The University Advisory Group headed up by Sir Peter Gluckman made more than 60 recommendations to improve the fragmentation, poor governance and funding woes of the university sector. Sitting above them all was a ‘highest priority’ call to set up a standalone government agency to administer separate strategy and funding for universities. The Government has said no.

Producer Sanat spoke to the Tertiary Education Union’s spokesperson Sandra Grey about the Government’s response to this report and whether it will change the Tertiary Education Sector fundamentally to respond to the persistent challenges that have affected New Zealand’s Universities.  

Over the weekend, a magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck in Eastern Afghanistan.

The death toll has passed at least 1400, with another 3000 injured and 500,000 impacted. 

Wire Host Caeden spoke to Associate Professor in Disaster Resilience at the University of Newcastle, Iftekhar Ahmed, about the earthquakes and the challenges with the disaster response.

This week, more than 36,000 Nurses Organisation members will be going on strike following months of failed negotiations with Te Whatu Ora - Health New Zealand.

The ongoing concerns amongst striking nurses are nurse wages and understaffing in hospitals across Aotearoa.

Health Minister Simeon Brown directly condemned NZNO’s decision to organise this strikes this week, saying that the strikes would delay more than 13,000 elective surgeries and appointments. However, NZNO Kaiwhakahaere Kerri Nuku and other nurses joining the strike said that the health minister’s comments were out of touch with the situation on the ground for nurses, that understaffing was putting both nurse and patient health at risk and that both Simeon Brown and Health NZ had neglected nurse needs and their calls for proportionate wage increases for some time.

Wednesday Wire Host Oto spike to Nuku about this topic.

For our weekly catchup w/ the Green Party Oto spoke with MP Ricardo Menendez-March about the new laws allowing Foreign Investors to buy homes in Aotearoa, the ongoing nurse strikes happening this week and the Greens members bill to change laws regarding overdose responses.

Earlier this week, The Washington Post published a leaked prospectus for a ‘Gaza Riviera’ plan that had reportedly been circulating the White House. 

Named the “Gaza Reconstitution, Economic Acceleration and Transformation Trust” or ‘GREAT’, the plan includes the forced displacement of Gaza’s entire population of 2 million people, as well as the territory being placed into a US trusteeship for at least a decade. Although it’s not yet clear whether the plan reflects US policy, it seems to match US President Donald Trump’s previously stated ambitions to “clean out” Gaza and redevelop it.

Critics of the plan identify it as a blueprint for mass deportation and ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people disguised as a marketing development, and that if the plan were to be executed it would include international crimes on an unimaginable scale.

To discuss what the leaked plan says about US foreign policy under Trump and how Aotearoa, as well as other countries, should respond to this, Producer Max spoke with John Minto, Co-Chair of the Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa.

Lately, our government, civil society organisations and UN bodies have all condemned the range of human rights abuses Israel is currently committing against the Palestinian population. However, universities in New Zealand, like in many other parts of the world, have made an intentional decision to remain neutral in their position on Gaza, despite public sentiment shifting on this issue. 

This stance of international neutrality can be traced back to a 1967 study known as the Kalven report. But was this report ever relevant? And should it still apply today? 

To discuss this, as well as what Universities could potentially do to act against Israel, Producer Max spoke to Dr Ritesh Shah, a senior lecturer of comparative and international education and the co-director of the Centre for Asia Pacific Refugee Study at the University of Auckland.

If you'd like to sign this open letter you can find it here.

The Tawaki Project based at the University of Otago and driven by the mahi of international researchers, has taken a deep-dive into the population genetics of three Aotearoa crested penguin species – tawaki/Fiordland penguins, erect-crested penguins, and Eastern rockhopper penguins.

Findings reveal how genetic health and marine habitat changes have impacted these species.

For this week’s Green Desk, Host Sara spoke with co-leader of the project, Dr Thomas Mattern about what the study learned about these penguin populations, starting with a general overview of the research

Act Party MP Todd Stephenson has recently re-lodged his End of Life Choice Amendment Bill, and incorporated all 25 recommendations from the Ministry of Health’s independent review.

Many doctors believe that in order to effectively carry out assisted dying practices, they need to be properly supported.

Psychological medicine researcher Dr. Aida Dehkhoda recalls that while most of these doctors and nurses affirm their patients’ autonomy and right to choose… challenges still persist.

Producer Faith spoke to Dr. Dehkhoda about how these practitioners can be better supported, and some of the challenges faced on the frontlines.

In the past week, we’ve seen several noteworthy legislative moves across sectors. 

First, the government is seeking to address New Zealand’s supermarket duopoly as the cost of groceries for kiwi remains high across the motu. 

Economic Minister Nicola Willis announced numerous legislative changes that she hopes will improve supermarket competition in New Zealand.

Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee has also shared some proposed changes to the Alcohol Sale and Supply Act, including limiting barriers to the approval of liquor licenses and making it easier to provide alcohol in special circumstances.

Finally, Defence Minister Judith Collins has approved changes that make it easier for the Defence Force to cover the operations of striking workers. 

For Dear Science this week, our expert, Dr Daniel Thomas all about ‘interactions’: strangers who have the same reactions to movies are more likely to become friends, a study has found that apes do have object permanence, and spiders use trapped fireflies to catch more prey. 

Thanks to MOTAT, the museum inspiring the innovators of tomorrow!