To kick off this year’s Science Festival we are hosting a special opening night talk: Science in the Spotlight. Join us for a fireside chat between Festival patron Helen Anderson, the Prime Minister’s Chief Science Advisor Dame Juliet Gerrard, and the chair of the Climate Change Commission Rod Carr. We will discuss the challenges faced, as well as the massive leaps forward that science is currently making and those that science will need to make, in order to tackle our future.

A drink and refreshments are included in the price of your ticket.

Helen Anderson served as the Chief Executive of the Ministry of Research, Science and Technology from 2003-2010. She is a companion of the Royal Society of New Zealand and a Companion of the Queen’s Service Order for services to the Ministry of Research, Science and Technology.

Dame Juliet Gerrard is a Professor at the University of Auckland and serves as the Prime Minister’s Chief Science Advisor, a role she has held since 2018. Earlier this year, she became a Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for her services to science.

Rod Carr is the Chairperson of the Climate Change Commission. He has previously served as Chair of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand and Vice Chancellor of the University of Canterbury.