AUT news

Are the new Bunnings DIY flatpack cabins a gamechanger? 🔨 🏠 🤔

Despite the buzz across the Tasman, Auckland University of Technology Senior Lecturer Jade Kake says nope.

Hi-vis vests are the new white lab coat for this research platform - the AUT Living Laboratories programme.

We're recloaking the whenua at three different sites of retired farmland to demonstrate the value, and inform the practice, of Nature-based Solutions.

#Naturebasedsolutions #livinglabs

Dengue control underway in Cook Islands - Expert Reaction A mosquito fumigation operation is being carried out in Rarotonga, after the first reported death from a dengue outbreak.  Travellers to Rarotonga will experience temperature checks and bug-spraying ...

“From a mathematical epidemiology perspective, a single death does not mean the outbreak is out of control. However, it does signal that transmission remains active within the community," Dr Fatoyinbo says.

Read more here: www.sciencemediacentre.co.nz/2026/02/13/d...

A dengue death in the Cook Islands is a reminder that community cooperation is the most vital tool in transmission reduction, AUT's Dr Hammed Fatoyinbo tells the Science Media centre @smcnz.bsky.social

5 New Zealand music acts keeping te reo Māori alive and rocking The number of New Zealanders who speak te reo Māori grew 15% from 2018 to 2023 – and the nation’s artists are reflecting this.

Bad Bunny's Super Bowl performance brought the Puerto Rican Spanish language to millions of viewers worldwide.

Here in Aotearoa New Zealand, musical artists have also used the Māori language to build on and reshape our national identity.

theconversation.com/5-new-zealan...

NZ’s $2.5 billion shoddy building bill: how to fix the ‘build now, fix later’ culture

Fixing defective buildings shaves billions off GDP and has stalled construction industry productivity for decades. A better quality management regime is the answer.

NZ’s $2.5 billion shoddy building bill: how to fix the ‘build now, fix later’ culture Fixing defective buildings shaves billions off GDP and has stalled construction industry productivity for decades. A better quality management regime is the answer.

Nearly 10% of NZ's residential building sector's value is lost to systemic quality failure. That's $2.5bn a year, or about 5000 missing homes.

Here's how to fix our 'build now, fix later' culture.

theconversation.com/nzs-2-5-bill...

Auckland University of Technology's Professor Regan Potangaroa has been involved in more than 200 humanitarian deployments to 22 countries. He shared his summer survival tips, for when the unexpected happens, with RNZ:

www.rnz.co.nz/national/pro...

It's time for a very special Christmas episode of 'Hey, Did You Know?'.

Host Mike Kilpatrick and guest Dr Rebecca Trelease talk about Christmas movies - and try and use academic expertise to decide if Die Hard is a Christmas movie. They review Christmas Karma too.

open.spotify.com/episode/0X08...

#therapydogs #puppy #hungarianvizsla #autnews | AUT News We all know that cuddles from a cute puppy can make you feel better...

 But could dogs be used in clinical settings? 🐕

 That's the question Associate Professor Psychology & Neuroscience Kirsten Va...

We all know that cuddles from a cute puppy can make you feel better...

But could dogs be used in clinical settings? 🐕

We were lucky enough to get to spend some time with Associate Professor Kirsten Van Kessel and her adorable Hungarian Vizsla puppy Rimu!

www.linkedin.com/posts/autnew...

“It is important that communities and stakeholders have sufficient time to review and respond to the proposed changes to Resource Management legislation," AUT architecture lecturer Dr Stacy Vallis says.

www.sciencemediacentre.co.nz/2025/12/09/r...

"I would be worried if it were my children," AUT Associate Professor Terri-Ann Berry told RNZ. "However, I do need to offer some reassurance and that is that not everyone that gets exposed to asbestos will develop cancer."

You can find official information on the recalled magic sand products on the MBIE website: www.mbie.govt.nz/about/news/r...

Contamination of kids' sand products with asbestos has triggered recalls by NZ's government. But while the situation is concerning and the risks associated with asbestos should not be taken lightly, Associate Professor Terri-Ann Berry says not all people exposed will develop cancer.

Episode 2 - Dr Myra Williamson

Hey, did you know Palestinian statehood is recognised by more than 80 percent of the 193 members of the United Nations? But New Zealand isn't one of them?

Host Susan Strongman dives into this with Dr Myra Williamson in the second episode of our new podcast:

open.spotify.com/episode/5aEu...

Episode 1 - Dr Rebecca Trelease

In the first episode of 'Hey, Did You Know?', AUT's brand new podcast, Dr Rebecca Trelease (Te Āti Haunui a Pāpārangi) chats to host Mike Kilpatrick about reality TV, sexism, Taylor Swift and more.

Listen below or wherever you get your favourite podcasts!

open.spotify.com/episode/61gj...

AUT's Professor Regan Potangaroa, a global expert in humanitarian engineering who's been involved in more than 200 UN deployments in 22 countries, on rebuilding Gaza.

www.aut.ac.nz/news/stories...

AUT researchers in search of asbestos contamination collected samples from east Auckland beaches at the weekend, in an effort to determine the level of public risk posed by the material.

www.aut.ac.nz/news/stories...

In Gaza, food, medicine and bottled water are the immediate priorities. But how does the city itself get rebuilt?

⚠️ See interactive images of the devastation: theconversation.com/with-83...

Hard hats don't protect against sexism👷

And the challenges faced by women working in construction in Aotearoa - ranging from subtle biases to outright discrimination - are likely hampering efforts to increase female representation in the industry. www.aut.ac.nz/news/stories...

AUT senior lecturer and registered psychotherapist Dr Brigitte Viljoen says New Zealanders could be at risk from unregulated AI chatbots being promoted for therapy - and the Government needs to act.

"We need scientific proof... not hypothetical claims and hype.”

www.aut.ac.nz/news/stories...

AUT senior lecturer and registered psychotherapist Dr Brigitte Viljoen says New Zealanders could be at risk from unregulated AI chatbots being promoted for therapy - and the Government needs to act.

"We need scientific proof... not hypothetical claims and hype.”

www.aut.ac.nz/news/stories...

Quake-prone buildings redefined - Expert Reaction Government changes to the earthquake-prone building system will remove nearly 3000 buildings from the classification. Following the Seismic Risk Management Review, Building and Construction Minister C...

Read Dr Aigwi's full response on the @smcnz.bsky.social website:

www.sciencemediacentre.co.nz/2025/09/29/q...

"This discrepancy can result in the abandonment of vital heritage structures in regional centres as an unintended consequence of the legislation, ultimately leading to a decline in the overall vitality of regional inner-cities.”

She says regional centres in NZ often contain a higher density of unique earthquake-prone heritage buildings per capita and frequently receive less financial support than their urban counterparts.

"Another significant gap is that the terms of reference did not explore questions regarding diverse challenges faced by urban vs regional areas," Dr Aigwi told the Science media Centre @smcnz.bsky.social

The government shake-up of earthquake-prone building rules should explore how social connections and community ties to earthquake-prone heritage buildings may affect compliance with the current earthquake-prone building legislation, says AUT's Dr Esther Aigwi.

Pacific leaders reach agreement on big issues – but unity remains elusive Last week’s Pacific Islands Forum leaders meeting showed why true integration remains challenging while island nations are at different stages of independence.

Unity remains elusive at the recent Pacific Islands Forum; Marco de Jong and Sione Tekiteki from AUT Law School explain why: theconversation.com/pacific-lead...

Does ASMR really help with anxiety? Experiencing an involuntary physiological response to a sound helps some people feel a sense of "psychological stability".

We'd never heard the phrase "skin orgasms" until we read Associate Professor Daniel Shepherd's piece on ASMR 😬

Plenty of people use ASMR videos and audio to help them sleep, but is there any scientific evidence that it can be effective?

www.rnz.co.nz/life/wellbei...

A UN finding of genocide in Gaza adds pressure on NZ to recognise a Palestinian state If New Zealand expressly recognises Palestine at the UN next week, it will be a significant – but justified – departure from long-standing foreign policy.

An international law expert from AUT Law School makes a strong, legally-robust call for the NZ government to recognise Palestine as a state... theconversation.com/a-un-finding...