Shaping the future of universities: a New Zealand perspective

By Eliza.Compton , 1 September, 2025
Series Type
Collections
Teaser
This collection of articles from University of Canterbury | Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha showcases expertise – from local insight to worldwide impact – including embedding bicultural competence into curricula, using AI to teach soft skills, welcoming and onboarding new students, fostering university-industry partnerships and using an innovative campus garden to teach spatial skills. UC is host of THE Campus Live ANZ, whose 2025 theme is “Local roots to global reach: shaping ANZ universities’ future”.

Photo: Worawat Dechatiwong/iStock
Description
This collection of articles from University of Canterbury | Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha showcases expertise – from local insight to worldwide impact – including embedding bicultural competence into curricula, using AI to teach soft skills, welcoming and onboarding new students, fostering university-industry partnerships and using an innovative campus garden to teach spatial skills. UC is host of THE Campus Live ANZ, whose 2025 theme is “Local roots to global reach: shaping ANZ universities’ future”.
Resource
By Eliza.Compton , 11 September, 2025

Why AI literacy must come before policy

Building blocks for AI policy
When developing rules and guidelines around the uses of artificial intelligence, the first question to ask is whether the university policymakers and staff responsible for implementing them truly understand how learners can meet the expectations they set
Reading time
4minutes
By Eliza.Compton , 1 September, 2025

How to prepare graduates for a bicultural and global future

Bicultural competence
Embedding Indigenous perspectives into curriculum requires more than symbolic gestures. Here’s how universities can move from compliance to transformation – and the practical steps we’ve learned from our journey
Reading time
4minutes
By Eliza.Compton , 27 August, 2025

Solving the soft skills crisis using artificial intelligence

Young male student looking thoughtfully at a laptop
Employers seek transferable skills such as communication and cultural awareness, but how can universities translate these aspirations into meaningful, scalable learning experiences for students? AI personas offer possibilities
Reading time
4minutes
By Eliza.Compton , 4 July, 2025

Empowering academics for greater student success

Young female student at laptop
Student success initiatives traditionally focus just on the students. Empowering academics with effective engagement tools opens another pathway for scaling up success
Reading time
3minutes
By Eliza.Compton , 22 July, 2025

Easing students into higher education at the shallow end

Two Maori women in a meeting
The culture shock of starting university can be acute for those who left school early or who are returning to study after years in the workforce. Here, Gareth Morgan explains a programme that sets students up for success
Reading time
4minutes
By Eliza.Compton , 1 August, 2025

The evolution of student onboarding

University students starting college
On-demand, just-in-time digital onboarding can help students filter the vast array of information they receive when they start university, and set them up for success
Reading time
4minutes