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Speaker's Science Forum 2024

View topics of the research presentations of the Speaker's Science Forum in 2024.

Research presentations are organised for Members of Parliament, in collaboration with the Speaker of the New Zealand Parliament.

The topics are selected in collaboration with Forum partners:

  • Royal Society Te Apārangi
  • Science New Zealand
  • Universities New Zealand
  • Independent Research Association of New Zealand

  • Artificial Intelligence – Friend or Foe?

    The first event in our Speaker’s Science Forum series for 2024 was held on 20 Poutū-te-rangi March at Parliament. Professor Alistair Knott discussed what it would take to keep AI safe; and Professor Richard Green presented an array of AI applications in conservation and agriculture.

  • Technology for Better Farming, Food, and Nutrition

    The second event in our Speaker’s Science Forum series for 2024 was held on 9 Pāenga-whāwhā April at Parliament. Dr Scott Knowles discussed precision fermentation; and Professor Bruce MacDonald talked about automation and robotics in horticulture.

  • Transforming Healthcare with Big Data

    The third event in our Speaker’s Science Forum series for 2024 was held on 22 Haratua May at Parliament. Professor Gill Dobbie FRSNZ talked about improving our healthcare with data and AI; and Professor Paul Young described direct benefits to Aotearoa New Zealand resulting from his intensive care research.

  • Matariki: Stars of Māori innovation

    The fourth event in our Speaker’s Science Forum series for 2024 was held on 19 Pipiri June at Parliament. Katerina Pihera-Ridge spoke about sharing knowledge about our ngahere forests. Dr Ratu Mataira spoke about Aotearoa’s potential to be a world-leader in fusion energy.

  • Disaster-proofing NZ: Extreme weather resilience and forests for carbon capture

    The fifth event in our Speaker's Science Forum series for 2024 was held on 24 Hōngongoi July at Parliament. Dr Graeme Smart described the devastation that can be caused by flooding events in our changing climate and how we, as a country, need to be better prepared. Dr Adam Barker spoke about the potential of carbon forestry to curb climate change in Aotearoa New Zealand.

  • Bioengineering for better health

    The sixth event in our Speaker's Science Forum series for 2024 was held on 7 Here-turi-kōkā August at Parliament. Dr Kelly Burrowes described how bioengineering can be used to understand how vaping effects our lungs. Dr Jan Powell showcased new “organ-on-a-chip” technology as a viable alternative to animal testing.

  • The future of energy in Aotearoa New Zealand

    The second-to-last event in our Speaker's Science Forum series for 2024 was held on 18 Mahuru September at Parliament. Professor Alan Brent gave an overview of how Aotearoa New Zealand can manage its energy transition to renewables. Dr Isabelle Chambefort sold MPs on how we can power the country using geothermal energy.

  • Space!

    The eighth and final event in our Speaker's Science Forum series for 2024 was held on 16 Whiringa-ā-nuku October at Parliament. Professor Richard Easther described how countries collaborate to invest in tools to allow the study of space. Associate Professor Pauline Harris spoke about the bourgeoning Māori aerospace industry.

Speaker's Science Forum

  • Marsden at 30