News
On this page:
- Dr Jaikishan Desai on TVNZ One News
- Child Poverty Experts Group
- Professor Jonathan Boston awarded a Victoria University Public Contribution Award
- Associate Professor Bill Ryan talks about Public Sector Reform
- Professor Miriam Lips comments on technology and public service transformation
- Associate Professor Bill Ryan comments on Public Sector Reform
- Professor Miriam Lips talks to Radio New Zealand
- Associate Professor Bill Ryan Receives Excellence Award
- International Statistical Literacy Project Prize
- Victoria appoints new Chair to School of Government Advisory Board
- Peter Hughes appointed Victoria's Head of School of Government
Dr Jaikishan Desai on TVNZ One News
30 April 2012
Dr Jaikishan Desai, of the School of Government's Health Services Research Centre, appears in a TVNZ One News report about the increase in hospital productivity.
See the report here
Child Poverty Experts Group
21 March 2012
Professor Jonathan Boston has been appointed Co-Chair of an Experts’ Group established by the Children’s Commissioner to undertake a review into Child Poverty in New Zealand. The Group’s term of reference are practical and solution focused.
This is an important review with the potential to make a real difference in New Zealand. It follows the School’s hosting of the Government’s Welfare Working Group in 2011.
See here for a copy of the Commissioner’s media statement.
Professor Jonathan Boston awarded a Victoria University Public Contribution Award
21 March 2012
We are delighted to be able to tell you that Professor Jonathan Boston has been awarded a Victoria University Public Contribution Award.
This is a very prestigious award in the University and recognises Jonathan’s work and achievements as Director of the Institute for Policy Studies, as well as a leading academic within the University.
As many of you will know, Jonathan is a person who is strongly motivated to make a positive difference in our country. He is tireless and selfless in his efforts to do that. This Award attests to the difference that he has made.
Associate Professor Bill Ryan talks about Public Sector Reform
16 March 2012
Associate Professor Bill Ryan talks to Radio New Zealand National's Nine To Noon programme about public sector reform.
Listen here
Professor Miriam Lips comments on technology and public service transformation
16 February 2012
Professor Miriam Lips discusses developments towards a tech based public service with TVNZ's Breakfast on Wednesday 15 February 2012.
View here
Associate Professor Bill Ryan comments on Public Sector Reform
16 February 2012
Associate Professor Bill Ryan comments on Public Sector Reform, appearing in the Dominion Post newspaper on 16 February 2012.
View the article here
Professor Miriam Lips talks to Radio New Zealand
15 February 2012
Kathryn Ryan, of Radio New Zealand National's Nine to Noon show, spoke with Professor Miriam Lips on Tuesday 14 February 2012, discussing the role of technology in future public service provision.
Listen to the interview here
Associate Professor Bill Ryan Receives Excellence Award
8 February 2012
In December 2011 Associate Professor Bill Ryan was named as a recipient of a Victoria University Teaching Excellence Award. Bill teaches at every level within the School - from first year undergraduate students to colleagues completing doctorates. In this short interview Bill reflects on his approach to teaching and learning and on why, for a School of Government, that process is invariably in the nature of a partnership. Congratulations Bill.
You can see the interview here
International Statistical Literacy Project Prize
25 October 2011
Adjunct Professor Sharleen Forbes and her project group colleagues who were recently awarded joint winners for the Best Cooperative Project in Statistical History from the International Statistical Literacy Project.
The joint winners were:
- From Ethiopia, The Belgian (Flemish), Ethiopian and Mozambique universities under the umbrella of the Flemish Interuniversity Council, VLIR-UOS with the project, North-South-South (NSS) International Collaborative Project in Biostatistics (participants: Luc Duchateau, Yehenew Getachew, Ziv Shkedy, Paul Janssen)
- From New Zealand, Statistics New Zealand and NAOS (the Network of Academics in Official Statistics) with the project, A post-graduate program in official statistics (participants: Alan Lee, Andrew Sporle, Sharleen Forbes, Richard Arnold, John Harraway, Jenny Brown, Natalie Jackson).
This award is given every two years in recognition of outstanding, innovative, and influential statistical literacy projects that affect a broad segment of the general public and are fruit of the cooperation between different types of institutions (national statistical offices, schools, statistical societies, media, libraries).
Projects considered for this award have the following characteristics:
- Project is currently alive and has potential to remain so in the future
- Access to the project resources and membership in the project is free to all
- Educates on concepts of statistical theory and data analysis, their use in the development of information about countries and societies, and their application in a broad spectrum of disciplines and areas of society, with concern towards modern data handling, experimentation, and graphical methods
- Has contents that are pedagogically sound for a general audience (adults and young, media and statisticians, teachers and students, social and natural sciences)
- Involves two or more institutions that would usually not work in cooperation (ex. cooperation between a National Statistical Office, a school and a government education office)
- Is attractive to a wide audience, i.e., it has a “fun” appeal to it, invites to enter and learn, read and use the project on a daily basis as a source of knowledge and information
- Has archives that are widely available.
Victoria appoints new Chair to School of Government Advisory Board
2 August 2011
Professor Pat Walsh, Vice-Chancellor of Victoria University, is delighted to announce the appointment of Dr Paul Reynolds as Chair of Victoria's School of Government Advisory Board.
Dr Reynolds is currently Chief Executive of the Ministry for the Environment.
"Dr Reynolds' experience and leadership in the public sector will be a tremendous asset to the Board," says Professor Walsh.
Dr Reynolds joined the Ministry for the Environment as its Chief Executive in July 2008. Prior to that he worked at the Ministry of Research, Science and Technology (1998-2002) as Chief Policy Adviser and then, from 2002-2008, led the Policy Group at the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.
Before arriving in Wellington, Dr Reynolds had a scientific research career, first with the then Department of Scientific and Industrial Research and then with the Crown Research Institute, HortResearch. He holds a PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Otago.
Dr Reynolds will chair his first advisory board meeting on 4 August.
The role of the advisory board is to guide the strategic direction of the School to help it meet its stated commitments to both the public sector and the University. Advisory Board members are drawn from the University, other academic institutions and government agencies.
The previous Chair was Peter Hughes, Chief Executive of the Ministry of Social Development, who will be taking up the role of Head of the School of Government on 10 October.
About the School of Government
The School of Government is part of Victoria's Faculty of Commerce and Administration. Its purpose is to build public sector capability through its teaching programmes, improve public sector governance through research into public management and administration, and provide advice on, and contribute to scholarship in important areas of public policy.
For more information, please contact Tania Guenter, Senior Communications Adviser, on phone (04) 463 5269.
Peter Hughes appointed Victoria's Head of School of Government
1 June 2011
The Vice-Chancellor of Victoria University, Professor Pat Walsh, has announced the appointment of Peter Hughes, current Chief Executive of the Ministry of Social Development, to Head of Victoria's School of Government.
"Peter's public sector experience has been greatly valued as a member of the School of Government's advisory board, which he has chaired since 2008 and I'm delighted that he has accepted the position as Head of School," says Professor Walsh.
"Peter has a wealth of knowledge and networks that will be invaluable for strengthening our ties across the public service, parliament, judiciary and private sectors. His extensive leadership experience will also be an asset for ensuring the ongoing success of the School."
Mr Hughes has been in his current role at the Ministry of Social Development since its establishment in 2001. He has more than 30 years experience in the public service, with roles during that time including Chief Executive of Internal Affairs, Chief Executive Officer of the Health Funding Authority, and a Deputy Director-General of Health. Last year he was named "Government Department Chief Executive of the Year" by Trans Tasman magazine.
He studied at Victoria and Massey universities and gained a Masters of Public Administration from Harvard University.
Mr Hughes says he is delighted to accept the role.
"I am at the stage of my career where I want to use my skills and experience to give something back and as a Victoria University graduate I am also personally committed to the success of the University," he says.
"The School of Government is unique amongst New Zealand universities and I see it as having an absolutely key role in helping to prepare and equip the next generation of public sector leaders in our country and in driving policy change through timely, relevant, quality research."
Mr Hughes will take up the position on 10 October, 2011 and during his three year term will be a professor at the University.
About the School of Government
The School of Government is part of Victoria's Faculty of Commerce and Administration. Its purpose is to build public sector capability through its teaching programmes, improve public sector governance through research into public management and administration, and provide advice on, and contribute to scholarship in important areas of public policy. The School includes four research centres: the Climate Change Research Institute, the Centre for Strategic Studies, Health Services Research Centre, and the Institute of Policy Studies.