Events

Alastair Cole

This presentation will reflect on the creative documentary film based research project 'Colours of the Alphabet' (2016), which resulted in an 80 minute observational documentary film, focusing on the global challenge of the lack of mother-tongue primary education and the continued encroachment of an Anglo-Saxon monoculture.

The film, shot over 12 months in Zambia, brings into focus the story of three rural primary school children and their families over their first year at school, as they enter an education system in a country with 72 languages, but only one official language, English. The presentation will reflect on the project’s journey from its filming, fieldwork and practice based PhD origins, including its academic positioning within linguistic anthropology and trans-disciplinary documentary film practice, to its festival and UK cinema release in 2016-2017, and finally the project’s 2018 Africa wide, 30 language release and international impact project.

More information.

Associate Professor Colin Gavaghan, Director of the New Zealand Law Foundation Centre for Law and Policy in Emerging Technologies, University of Otago
Dr Janine Winters, Senior Lecturer, Bioethics Centre, University of Otago
Dr Simon Walker, Lecturer, Bioethics Centre, University of Otago

Debate around euthanasia has intensified in New Zealand, following Lecretia Seales' well-publicised application to the High Court for a ‘right to die’, and the recent Health Select Committee inquiry which received a record 21,000 submissions. Last year David Seymour’s End-of-Life Bill was drawn from the parliamentary ballot, and passed its first reading in December.

This Bill seeks to give people with a terminal illness or a grievous and irremediable medical condition the option of requesting assisted dying. In its current form, the Bill sets a number of conditions that require the involvement of healthcare professionals.

The Bioethics Centre of the University of Otago is holding a panel discussion to discuss these conditions and their possible implications.

The panel (to be confirmed) will also consider what changes, if any, might be made to the Bill before its second reading.

Postgraduate students are warmly encouraged to attend these events, as are professionals, academics and clinical researchers, and students across the Division of Health Sciences.

Complimentary refreshments and nibbles will be provided to kick off each event from 5pm. More information.

He lani ko luna, a sky above 'in losing the sight of land, you discover the stars'


Kālepa Baybayan, Navigator in Residence at the ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center of Hawai‘i, shares his extensive knowledge on traditional pacific deep sea voyaging and oceanic wayfinding, the indigenous system of orientation and navigation at sea.

This engaging talk focuses on the recently completed Mālama Honua Worldwide Voyage and the epic around the world journey of the double-hulled sailing canoe, Hokule'a. The canoe traveled 42,000 nautical miles over 3 years, visiting 150 ports in over 20 countries, while training a new generation of navigators, educators, scientists, and community stewards.

More information.