NASA’s aircraft SOFIA (Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy) is in Christchurch and is offering you one chance to tour, between 11am and 3pm on Saturday July 20. The last boarding time is 2:30pm. Find out all the details, including when tickets are available, for a free tour on
Eventbrite . What is SOFIA? The Flying Observatory ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 12 June, 2019 | Categories:
News, Science & Tech
| Tags: Christchurch, NASA, SOFIA
Not all amazing creatures come in bright packages. In fact, one of New Zealand’s most incredible birds is, to look at, a little on the dull side. Drab, brownish, with a little bit of grey thrown in to lighten things up, the godwit, or kuaka, doesn’t grab the imagination the way many of our native ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 10 May, 2019 | Categories:
News, Science & Tech
| Tags: Bar-tailed Godwit, godwit, Migratory Bird Day, Pukorokoro Miranda Shorebird Centre
How is technology going to transform the way we grow and sell? Every piece of the supply chain is up for the disruption. How is the market changing? Consumer tastes are evolving, and so are their expectations: of quality, transparency, and social responsibility. What business models should we be exploring? How can we focus less ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 15 April, 2019 | Categories:
Agriculture, Business, News, Science & Tech
| Tags: Abi Ramanan, Amy Keller, Boma, Grow Agri-Summit, Harry She, Raymond McCauley, Tim Cannon
U.S. Embassy NZ teamed up with Te Papa’s Innovation hub,
Mahuki , to bring Walt Disney Imagineering Creative Program Manager, and Art & Technology instructor of Themed Entertainment Design at UCLA, MK Haley, to New Zealand for a series of lectures, workshops, and programming March 25-30 in Auckland (introduced by Consul General, Katelyn Choe), Wellington, Christchurch and ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 15 April, 2019 | Categories:
Connecting with Kiwis, News, Science & Tech
| Tags: art, Disney, Mahuki, Mk Haley, Te Papa, Technology, UCLA, Walt Disney Imagineering Creative Program Manager
The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter (USCGC) POLAR STAR (WAGB-10) will make a port call in Wellington next week. The United States has been granted New Zealand’s permission for the POLAR STAR to visit after completing its seasonal operations in support of the National Science Foundation-managed U.S. Antarctic Program. “Each year the USCGC POLAR STAR ...
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By zhujx | 15 February, 2019 | Categories:
News, Press Releases, Science & Tech
| Tags: Icebreaker
Ambassador Scott Brown enjoyed his first visit to Blenheim and the Marlborough region as part of his ongoing program of outreach to the provincial centers of New Zealand. He was met by guide for the day, local Member of Parliament Stuart Smith, and kicked off the visit with a courtesy call at the Regional Council ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 1 November, 2018 | Categories:
Ambassador, Connecting with Kiwis, News, Science & Tech, U.S. & New Zealand
| Tags: Allan Scott Estate, Ambassador Scott Brown, Ambassador Scott P. Brown, Blenheim, Marlborough, Marlborough Girls’ College, mihi whakatau, NASA, Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre, RNZAF, Royal New Zealand Air Force, Woodbourne
By Will Seal, Public Affairs, U.S. Consulate Auckland. This September, Dr. Adam Warren from the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) visited Samoa and the Cook Islands to meet with government agencies, the private sector, and academia to share best practices on island energy issues, renewable energy policy, and practicalities of implementing ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 4 October, 2018 | Categories:
News, Science & Tech
| Tags: American Samoa, Cook Islands, Cook Islands Chamber of Commerce, Dr. Adam Warren, Guam, Hawaii, New Zealand High Commission, NGO Te Ipukarea Society, NREL, Puerto Rico, U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Acting Ambassador Ms. Susan B. Niblock attended an extensive program of briefings, functions, and events on September 27-29 in Christchurch to celebrate the beginning of the summer season for polar research and exploration. Ms. Niblock met the Mayor of Christchurch, Hon Lianne Dalziel, to thank her for the outstanding assistance from the
Christchurch City Council. The establishment of ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 3 October, 2018 | Categories:
Chargé D’Affaires, Connecting with Kiwis, News, Science & Tech
| Tags: Antarctica Season Opening, C-17 Globemaster, DCM, Globemaster, Lianne Dalziel, NASA, NASA Stratospheric Observatory, Niblock, PYLAT, Rocket Lab, Susan B. Niblock, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Air Force Air Mobility Command
Leading into
World Space Week , we are celebrating 60 years of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). For six decades, NASA has led the peaceful exploration of space, making discoveries about our planet, our solar system, and our universe. At home in America, NASA research has made great advances in aviation, helped to develop a commercial ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 2 October, 2018 | Categories:
News, Science & Tech
| Tags: NASA, NASA 60th, World Space week
Professor Craig Rodger is the Head of the Physics Department at the University of Otago in New Zealand. His primary research field is “Space Weather”, and he also acts as an independent advisor to NASA. He has travelled multiple times to Antarctica, won a Fulbright New Zealand Scholar Award in 2015 – and plays a ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 29 August, 2018 | Categories:
Connecting with Kiwis, News, Science & Tech
| Tags: Lightning Storms, NASA, Professor Craig Rodger, University of Otago, World Wide Lightning Location Network, WWLLN
Professor Craig Rodger is the Head of the Physics Department at the University of Otago in New Zealand. His primary research field is “Space Weather”, and he also acts as an independent advisor to NASA. He has travelled multiple times to Antarctica, won a Fulbright New Zealand Scholar Award in 2015 – and plays a ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 28 August, 2018 | Categories:
Connecting with Kiwis, News, Science & Tech
| Tags: Fulbright New Zealand, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, NASA, Professor Craig Rodger, Space Weather, Van Allen Belt, William Pickering
New Zealand Government Press Release Hon David Parker Minister for Economic Development. New Zealand tertiary students will be offered the chance to participate in NASA’s International Internships Programme, under an agreement between the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment and NASA. “Through the programme, high-achieving students will have the opportunity to work in NASA’s best and most ...
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By Mike Cousins | 27 August, 2018 | Categories:
Ambassador, Connecting with Kiwis, News, Science & Tech
| Tags: Hon David Parker, International Internships Programme, NASA, New Zealand Space Agency, Sir William Pickering, U.S. Ambassador Brown
It was a busy weekend down in Otago for our Deputy Chief of Mission, Sue Niblock. Sue was honored to participate on a panel at the New Zealand International Science Festival on “the future of scientific collaboration across the globe”, alongside UK Deputy High Commissioner to NZ, Helen Smith, Australian High Commissioner to New Zealand, Ewen McDonald, ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 9 July, 2018 | Categories:
Chargé D’Affaires, Connecting with Kiwis, News, Science & Tech
| Tags: International Science Festival, Lauder Research Station, NASA, New Zealand, NIWA, Otago, Otago University
By Will Seal, Senior Public Affairs Specialist, U.S. Consulate Auckland. Seeing the Aurora Australis, traversing the Antarctic Circle, and peering into never before seen stars in the centre of our Milky Way galaxy might individually sound like unique achievements – but for the crew and astronomers of NASA’s SOFIA airborne observatory, it’s all in a ...
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By Mike Cousins | 6 July, 2018 | Categories:
Connecting with Kiwis, News, Science & Tech
| Tags: Antarctic Circle, Aurora Australis, Christchurch, NASA, SOFIA
U.S. Embassy staff attended the NZ Antarctic Society’s annual Mid-Winter Antarctic Celebration at Victoria University on June 20. Notable Antarctic figures such as Randall Heke shared stories from their time on the Ice and discussed ongoing research with the current team. Attendees were lucky enough to be able to ask questions of researchers at Scott ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 22 June, 2018 | Categories:
News, President of the United States, Science & Tech
| Tags: Donald J. Trump, mid-winter, Mid-Winter Antarctic Celebration
The U.S. Embassy has been in partnership with the
Auckland University of Technology (AUT) since 2012 to bring you the
Project technology/entrepreneur series…Project Connect. In 2018 Project Connect has entered into a new partnership with some innovative and talented people down in the
Wynyard Quarter in Auckland. The WINTalk Project Connect Event Series 2018 is a collaboration between AUT, Wynyard Innovation Neighbourhood and the US Embassy of ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 14 June, 2018 | Categories:
Connecting with Kiwis, News, Science & Tech
| Tags: AI, AUT, Dr Ming, Project, Project Connect, WinTalk
This week marks Earth Day, a day where we celebrate the ingenuity of those making tangible efforts to protect our environment. Now celebrated worldwide and officially observed by the UN, Earth Day began in the United States in 1970 as a response to public concern over rising pollution levels and anger over a massive oil ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 20 April, 2018 | Categories:
Environment, News, Science & Tech, U.S. & New Zealand
| Tags: Bats, Earth Day, ESTH, Kapiti Island, Niue, Piha, Te Ara, Whales
When the United States Embassy in New Zealand asks if you’ll do an Earth Day post about impacts of mismanaged waste on the global environment—with a focus on seabirds—what do you do? Quick, call
Lilly Sedaghat and
Steph Borrelle ! Sedaghat is one of my four fellow Fellows (
2017-2018 Fulbright-National Geographic Digital Storytelling Fellows , that is), currently studying waste management in Taiwan. Borrelle is ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 20 April, 2018 | Categories:
Education, Environment, News, Science & Tech, U.S. & New Zealand
| Tags: Conservation, Fulbright New Zealand, plastic, seabirds
Almost half of the world’s population relies on fish and seafood as a key source of protein – yet, overall, 80 percent of the world’s fish stocks for which assessment information is available are reported as fully exploited or overexploited, requiring effective and precautionary management. As part of tackling this issue, February 10-11th 2018 saw three teams ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 15 February, 2018 | Categories:
Auckland, Connecting with Kiwis, Environment, News, Science & Tech
| Tags: Craig Halbmaier, Enspiral Dev Academy, fish, Fishackathon, Foundation North, GridAKL, marine species, New Zealand Defence Force, Team Okean
The Embassy was
honored to send two of New Zealand’s leading entrepreneurs – Jessica Manins (
ProjectR Director) and Alexia Hilbertidou (Founder of
GirlBoss ) – to the 2017
Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) in India late last year. We highlighted
Jessica’s experience last week. Next up, Alexia… *** Guest blog post by Alexia Hilbertidou I was so excited to represent New Zealand at the Global ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 16 January, 2018 | Categories:
Business, Connecting with Kiwis, News, President of the United States, Science & Tech
| Tags: Alexia Hilbertidou, Donald J. Trump, GES, Girlboss, Global Entrepreneurship Summit, Hyderabad, India, Ivanka Trump, Jessica Manins, Tech
The Embassy was
honored to send two of New Zealand’s leading entrepreneurs – Jessica Manins (
ProjectR Director) and Alexia Hilbertidou (Founder of
GirlBoss ) – to the 2017
Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) in India late last year. In the coming week, we’ll highlight Jessica’s and Alexia’s personal experiences at GES 2017. First up Jessica… *** Guest blog post by Jessica Manins I recently ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 12 January, 2018 | Categories:
Business, Connecting with Kiwis, News, Science & Tech
| Tags: Alexia Hilbertidou, GES, Girlboss, Global Entrepreneurship Summit, Hyderabad, India, Ivanka Trump, Jessica Manins, Tech
Dr. Alex MacDonald is NASA’s Senior Economic Advisor within the Office of the Administrator at NASA Headquarters and is one of the foremost experts on the economic history of American space exploration and contemporary private-sector space activities. During a one-week trip to New Zealand, Dr. MacDonald connected with a wide array of government, academic, and ...
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By Ola Thorsen | 28 December, 2017 | Categories:
Auckland, Business, Doing Business in the U.S., News, Science & Tech, U.S. & New Zealand, U.S. Consulate Auckland
| Tags: AUT University, Consul General Melanie Higgins, NASA, Peter Beck, RocketLab, Space exploration, TedxAuckland, U.S. - N.Z. Youth Council
Media Release. The United States has sought, and been granted, New Zealand’s permission for a U.S. Coast Guard icebreaker, the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter (USCGC) POLAR STAR (WAGB-10), to make a port call at Lyttelton on its way to complete its seasonal operations in support of the National Science Foundation-managed U.S. Antarctic Program. The visit ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 7 December, 2017 | Categories:
News, Press Releases, Science & Tech
| Tags: Icebreaker, Lyttelton, New Zealand, POLAR STAR, U.S. Antarctic Program, U.S. Coast Guard Cutter, U.S. Coast Guard icebreaker
The Department of State welcomes the entry into force of the Ross Sea Region Marine Protected Area (MPA) – the world’s largest – covering 1.55 million square kilometers (about twice the size of the State of Texas or about 7% of the Southern Ocean), of which 1.12 million square kilometers is fully protected. The Ross ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 4 December, 2017 | Categories:
Environment, Key Documents, News, Our Ocean, Science & Tech
| Tags: Antarctic Marine Living Resources, MPA, Ocean, Ross Sea, Ross Sea Region Marine, Ross Sea Region Marine Protected Area
The Embassy invited U.S. creative leadership experts, Aithan Shapira (
MIT Sloan School of Management ) and Elysa Fenenbock (Designer in Residence at
Google ), to keynote at a Creative Leadership conference (
#CLNZ2017 ) to 160 business leaders and startup founders. Areas covered included realigning your teams and projects with design thinking, looking at jazz as a way to respond to ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 1 December, 2017 | Categories:
Business, News, Science & Tech
| Tags: #CLNZ2017, Aithan Shapira, Bizdojo, Creative Leadership conference, Elysa Fenenbock, Google, Mahuki, MIT Sloan School of Management, Xero
By Public Affairs staff, U.S. Embassy, Wellington. The Embassy is honored to send two of New Zealand’s leading entrepreneurs – Jessica Manins (
ProjectR Director) and Alexia Hilbertidou (Founder of
GirlBoss ) – to the 2017 Global Entrepreneurship Summit in India later this month. The United States of America and the Republic of India are proud to announce ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 14 November, 2017 | Categories:
Connecting with Kiwis, News, President of the United States, Science & Tech
| Tags: Alexia Hilbertidou, Donald J. Trump, GES, Girlboss, Global Entrepreneurship Summit, Hyderabad, India, Ivanka Trump, Jessica Manins, Tech
By Public Affairs staff, U.S. Embassy Wellington. Kate Drane, Senior Director of Outreach for Tech and Hardware at San Francisco-based crowdfunding platform Indiegogo, is in New Zealand on an embassy run program, to share her thoughts on the future and current trends of crowdfunding. Monday saw Kate engage with Kiwi entrepreneurs at GRID Auckland’s Innovation Hub, ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 9 November, 2017 | Categories:
Connecting with Kiwis, News, Science & Tech
| Tags: and the Christchurch Chamber Of Commerce., Auckland University of Technology, Callaghan Innovation, Creative HQ, Crowdfunding, ellington Regional Economic Development Agency, entrepreneur, Kate Drane, local crowdfunding platform PledgeMe, Project Connect
Guest blog post by U.S. Embassy Youth Councilor, Jay Choe. Andy Cunningham was in Auckland for the
Project series , founded by the U.S. Embassy and the Auckland University of Technology. See below for further Project events coming up. “Brand Strategy by Design” was the third event I attended as part of the U.S. Embassy Youth Council. Upon ...
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By Mike Cousins | 26 September, 2017 | Categories:
Auckland, Business, News, Science & Tech
| Tags: Andy Cunningham, Apple, Brand Strategy by Design, Jay Choe, Pixar, Project17, U.S. Embassy Youth Councilor
Guset blog post by Alexia Hilbertidou. I was chosen by space agency NASA to ride on-board their 747 jumbo jet aircraft during a special overnight mission. In one 10 hour flight, I travelled at -70C and zero per cent humidity while measuring stardust and taking in the breath-taking displays of the atmosphere, such as the ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 30 August, 2017 | Categories:
Ambassador, Connecting with Kiwis, News, Science & Tech, U.S. & New Zealand, Youth Outreach
| Tags: Girlboss, NASA, SOFIA
Guest blog post by Robbie Morrison, 2017 U.S.-NZ Youth Council member. Christchurch U.S.-NZ Youth Council chatting science, technology, health, and trade promotion with U.S. diplomat Craig Halbmaier. The Christchurch branch of the U.S. Embassy Youth Council is always excited to engage with experts, dignitaries and officials from the United States. On Friday 14 July the ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 4 August, 2017 | Categories:
News, Science & Tech, Trade, Youth Outreach
| Tags: Craig Halbmaier, Health, Science, Technology, trade, U.S.-NZ Youth Council, USNZYouthCouncil
Ambassador Brown spent August 1 meeting leaders of New Zealand’s dynamic innovation and start-up sector, an important economic and cultural U.S.-New Zealand link, in Wellington. Start-ups demonstrated their technology and explained where they are seeking to partner with U.S. expertise and investment to grow further. The tech tour included
Mahuki – Innovation Hub of Te Papa ,
Creative HQ ProjectR ,
BizDojo , and
Xero . Wellington ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 4 August, 2017 | Categories:
Ambassador, News, Science & Tech
| Tags: Bizdojo, Creative HQ ProjectR, Mahuki - Innovation Hub of Te Papa, tech tour, Wellington, Xero
The U.S. Embassy in New Zealand announces a small grants funding opportunity of up to $7,500 USD for projects in the realm of Science, Technology, Health, Environment and Business. Eligibility is limited to non-profit/nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and educational institutions within New Zealand, the Cook Islands, and Niue. Proposals should demonstrate creativity, substance, and relevance ...
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By Mike Cousins | 3 August, 2017 | Categories:
Business, News, Public Affairs, Science & Tech
| Tags: Business, Environment, Health, innovation, Science, Small grants, Space, Technology
Guest blog post by Rameka Carbon Forest volunteers. In 2016, a U.S. Embassy small grant award added the perfect touch of magic to ensure that our reforestation project could bloom – helping to transform the Rameka Carbon Forest just like Cinderella turned into the belle of the ball. The ugly duckling Planting may seem ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 31 July, 2017 | Categories:
Connecting with Kiwis, Environment, News, Science & Tech
| Tags: Abel Tasman National Park, Conservation, Rameka Carbon Forest
By Public Affairs staff, U.S. Embassy Wellington. This week Phil Sage, Senior Director of Design and Development at Hasbro, was in Wellington on an Embassy-sponsored visit to speak at
TEDxWellington and meet some of Wellington’s tech and entrepreneurship community. Phil’s TEDxWellington talk to a sellout audience of 1,000 (with a livestream audience of 5000, #1 trending ...
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By Mike Cousins | 23 June, 2017 | Categories:
Connecting with Kiwis, News, Science & Tech
| Tags: Acting Deputy Chief of Mission, Bizdojo, Creative HQ, Demian Smith, DK, Mahuki, NZ VR/AR Association, Phil Sage, ProjectRNZ, Puekeko Pictures, Sir Richard Taylor, TEDxWellington, Wellington East Girls’ College
By Public Affairs staff, U.S. Embassy Wellington. The U.S. Embassy and Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) welcomed U.S. tech investment duo Steve Meller and Larry Howell to New Zealand last week for a series of events and meetings in Wellington and Auckland. The area of focus for the week was the GovTech space – the area of digital transformation within the public sector ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 13 June, 2017 | Categories:
Business, Connecting with Kiwis, Doing Business in the U.S., News, Science & Tech
| Tags: Bizdojo, CreativeHQ, CreativeHQ Startup Garage, demo day, Innovation and Employment, Larry Howell, MBIE, Ministry of Business, R9 Accelerator, Steve Meller
Application End Date: 10 July 2017 at 9:00am New Zealand Time Maximum Award Amount: $100,000 USD Contact: Auckland Public Affairs Section,
HosodaMK@state.gov PROGRAM DESCRIPTION The Public Affairs Section (PAS) of the U.S. Consulate General in Auckland, New Zealand seeks proposals for a project entitled “TechCamp New Zealand for Health Communicators.” The proposed project will consist of ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 7 June, 2017 | Categories:
Connecting with Kiwis, Key Documents, News, Public Affairs, Science & Tech, U.S. & New Zealand
| Tags: business professionals, community leaders, Federal States of Micronesia, Fiji, government officials, Health Communicators, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Public Affairs Section, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Solomon Islands, TechCamp, U.S. Consulate General in Auckland, U.S. Department of State
By Public Affairs Staff, U.S. Embassy, Wellington. The U.S. Embassy was proud to support Jessica Manins, CEO of
Blackeye VR , in bringing U.S. transmedia producer, Caitlin Burns to keynote at the Future Realities VR/AR conference in Auckland and Wellington as part of New Zealand’s first nationwide
Tech week . During her time in New Zealand, Caitlin met with some of ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 17 May, 2017 | Categories:
Auckland, Business, Connecting with Kiwis, Events, News, Public Affairs, Science & Tech
| Tags: AI, AR, AR VR Garage, Auckland, Augmented Reality, Blackeye, Caitlin Burns, Creative HQ, Future Realities, Mahuki, SoulMachines, Te Papa, Tech space, Virtual Reality, VR, Wellington
By Public Affairs staff, U.S. Embassy Wellington. Last week, we welcomed Disney Imagineer, Mk Haley, to Wellington. With Support from the U.S. Embassy, Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Florida State University and Creative Program Manager at Walt Disney’s Imagineering, Mk Haley, gave a series of talks in Wellington. The week was hosted by
Mahuki – Te Papa’s innovation hub . Mk Haley’s first talk ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 8 May, 2017 | Categories:
Business, Connecting with Kiwis, News, Public Affairs, Science & Tech
| Tags: Archives, Bizdojo, Candy Green, Chargé d'Affaires, Creative HQ, Disney, Disney Imagineer, entrepreneur, Entrepreneur-in-Residence, Florida State University, Galleries, GLAM, Libraries, Mk Haley, Museums, Te Papa
Repost from
blogs.nasa.gov/superpressureballoon . Acting U.S. Ambassador to New Zealand Visits NASA’s Super Pressure Balloon Operations in Wanaka; Some 250 Attend Open House. The acting U.S. Ambassador to New Zealand, Chargé d’Affaires Candy Green, paid a visit to Wanaka Airport, New Zealand, March 23 to see first-hand NASA’s super pressure balloon operations, the science it supports, ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 28 March, 2017 | Categories:
Chargé D’Affaires, Deputy Chief of Mission, News, Science & Tech
| Tags: Lauder Station, NASA, NIWA, NOAA, Wanaka
Charge d’Affaires Candy Green, along with embassy staff, visited the
NIWA ‘s Lauder Station on March 24 2017. Lauder Station is one of the five leading atmospheric research stations in the world. Lauder continues to lead global scientific efforts tracking the hole in the Earth’s ozone layer, and now has a growing role at the forefront of ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 24 March, 2017 | Categories:
Chargé D’Affaires, Deputy Chief of Mission, Environment, News, Science & Tech
| Tags: Lauder Station, NASA, NIWA, NOAA, Wanaka
Posted on
blogs.NASA.gov March 20, 2017 at 10:48 pm by
Jeremy Eggers . While the launch window for NASA’s next Super Pressure Balloon launch from Wanaka, New Zealand, opens March 25, there are a number of factors that need to align prior to making an actual launch attempt. Operationally, all the balloon systems—power, communications, telemetry, etc.—need to be checked out and tested. Today, ...
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By Mike Cousins | 23 March, 2017 | Categories:
News, Science & Tech
| Tags: NASA, Super Pressure Balloon, U.S. Department of State, Wanaka
Guest Blog by Thomas Goodin, Young Entrepreneur and Alumni of Young Enterprise Scheme and VentureUp Justin Milano was the first speaker for the 2017 Project Connect series, presenting at AUT on the Four Pillars for Entrepreneurial Success. Justin helps entrepreneurs build thriving companies. As a serial entrepreneur and executive coach, he uses a unique blend ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 6 March, 2017 | Categories:
Auckland, News, Science & Tech, Youth Outreach
| Tags: ATEED, Events and Economic Development, Justin Milano, Matt Stenton from Auckland Tourism, Thomas Goodin, VentureUp, Wile E. Coyote, Young Enterprise Scheme
The Auckland University of Technology is kicking off our Project17 speaker series with a bang – Justin Milano (Good Startups, USA), serial entrepreneur, executive coach, intrepid traveller, author and producer will be sharing some valuable insights and inspiration… If you are an entrepreneur, intrapreneur, or simply want to encourage entrepreneurial thinking in yourself and your ...
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By Mike Cousins | 14 February, 2017 | Categories:
Auckland, Connecting with Kiwis, News, Science & Tech
| Tags: AUT, entrepreneur, Good Startups, intrapreneur, Justin Milano, Project17, Transforming Fear into Creativity, USA
Remarks John Kerry Secretary of State Christchurch International Airport Christchurch, New Zealand November 12, 2016 SECRETARY KERRY: Hi, everybody. How are you? QUESTION: Hi there. QUESTION: Welcome back to New Zealand. SECRETARY KERRY: Well, let me just say what an extraordinary experience it was and how impressed I am by the remarkable commitment of so ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 13 November, 2016 | Categories:
Environment, Former U.S. Government Leaders, Key Officials, Science & Tech
| Tags: Antarctica, John Kerry, Remarks
Guest post and views of U.S. Embassy Youth Council member, Josiah Tualamali’i. Everyone’s heard of the US Space Agency NASA’s space missions and the exciting push for Mars, but lesser known about is the exploration and research they do inside earth’s atmosphere. Members of the US Embassy Youth Council and University of Canterbury students got ...
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By Mike Cousins | 28 September, 2016 | Categories:
Science & Tech, Uncategorized, Youth Outreach
| Tags: Atmospheric Tomography, Atom, Big Bang Theory, DC-8, Dr. Paul Newman, Josiah Tualamali'i, NASA, University of Canterbury, US Embassy Youth Council, US Space Agency
By U.S. Embassy Youth Council Members Sarah Peraira and Hannah Craighead. During the 22 and 23rd of August, we were lucky enough to attend the
Open Source Open Society (OS/OS) conference in Wellington. The Conference theme was how technology and open ways of working can transform your life, your work, your organisation and our society. Through speeches, panels and workshops, ...
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By Mike Cousins | 15 September, 2016 | Categories:
Connecting with Kiwis, News, Science & Tech, Youth Outreach
| Tags: Department of Homeland Security Digital Servic, Development and Operation, DevOps, Ele Munjeli, Eric Hysen, Google, Open Source Open Society, OS/OS
By U.S. Embassy Youth Council members James Coventry, Liana Kaiwai, and James Tawhiao. Lasting only a day, but packed with enough advice and inspiration for a whole week,
Project16 was a crash course in making dreams reality, achieving success and doing the unthinkable. The conference kicked off with an address by U.S. Ambassador Mark Gilbert. It ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 9 September, 2016 | Categories:
Auckland, Business, Connecting with Kiwis, Events, News, Science & Tech
| Tags: Auckland University of Technology, AUT, Business, Project16, Tech, USNZYouthCouncil, Wahine Toa
Thanks to the U.S. Embassy and
KiwiConnect , Eric Hysen of the
United States Digital Service came to New Zealand to keynote at the annual
Open Source Open Society conference. At the conference
Eric spoke on the challenges and rewards of modernizing U.S. Government systems. Eric is one of the Founding members of the
USDS , and is the Digital Service Lead for the
United States Department of Homeland Security. As a former employee at Google, Eric has worked ...
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By Mike Cousins | 8 September, 2016 | Categories:
Business, Connecting with Kiwis, News, Science & Tech
| Tags: Agile, Alina Siegfried, Bizdojo, Creative HQ, Defense, Departments of Homeland Security, Education, Eric Hysen, GRID Auckland, Health and Human Services, KiwiConnect, Open Source Open Society, startups, State, USDS, Veterans Affairs
Guest blog post by Josiah Tualamali’i. A 21 year old Samoan Kiwi studying Politics and History at the University of Canterbury & member of the U.S. Embassy Youth Council. Around our main Universities in Aotearoa, the US Embassy NZ has their Youth Councils. This helps the US Embassy NZ to build a two-way relationship with ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 28 August, 2016 | Categories:
Connecting with Kiwis, Former U.S. Government Leaders, News, Science & Tech, Youth Outreach
| Tags: Aotearoa, Barack Obama, Dr Aime Black, Dr Dava Newman, German Aerospace Centre, Hurunui Youth Council, International Development Disaster Assistance Response Team, Los Angeles County Urban, NASA, Rob Tate, SOFIA, Te Tohu Tokomaha Award, the Deputy Director of NASA, the Public Affairs Officer, U.S. Embassy Youth Council, University of Canterbury, USNZYouthCouncil
By Mara Hosoda, Public Affairs Section, U.S. Consulate General, Auckland. On July 4, 2016 NASA’s Juno mission arrived at Jupiter to study the large, distant planet. Studying what Jupiter is made of and what lies beneath its swirling clouds is critical to understanding how the solar system and Earth came about. Auckland was fortunate to ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 4 August, 2016 | Categories:
Auckland, Connecting with Kiwis, News, Science & Tech, Youth Outreach
| Tags: AUT University, Dr. Bolton, Dr. Scott Bolton, Juno, NASA, NASA's Juno mission, Professor Sergei Guylyaev, Space, the Director of the Institute for Radio Astronomy and Space Research
Last June, the U.S. Embassy were proud to support New Zealand startup company Founders attendance at the 2016
Global Entrepreneurship Summi t in Silicon Valley, USA. Let’s hear about their experience at GES2016… April McLennan – Founder & Trustee at Limitless Charitable Trust… There’s an excitement that comes with early morning starts. Flashback: 2.30am, June 18, 2016. Emerging from a bleary-eyed ...
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By Mike Cousins | 28 July, 2016 | Categories:
Connecting with Kiwis, News, Science & Tech
| Tags: 2016 Global Entrepreneurship Summit, April McLennan, GES2016, Limitless Charitable Trust.
By Mike Cousins | 15 July, 2016 | Categories:
Former Ambassadors, Key Officials, Science & Tech
| Tags: Dava Newman, Dr Dava Newman, NASA, Science, STEAM, STEM
By Mike, Emily and Shivani, Public Affairs. Adriana Gascoigne, Founder and CEO of
Girls in Tech , recently visited New Zealand to keynote at
Project Connect in Auckland and Wellington – a speaker series founded by the U.S. Embassy and the Auckland University of Technology’s (AUT). Alongside the Project Connect talks, Adriana had a series of meetings, round-table discussions and dinners throughout the country – including a ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 6 July, 2016 | Categories:
Auckland, Business, Connecting with Kiwis, Education, Events, Former Ambassadors, Former U.S. Government Leaders, News, Science & Tech, Youth Outreach
| Tags: Adriana Gascoigne, Auckland Consular Corps, Barack Obama, BizDojo Wellington, Creative HQ Wellington, Girls in Tech, GRID Auckland, Jade Software, Project Connect, St Margret's College Christchurch, STEM, the Christchurch City Council, The Mind Lab, The Ministry of Awesome Christchurch, USNZYouthCouncil
By Mara Hosoda, Public Affairs Section, U.S. Consulate General, Auckland. Non-communicable diseases (NCDs)–heart disease, cancers, lung disease and diabetes–are a major issue for the Pacific. NCDs are the leading cause of death in the Pacific and in some Pacific Island countries life expectancy is declining as a result of NCD-related premature deaths. Developing a sustainable ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 28 June, 2016 | Categories:
Connecting with Kiwis, Consulate General, East Asia & Pacific, Science & Tech, Youth Outreach
| Tags: Health, NCDs, Non-communicable diseases, Nukualofa, Pacific, Tonga
The U.S. Embassy in Wellington announces a small grants funding opportunity of up to $5,000 USD for projects in the realm of Environment, Science, Technology, and Health. Eligibility is limited to non-profit/nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and educational institutions within New Zealand, the Cook Islands and Niue. Proposals should demonstrate creativity, substance, and relevance to national goals ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 14 June, 2016 | Categories:
Connecting with Kiwis, Environment, News, Our Ocean, Public Affairs, Science & Tech
| Tags: Environment, Grant, grant opportunity, grants funding opportunity, Health, NGO, Science, Technology
By Mara Hosoda, Public Affairs Section, U.S. Consulate, Auckland. On April 25, 2016 the Auckland Youth Council met with Ambassador Mark Gilbert. In recognition of the recently-signed COP 21 Agreement on Climate Change, signed by 155 countries in New York on April 20, Earth Day, the group discussed climate change, especially in relation to the ...
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By Mike Cousins | 24 May, 2016 | Categories:
Business, Consulate General, Events, Former Ambassadors, Human Rights, Our Ocean, Public Affairs, Science & Tech, Youth Outreach
| Tags: Ambassador, Ambassador Mark Gilbert, Business, Consulate General, Earth Day, Events, Haunui Waka, Human Rights, Our Ocean, Public Affairs, Science & Tech, Sir Peter Blake Trust, Te Toki Voyaging Trust, Youth Outreach
By Phil McKenna, Public Affairs Section, U.S. Consulate, Auckland. For a number of months, U.S. Consulate General in Auckland has been busy the high-profile Tripartite Economic Summit between the cities of Auckland, Los Angeles, and Guangzhou, which took place from 16–17 May at the huge ANZ Viaduct Events Centre in Auckland. The summit program included ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 16 May, 2016 | Categories:
Auckland, Business, Former Ambassadors, Science & Tech
| Tags: #tripartiteAKL, ATEED, Auckland, entrepreneurs, innovators, Los Angeles, Tripartite Economic Alliance
By Mara Hosoda, Public Affairs Section, U.S. Consulate General, Auckland. NASA is on a mission to foster innovation around challenges affecting us at home and in space; this year it created the world’s largest international annual hackathons. On Friday April 22, 2016, Acting Consul General, Emily Armitage kicked off the 2016 NASA Space Apps Challenge ...
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By Ola Thorsen | 3 May, 2016 | Categories:
Auckland, Connecting with Kiwis, Consulate General, Education, Environment, Events, Public Affairs, Science & Tech, Youth Outreach
| Tags: AUT, Hackathon, NASA Space Apps Challenge, New Zealand, RocketLab, STEM
By Mara Hosoda, Public Affairs Section, U.S. Consulate General, Auckland. On April 13 and 14, 2016 the U.S. Ambassador Mark Gilbert and his wife, Mrs. Nancy Gilbert, made their first official visit to Dunedin, New Zealand. The Gilberts met with a cross section of Dunedin’s government, business, university, and civil society sectors. It was a ...
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By Mike Cousins | 21 April, 2016 | Categories:
Connecting with Kiwis, Doing Business in the U.S., First People's Connect, Former Ambassadors, News, Science & Tech, U.S. & New Zealand
| Tags: Animation Research, Craig Halbmaier, Dunedin, Dunedin City Council, Fulbright, Harlene Hayne, Nancy Gilbert, NASA, Otago Business School, Otago Museum, Pacific Islands Centre, TPP, U.S. Ambassador Mark Gilbert, University of Otago, Vice-Chancellor, Visiting Executives Program, Youth Council
By Mike Cousins, Public Affairs, U.S. Embassy Wellington. Google employee #43 (and now Silicon Valley entrepreneur/investor) Jeremy Wenokur was in New Zealand earlier this week to listen to and give startup advice to some of New Zealand’s young entrepreneurs. Jeremy’s NZ program included a roundtable (the kitchen table to be exact!) discussion with
GRID Auckland startup residents, a
Project Connect fireside chat ...
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By Mike Cousins | 8 April, 2016 | Categories:
Connecting with Kiwis, Former Ambassadors, News, Science & Tech
| Tags: American entrepreneur, AUT, Bizdojo, entrepreneur, GRID Akl, Jeremy Wenokur, U.S. Ambassador Mark Gilbert
NASA Space Apps Challenge is a 48-hour multi-disciplinary global weekend hackathon—for developers, entrepreneurs, astronomers, coders, marketers, product designers, data analysts, engineers, artists, enthusiasts etc. You don’t need to be an expert about space, just willing to work cooperatively as team to come up with creative solutions to one of the challenges set by the international ...
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By Mike Cousins | 4 April, 2016 | Categories:
Events, News, Science & Tech, Youth Outreach
| Tags: Aeronautics, Earth, Mars, NASA Space Apps Challenge, Solar System, Space Apps, Space Station, Technology
U.S. Ambassador to Switzerland
Suzi LeVine and Nancy Gilbert spoke with a group of women entrepreneurs at
BizDojo at a Collider Wellington on Tuesday March 29, while in New Zealand on a family holiday. Ambassador LeVine has an extensive background in tech, working at Microsoft and Expedia, and founding her own companies, prior to her appointment as President ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 1 April, 2016 | Categories:
Business, Events, Former U.S. Government Leaders, News, Public Affairs, Science & Tech
| Tags: Ambassador LeVine, Barack Obama, Collider Wellington, entrepreneur, Nancy Gilbert, Switzerland
The U.S. Embassy were proud to host Charles Babb in Wellington, New Zealand to speak at TEDxWellington 2016. Charles is the Founder of Fairchild Consortium – a firm that has seasoned creatives and industry veterans venturing into Augmented, Virtual, and Mixed Reality development. Charles Babb’s TEDx talk will be available in the coming weeks on the
TEDx YouTube channel , ...
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By Mike Cousins | 21 March, 2016 | Categories:
Events, News, Science & Tech
| Tags: Bizdojo, Charles Babb, Creative HQ, Gaming, Geo AR Games, TEDx, TEDxWellington, U.S. Ambassador Gilbert, VR, Wellington Mayor
This year’s
Project Connect series hosted by the Auckland University of Technology (AUT) and the U.S. Embassy kicks off with a very special one-time only interview with Silicon Valley entrepreneur/investor Jeremy Wenokur, moderated by U.S. Ambassador, Mark Gilbert. Jeremy will discuss how NZ companies can creatively position for offshore investment as well as cultivate potential USA buyers, ...
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By Mike Cousins | 16 March, 2016 | Categories:
Auckland, Events, Former Ambassadors, Former U.S. Government Leaders, News, Science & Tech, U.S. & New Zealand
| Tags: AUT, Barack Obama, Corporate Development for Google, entrepreneurs, Google, Jeremy Wenokur, Project, Project Connect, Tech, U.S. Ambassador Mark Gilbert
U.S. and New Zealand entrepreneurs, creative technologists, educators and investors visited New Zealand for the 2016 New Frontiers conference held in Whiteman’s Valley between February 12-26, 2016. The programming of New Frontiers was designed with three overarching themes: Planet, Story, and Economy. Each day featured a mix of U.S. and local keynote talks, in-depth panel discussions, open ...
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By Mike Cousins | 28 February, 2016 | Categories:
Connecting with Kiwis, Education, Environment, Former Ambassadors, Science & Tech
| Tags: creative technologists, educators, entrepreneurs, Environment, New Frontiers, Whiteman’s Valley
By Mara Hosoda, Public Affairs Section, U.S. Consulate, Auckland. Auckland Consul General Melanie Higgins attended the 2016 Vex Robotics New Zealand National Championship, which was held on February 27-28, 2016 in Auckland. The robotics competition brings together high school teams from across New Zealand, competing to represent New Zealand at the Vex World Robotics Championships ...
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By Mike Cousins | 27 February, 2016 | Categories:
Auckland, Connecting with Kiwis, Consulate General, Education, Events, Science & Tech
| Tags: 2016 Vex Robotics New Zealand National Championship, Aerospace Education, and Mathematics, Aquabots, Auckland, AURA, AUT, Autodesk, Brightsparks, Consul General Melanie Higgins, CPIT, Engineering, Four Winds Foundation, Fuji Xerox, House of Science, Kiwibots, KiwiSpace, Massey University, Melanie Higgins, NZTech, Science, SMC, STEM, Technology, The Mind Lab, Unitec, Vex Robotics, WelTec
Guest blog post by Chris Campbell. Most people don’t participate in robotics in New Zealand because most people don’t know what it is, but it is the fastest growing “sport” in my US school district,
Bloomfield Hills , Michigan. Sitting in my dining room in Waikanae Beach at 1:00am on December 20 to Skype my team members instead ...
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By Mike Cousins | 3 February, 2016 | Categories:
News, Science & Tech
| Tags: Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, robotics, Waikanae Beach
by Ambassador Mark Gilbert As the New Year dawns, I’ve been reflecting on the past twelve months and looking ahead to continuing to deepen our vital friendship with New Zealand and Samoa. 2015 was an amazing year, and I am so grateful I was able to meet with and be inspired by so many New ...
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By Ola Thorsen | 19 January, 2016 | Categories:
Environment, Former Ambassadors, News, Science & Tech
| Tags: Antarctica, NSF, U.S. Ambassador Mark Gilbert
Over the next year of the
National Park Service’s 100th anniversary , our new virtual intern,
Ryan , will be publishing blog posts on various U.S. National Parks. The first was on the great
Yellowstone National Park . Today he talks to us about the Grand Canyon. *** Explore the Grand Canyon of the Old West, by Ryan Valencia. At the heart of the ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 14 January, 2016 | Categories:
Environment, National Parks, Science & Tech
| Tags: American Southwest, Arizonan park, Grand Canyon, Grand Canyon National Park, Mather Campground, National Park Foundation, National Parks, National Parks Service, North Rim Campground, NPS100, U.S. National Parks, World Heritage Site
This week marks the 16th Annual
International Education Week (IEW), a joint initiative between the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education. Initially created so that America could inspire its students to travel abroad, IEW now encourages and supports foreign students interested in making the leap to study in the United States. Today IEW is ...
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By Mike Cousins | 20 November, 2015 | Categories:
Education, Science & Tech
| Tags: Ashley Campbell, Biochemistry, Columbia, Education, IEW, IEW 2015, International Education Week, MO, PhD, University of Missouri
This week marks the 16th Annual
International Education Week (IEW), a joint initiative between the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education. Initially created so that America could inspire its students to travel abroad, IEW now encourages and supports foreign students interested in making the leap to study in the United States. Today IEW is ...
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By Mike Cousins | 19 November, 2015 | Categories:
Auckland, Education, Science & Tech
| Tags: Accelerated Programs, Arcadia University, Education, IEW, International Education Week, Philadelphia, Rebecca Purvis
This week marks the 16th Annual
International Education Week (IEW), a joint initiative between the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education. Initially created so that America could inspire its students to travel abroad, IEW now encourages and supports foreign students interested in making the leap to study in the United States. Today IEW is ...
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By Mike Cousins | 15 November, 2015 | Categories:
Education, News, Science & Tech
| Tags: Education Week, IEW, Lean In Campus Leader, San Francisco Bay Area, Stanford, Stanford Graduate School of Business Ignite program, Stanford Laptop Orchestra, Stanford University, Stanford University Singers
By Mara Hosoda, Public Affairs U.S. Consulate, Auckland. The United States and New Zealand share a distinguished place on the world stage in producing inspiring female icons, from Rosa Parks and Kate Shepard to Beyonce and Helen Clark. This October we were proud to cohost an inspiration in her own right: Dr Terry Babcock-Lumish, an ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 6 November, 2015 | Categories:
Art & Culture, Education, Former U.S. Government Leaders, President of the United States, Public Affairs, Science & Tech
| Tags: Akina Foundation, Amelia Earheart, American entrepreneur, Barack Obama, Donald J. Trump, Dr. Babcock-Lumish, Eleanor Roosevelt, Frances Perkins, Hillary Clinto, Madeline Albright, Margaret Sanger, Rachel Carson, Renee Richards, Rosa Parks
Guest Blog by James Tremlett, Marine Conservationist and Social Scientist, Recipient of Duke’s Global Fellowship in Marine Conservation. Could you briefly tell us a bit about yourself? I was born and raised in Tāmaki Makaurau and for the past few years have made my home in Pōneke. I grew up relishing any contact with the ...
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By Mike Cousins | 25 September, 2015 | Categories:
Connecting with Kiwis, East Asia & Pacific, Former U.S. Government Leaders, Science & Tech
| Tags: Barack Obama, envionment, James Tremlett, Marine Conservation, marine science, oceans, Our Ocean 2015, our oceans, Tāmaki Makaurau, University of Auckland
The Embassy is delighted to support TEDxChristchurch this year, held in Christchurch at the majestic Theatre Royal. UPDATE: View photos from this event on
FlickR . text from
TedxChristchurch.com: TEDxChristchurch 2015: Think Again will be a stunning, one-day event like no other in Christchurch! At TEDxChristchurch, curious, open, passionate people come together to be intrigued, inspired, provoked and ...
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By Mike Cousins | 23 September, 2015 | Categories:
Events, Featured Event, Former U.S. Government Leaders, News, Science & Tech
| Tags: Bill Clinton, comedian Michele A’Court, Eric Liu, Ian Wright, Isaac Theatre Royal, Journalist Rod Oram, Ladi6, musician Jason Kerrison, Robyn Twemlow, TEDxChristchurch 2015, Tesla Motors, Think Again
Social impact entrepreneur Soraya Darabi spent a week in New Zealand, September 1-4, speaking to audiences and groups about managing change and scaling startups in an Embassy funded program. In Auckland Soraya headlined Project:Connect (a tech/entrepreneurship/innovation seminar series, of which the Embassy is a founding partner) at AUT University to two audiences totaling over 250, ...
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By Mike Cousins | 22 September, 2015 | Categories:
Connecting with Kiwis, Events, News, Science & Tech
| Tags: Akina Foundation, AUT University, Bizdojo, Diana Hardeman, Grow Wellington and Enspiral, Hvngry Magazine, IIP, Michelle Dickinson, Pricewaterhouse Coopers, Soraya Darabi
Guest post by Brian Skerry, National Geographic. We caught up with acclaimed National Geographic wildlife photographer
Brian Skerry ahead of his visit to New Zealand, Australia and Singapore to headline the winter series of
National Geographic Live Pacific coming to Auckland and Wellington in October (details below). He talks with us about some of his most memorable experiences and what drives ...
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By Mike Cousins | 15 September, 2015 | Categories:
Events, Former U.S. Government Leaders, Public Affairs, Science & Tech
| Tags: Brian Skerry, Environment, John Kerry, National Geographic, National Geographic Live Pacific, Whales
By Public Affairs staff, U.S. Embassy, Wellington.
The U.S. Embassy are excited to host Soraya Darabi in early September for the next Project Connect event. Soraya will speak at AUT University on September 1 on the topic “how to lead the audacious change needed to keep your company relevant”. Further details can be found at ...
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By Mike Cousins | 4 August, 2015 | Categories:
Events, News, Science & Tech
| Tags: AUT, AUT University, Brandweek, Brooklyn, Disney, Foodspotting, GSMA, Manager of Digital Partnerships, Michelle Dickinson, Most Creative People in Business, Nanogirl, New York, Open Table, Project:Connect, project.co.nz, Sir Paul Reeves Building, Soraya Darabi, The New York Times, Time Inc, Wired Magazine, Young Global Leader, Zady
