Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury

Engaged. Empowered. Making a difference. We are proud to offer the foundation of an excellent education and holistic learning experience, while ensuring our students are prepared to succeed and make a positive difference in the world around them.

Students under flowering tree on University of Canterbury campus in sunshine

Community of practice concept illustration

A framework to develop communities of practice

Supporting communities of practice across an organisation can provide extraordinary benefits. Drawn from the author’s experience, these tips aim to build connection and engagement through a formalised framework and senior leader sponsorship

Karen Mather

Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury

Kids watching demonstration at science centre

School visits are a triple-win for academics, schools and society

For researchers, taking science into the community is an opportunity to hone communication skills, increase impact and enthuse children to pursue their own university studies, writes Ben Kennedy. Plus, it’s fun

Ben Kennedy

Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury

Compass pointing to sustainability

Why visible senior leadership in sustainability matters

Successful or sustainable? Is this the biggest challenge that universities face when striving to reduce their carbon footprint? Jan Evans-Freeman explains where leadership fits into the equation

Jan Evans-Freeman

Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury

Maori woman weaving

Uncovering Indigenous insights: let’s research together

Meaningful engagement with Indigenous communities requires researchers to shift away from conventional methodologies and towards more collaborative and participatory approaches. Here, Sarah Wiki-Bennett shares six key tenets

Sarah Wiki-Bennett

Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury

Women in leadership concept

Three principles for leadership in academia

Reflecting on her personal journey, Catherine Moran shares the key guidelines that have shaped her leadership as a woman in higher education in times of change

Catherine Moran

Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury

Frog in crown on lilypad

Love and money: why the search for funding is like romance

Funding is a relationship of sorts. You and your research project funder will enter into a finite symbiosis. It’s a joyful, exciting, uncomfortable and occasionally scary co-dependency, writes Laura Berrisford

Laura Berrisford

Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury

Illustration of couple

How to lose a grant in 10 ways

Want your funding application to be rejected? Have we got some advice for you. But, seriously, don’t do these things and you might just find your perfect grant match

Kathryn Mackinven

Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury

Group of happy multiracial students

How to support international students’ smooth transition to a new country

Orientation is an ongoing process for international students, so welcome programmes need to extend further than a single day. Here, Mengping Cheng explains how to support new arrivals throughout their adjustment

Mengping Cheng

Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury

Multiracial mature-age students

What about lifelong learning for international students?

International students might not be comfortable with the student-centred mindset that underpins continuous, self-directed learning. We must prepare them for lifelong learning so they are not left behind, argues Graham Wise

Graham Wise

Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury

Online learning in project management

Why we need a new model for professional development credentials

Close collaboration between universities and industry can help higher education address the ‘skills emergency’ and rebuild trust in university qualifications, writes Mick Grimley

Mick Grimley

Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury

Mentoring session

Six lessons from facilitating a formalised mentoring programme

An institutional formalised mentoring scheme can offer invaluable career guidance for early- and mid-career academics. Here, based on 15 years of managing a programme for academic staff, Karen Mather offers her key takeaways

Karen Mather

Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury

young smiling woman using laptop

Nudge technology can help students re-engage

Early-intervention initiatives to tackle student disengagement can be challenging to implement. A centralised, targeted approach using a communication nudge can encourage students to re-engage with online learning

Ellie Kay

Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury

Detail of woman being interviewed

Engaging in controversial topics in teaching and research

Sensitive subjects such as trolling and sexual assault require a careful approach at all points – from examining your motivation before you begin and setting up support to sharing findings, writes Ekant Veer

Ekant Veer

Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury

Group of three women talking

Steps to address the operational challenges of widening participation

Well-being assistance, leadership development and mentoring opportunities are key to supporting students from under-represented groups. Here, Angus Howat details a programme for widening participation from a Kiwi perspective

Angus Howat

Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury

Road towards Aoraki mountain on South Island, New Zealand

Can we really decolonise the university?

To explore what is possible, non-Indigenous scholars Mahdis Azarmandi and Sara Tolbert offer an anticolonial feminist praxis for unsettling settler institutions

Mahdis Azarmandi , Sara Tolbert

Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury