Australia’s West Coast course and received $500 from the Murdoch University Coral Bay Sponsored Scholarship.

Matador Abroad Notes AustraLearn’s Microbrewing Internship in New Zealand

Stacey — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 16:48:13 +0000

A recent article at MatadorNetwork.com, the world’s largest independent travel magazine, makes note of AustraLearn’s New Zealand microbrewing internship.

From Mary Richardson’s article “7 Unique Study Abroad Programs”:

The AustraLearn Organization offers internships in microbrewery production. Interns learn the basics of maintaining and using equipment including filling kegs, washing tanks, and controlling the stock. There are also chances to learn processes for producing beer in the form of blending grains, boiling, and fermenting. Finally, participants also help market and sell the beer to local buyers. Depending on eligibility, some interns may also be able to write about their experience in a local newspaper and receive course credit.

New Zealand AustraLearn Participant Gives Personal Account of Christchurch Quake

Stacey — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 22:21:20 +0000

The Wilmington StarNews caught up with Elizabeth Jungen, a sophomore at the University of North Carolina Wilmington who is studying at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch through AustraLearn, after last week’s earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand, which left disaster in its wake and over 113 dead.

Jungen is doing well and is safe, and was kind enough to share the conditions in the area with the StarNews.

Here are some excerpts from the email Jungen sent to the StarNews’ Jason Gonzales:

“Just before noon I had just taken a shower and was actually still in my towel when the initial earthquake hit. Since I have gotten here all of the kiwis say regularly what a common occurrence little aftershocks are and that they are no big deal. So I just kind of stood there for a moment not realizing that anything big was happening until the shaking just kept going and the books and things on my shelves started flying around at which point I got under my desk.”

One Week Later: New Zealand Universities Regrouping In Christchurch Quake Aftermath

admin — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 22:11:46 +0000

One week following a devastating earthquake near Christchurch, New Zealand, area universities are determining how quickly they can begin lectures.

The University of Canterbury remains closed, and Lincoln University is delaying the start of lectures until March 14 following last week’s quake, which has greatly impacted Christchurch and its Central Business District.

GlobaLinks Learning Abroad, a North American study abroad program provider, continues to assist its AustraLearn study abroad program participants at the University of Canterbury in moving to alternative campuses. The company has worked with each affected student to ensure the academic and personal success for his or her semester abroad, if at another New Zealand university. Lincoln University students will remain at the university.

Late last week, Gavin Murdoch, AustraLearn’s resident director in New Zealand, corresponded with each student who intended to study at the University of Canterbury. In addition, AustraLearn staff is reviewing student academic needs, coupled with intended study plans, to make certain the New Zealand institution will suit each student’s scholastic requirements. If a student chooses to transfer to another university in New Zealand, GlobaLinks Learning Abroad will honor the fees paid to the University of Canterbury, plus arrange and pay for transportation to the new program center.

As many universities will commence classes this week, GlobaLinks Learning Abroad will continue to work with affected students to finalize plans and arrangements. For more information, visit GlobaLinks Learning Abroad’s Health and Safety Announcements page.

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New Zealand, Australia and Ireland Rank Top 5 in Human Development Index

Stacey — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 05:42:17 +0000

United Nations’ Human Development Report 2010 —20th Anniversary Edition

This 20th anniversary edition of the United Nations’ Human Development Report includes New Zealand, Ireland and Australia in the top five of nations in measuring the critical aspects of human development that dictate quality of life, including political freedoms, empowerment, sustainability and human security.

The past 20 years have seen substantial progress in many aspects of human development. Most people today are healthier, live longer, are more educated and have more access to goods and services, according to a summary of the report. Even in countries facing adverse economic conditions, people’s health and education have greatly improved. And there has been progress not only in improving health and education and raising income, but also in expanding people’s power to select leaders, influence public decisions and share knowledge.

Yet not all sides of the story are positive, the report says. These years have also seen increasing inequality— both within and across countries— as well as production and consumption patterns that have increasingly been revealed as unsustainable. Progress has varied, and people in some regions—such as Southern Africa and the former Soviet Union—have experienced periods of regress, especially in health. New vulnerabilities require innovative public policies to confront risk and inequalities while harnessing dynamic market forces for the benefit of all.

“Twenty years after the appearance of the first Human Development Report, there is much to celebrate in what has been achieved,” says Amartya Sen, the Nobel Prize–winning economist who worked with series founder Mahbub ul Haq on the conception of the first Human Development Report and contributed to and inspired many successive volumes.”But we also have to be alive to ways of improving the assessment of old adversities and of recognizing—and responding to—new threats that endanger human well-being and freedom.“

The top 20 countries in the index are:

University Highlights: Strathclyde Graduate Training; Waikato Business Team Victory; and More

Stacey — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 20:37:49 +0000

Scotland

University of Strathclyde Graduates Gain Real-Life Business Experience

The Hunter Centre for Entrepreneurship at the University of Strathclyde is to play a key role in a new £1.5 million placement program designed to give graduates real-life business experience and help ambitious companies achieve growth, according to a university news article.

Over the next three years, The TalentScotland Graduate Placement Programme will match 750 skilled graduates with growing Scottish businesses to carry out innovative projects the businesses otherwise would not be able to achieve.

Each graduate will receive dedicated, residential entrepreneurship training delivered by Strathclyde’s Hunter Centre for Entrepreneurship and Robert Gordon University to enhance graduates’ employability, innovation and leadership skills.

“The aim of the training element of the course is to better equip graduates to understand their placement business and hit the ground running in the project they are assigned with,” said Dr. Jonathan Levie of the Hunter Centre for Entrepreneurship. “They will learn practical tools and techniques in business to help them become strong leaders and help drive business growth.”

New Zealand

Double Victory for Univ. of Waikato Students in Business Case

The winning team of Waikato Management students from left to right Jeremy Harwood, Daniel Stevenson, Michael Hall and Donna Frederikson.

A team of students from the University of Waikato Management School is celebrating a double victory. At the recent finals of the national student case competition in Queenstown, Waikato beat five other New Zealand university teams to win the national league championship and was also judged international champion in a ten-team competition including teams from Holland, Australia, China and Singapore, according to a university news article.

The winning Waikato team of Daniel Stevenson, Donna Frederikson, Michael Hall and Jeremy Harwood impressed the judges with the depth, scope and business savvy of their analysis of the ski industry in the international competition final. “They were incredibly impressive,” said NZSki CEO James Coddington. “I only wish I could hire all of them.”

Stevenson graduates with a Bachelor of Management Studies (Honours) later this year, and has secured a place on Deutsche Bank’s prestigious graduate entry programme in Sydney. “Taking part in the case competitions has been the highlight of my time at Waikato, and the real-world business experience has given me the edge in finding a job,” he says.

University of Canterbury Composer Elated to Win National Award

Chris Cree Brown.

Internationally acclaimed composer and University of Canterbury lecturer Associate Professor Chris Cree Brown (Music) has received a prestigious national award for a musical composition for solo clarinet and electronics.

The work, Inner Bellow, won the 2010 SOUNZ Contemporary Award, which was presented to Professor Cree Brown at the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) Silver Scroll awards ceremony recently in Auckland. The annual award consists of $3,000 in prize money and a trophy designed and made by sculptor Sarah Smuts Kennedy.

It was the fourth time Professor Cree Brown had been a finalist for the award. He said he was “absolutely elated” to win this year.

“As a creative artist I find it difficult to look at my own work and assess it in any way,” he said, “so to have my peers say that this piece is fantastic is absolutely wonderful.”

Inner Bellow was one of three finalist works for the award and was selected from 44 submissions. It was specially written for Christchurch-based clarinettist Gretchen La Roche, who is also a tutor in the School of Music, and includes unusual performance techniques such as multiphonics and having the soloist play through a partly dismantled instrument to create new tones.

Australia

Univ. of Wollongong Earns Record 43 Stars in Good Universities Guide

The release of the 2011 Good Universities Guide shows that the University of Wollongong (UOW) has achieved a record 43 stars from nine critical categories listed in the independent guide. This year UOW gained a maximum five stars in the following categories:

Getting a Job
Positive Graduate Outcomes
Research Intensity
Graduate Satisfaction
Staff Qualifications
Staff-Student Ratios
Generic Skills

The release of the highly-respected 2010 Shanghai Jiao Tong rankings has seen UOW maintain its position for the fourth year in a row as one of the world’s top 2 percent of research universities.