Raising the Bar Christchurch 2025

Joce Nuttall, Professor of Education and Executive Dean at the University of Canterbury, discusses the difference between education and schooling and why it matters. She explores how governments’ focus on job-ready skills and lack of trust in teachers may be shifting schools away from true education, and what this means for society.

Anna Earl, Senior Lecturer at the University of Canterbury Business School, discusses how multinational corporations respond to sanctions and continue international trade. Drawing on her research, she highlights how firms adapt, leverage networks, and navigate the political game to protect profits in global business.

Jenni Adams, Professor of Physics at the University of Canterbury, discusses how scientists are using the IceCube Neutrino Observatory buried deep in Antarctic ice to study ghost-like particles called neutrinos. She explains how these elusive messengers from exploding stars and black holes are helping us unlock some of the universe’s biggest secrets.

Stephen, Lecturer in Economics and Finance at the University of Canterbury, discusses why economic growth matters for more than just wealth. From dramatic gains in global life expectancy to broader measures of human flourishing, he examines how growth underpins better health, education, and living standards worldwide.

Kuntal Das, Associate Professor of Economics and Finance at the University of Canterbury, discusses the unraveling of globalisation. He examines the rise of tariffs, trade wars, and “de-risking” strategies, and what these shifts mean for countries like New Zealand that depend on global trade in an increasingly uncertain world.