The New Zealand Initiative The New Zealand Initiative

In this episode, Oliver talks to John Morris, ONZM, an educator and a former footballer who represented NZ on an international level. They discuss the decline of New Zealand's school system in recent decades and the difficulties in reforming it. With the right changes, New Zealand's education could be turned around in the coming years.

In this podcast episode, James talks Professor Abhishek Saha about the state of academic freedom and free speech in UK universities.

They discuss the newly passed Higher Education Freedom of Speech Act, its key provisions, and its potential impact on protecting the right of academics and students to express diverse viewpoints without fear of censorship or repercussions.

In this podcast episode, Oliver and Nick discuss their recent report on China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and its implications for New Zealand.

They caution that while BRI investments could potentially help fund New Zealand's large infrastructure deficit, the country needs to be very careful about engagement to avoid becoming locked into China's geopolitical sphere of influence.

You can find their report "Belt and Road Initiative: Implications for New Zealand" on our website www.nzinitiative.org.nz

In this episode, Oliver Hartwich interviews Dr Michael Johnston about the free speech event at Victoria University that was postponed due to backlash within the university.

They discuss the importance of free speech in liberal democracies, the changing perception of free speech as a partisan issue, and the concerning trend of young people trying to shut down events featuring disagreeable viewpoints.

In this episode, Eric Crampton talks to Frederico Fernández, Founder and CEO of We Are Innovation, about their recent global index ranking countries' policies on safer nicotine alternatives.

They explore how allowing access to options like vaping, snus and heated tobacco can drive down smoking rates more effectively than traditional tobacco control measures alone.

Additional links:
• We Are Innovation https://weareinnovation.global/

• The Health of the State https://www.nzinitiative.org.nz/reports-and-media/reports/the-health-of-the-state/

• Smoke and Vapour: The Changing World of Tobacco Harm Reduction https://www.nzinitiative.org.nz/reports-and-media/reports/smoke-and-vapour-the-changing-world-of-tobacco-harm-reduction/

Oliver and Michael talk about Germany's dual education system with Rachel Simpson, Manager for Education, Skills and Immigration at Business NZ.

Recently, Michael and Rachel were on a business delegation to Germany to find out about their dual education system first-hand.

In this episode, they discuss what this system looks like in Germany, what makes it successful and what might be stopping us from doing it here in NZ.