New Zealand in the Spotlight
Otago Polytechnic is hosting an open lecture by a visiting academic who may have spent several years living and working in the UK, but who wears his Kiwi origins very much on his sleeve.
Dr Ian Conrich is the Director of the Centre for New Zealand Studies at The University of London. He is also a prolific writer on the subject, and has been published by Sight and Sound, the BBC and Encarta.
New Zealand Studies is a fast-growing academic field that examines the history, culture, economy, literature and film of the country from a cross-disciplinary perspective.
Dr Conrich says that “over the last decade New Zealand Studies, particularly in the UK and Europe, has made significant strides in becoming a recognizable and serious discipline.”
In recognition of his efforts, he has been named Air NZ New Zealander of the year for 2008, an award that recognizes an outstanding contribution made towards presenting a positive image of New Zealand in the UK.
Previous winners of the award include golfer Michael Campbell and celebrity chef Peter Gordon.
He will present his open lecture, entitled ‘New Zealand Studies in an International Context’ at Otago Polytechnic’s G106 lecture theatre, opposite the Bill Robertson library, at 11am on Tuesday December 2.
The lecture will be followed by light refreshments.