Research and Reason

Associate Professor Lisa Bailey explores how the medieval church in Western Europe filled the power vacuum after the collapse of the Roman Empire while simultaneously becoming the largest slave owner at the time.

In conversation with our media adviser Julianne Evans, Lisa shares how these early medieval ideas about slavery and practices of service exist in today's society, and the efforts it took from figures like Saint Balthilde to abolish the Christian slave trade from within the kingdom.

Read more: https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/news/2026/03/16/queens--slaves-and-servants-in-the-medieval-church.html

You could find Lisa's latest book here: https://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/9781501785757/servants-of-god-slaves-of-the-church/#bookTabs=1

Why does it feel like you are starring in a movie when you enter a Disney theme park?

In this episode, Dr Gregory Camp, Senior Lecturer in Music, explains how Disney theme parks use movie music to create immersive and magical experiences. He joins our media adviser Julianne Evans to share his favourite Disney songs, what makes them good, and how Disney blends classic and new songs to appeal to multiple generations.

Interested in more?

Come along to our Research Seminar Series with Gregory on Wednesday 1 April, Mickey’s Magical Musicals: The Disney Parks as Glocalised Soundscapes.

Register here: https://www.eventbrite.co.nz/e/aed-research-seminar-series-1-tickets-1983564507839

Read more: https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/news/2026/02/02/disney-works-musical-magic-at-its-theme-parks.html

Did you know Bing Crosby’s White Christmas is the best-selling single of all time?

Ethnomusicologist Dr Kirsten Zemke explores Christmas music through the years, from the songs our grandparents and their parents played, the global pop stars who keep reinventing them, to Christmas movies that revived forgotten classics.

Kirsten joins our media adviser Julianne Evans to explore how music connects generations and how the songs we like reflect who we are.

Enjoy this podcast episode and a bonus Christmas playlist, as recommended by Kirsten:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/268wLj5VBCqg4sV8EiDfE0?si=VYWSpLDLQj6Siqs3MsfLPA

How does immigration policy impact our peoples and society?

Professor Francis Collins discusses how immigration policies has evolved in the last 40 years. In conversation with our media adviser Julianne Evans, he explores how “neutral” policies can still produce unequal outcomes, the precarity faced by temporary workers, and the opportunity to rethink Aotearoa New Zealand's immigration policy.

You can read more in Francis' book Edges of Empire: the politics of immigration in Aotearoa New Zealand, 1980-2020: https://aucklanduniversitypress.co.nz/edges-of-empire/

Where have all the coaches gone? In this episode, Dr Blake Bennett talks to our media adviser Julianne Evans to unpack the hidden pressures of volunteer sport coaching in New Zealand.

From the decline in volunteer numbers to the toll on their wellbeing, Blake shares insights from his research and his experience of coaching the national kendo team. As participation in sports remains high, Blake believes that recruiting and supporting volunteers are critical to keeping these opportunities available to young people.

Read more about Blake’s research here: https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/news/2025/09/02/volunteer-sports-coaches-are-throwing-in-the-towel.html

Dr Claudia Rozas joins our media adviser Julianne Evans to unpack the past and present of secondary school qualifications in Aotearoa New Zealand and what the future could look like.

With the government's proposal to replace NCEA, Claudia explores how education policy and curriculum design reflect deeper questions around equity, culture and national identity. 

Dr Alex McAuley joins our media adviser Julianne Evans to talk about the ancient queens and royal women of the Hellenistic period, including the seven Cleopatras. He examines the ways these women used power to intervene in politics and support their family, and often with dramatic effects.

He also shares his upcoming project, which looks at how pop culture, film and television have shifted in their depiction of antiquity since the war on terror, and how ancient history is really about how we understand the world around us. 

Associate Professor Danping Wang joins our media adviser Julianne Evans to discuss how AI is reshaping the landscape of language learning and teaching.

Danping shares how she incorporates AI in course design to support students at different levels, and explains why human agency remains essential when working with AI. 

Associate Professor and Head of School Fiona Jack joins our media adviser Julianne Evans to chat about the history of Elam and how it's adapted for today's students' needs. Fiona also shares how she started her creative journey and how Elam shapes the next generation of Aotearoa's artists and creatives. 

Find out more about Bachelor of Fine Arts here:  https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/study/study-options/find-a-study-option/bachelor-of-fine-arts-bfa.html

Professor Ngarino Ellis (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Porou) joins our media adviser Julianne Evans to reflect on her 12-year collaboration with Professor Deidre Brown (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Kahu) and the late art historian Jonathan Mane-Wheoki (1943-2014) on their award-winning book, Toi Te Mana: An Indigenous History of Māori Art.

Ngarino also shares insight on how art can weave together different generations and communities, and the importance of Māori art to everyone in Aotearoa.

Read more here: https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/news/2024/12/02/toi-te-mana-authors-brown-ellis.html

Published by Auckland University Press and Chicago University Press, Toi Te Mana won the 2025 BookHub Award for Illustrated Non-Fiction in the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards. More about the book here:  https://aucklanduniversitypress.co.nz/toi-te-mana/