NZ students head to Bangkok sustainability forum

Media release

21 May 2007

New Zealand students head to sustainability forum in Bangkok

Three top New Zealand tertiary students will set off to Thailand this week to take part in the second annual Eco-Minds Youth Forum on sustainable development.

Chelsea Giles-Hansen from the University of Canterbury, Ben Hutchison graduating from Unitec, and Lucy Forgie from the University of Otago will join representatives from eight other Asia-Pacific countries at the forum in Bangkok between 30 May and 4 June.

The three aspiring students were selected through a national Bayer-sponsored Eco-Minds competition to take part in the all-expenses-paid experience as New Zealand delegates. The Eco-Minds Challenge was run as a partnership between Bayer New Zealand Ltd and the New Zealand National Commission for UNESCO (United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation).

“We’re thrilled to be sending these three top young New Zealanders to such a dynamic forum where they can learn more from prominent sustainability experts and share their ideas with other students from the region, “said William Malpass, Bayer New Zealand Corporate Communications Manager.

“The passion for and understanding of environmental issues that these students have is exceptional and their desire to act as leaders for other young people gives me confidence in their ability to deal with the challenges that lie ahead.”

Over the course of the four-day forum, the student delegates will participate in case-study work, creating innovative and practical solutions to addressing the challenge of sustainable development and ensuring fresh water supply.

The students will also take part in various field trips including visits to environmental projects, the Srinagarind dam and various industrial sites. Furthermore, they will be given the opportunity to hear internationally-renowned speakers present on a range of sustainable development topics.

Chelsea Giles-Hansen is a University of Canterbury student studying for a Bachelor of Engineering (honours) in natural resources with the underlying theme of the course being sustainability and holistic thinking. She is currently the president of the Women in Engineering Society at the University of Canterbury. Since starting her course Chelsea has undertaken a number of environment-related projects including monitoring and reporting on the ecological health of Okeover Stream, a restored waterway at the University of Canterbury campus and a major research project exploring environmental, social, economic, political, cultural and technical issues associated with proposed tidal turbine power generation from the Cook Straight.

Ben Hutchsion is graduating in environmental engineering at Unitec. Ben has been involved in a number of environment-related projects over the last year including a research project with Exxon Mobil to examine remediation and development options for a bulk fuel site He also co-organised and ran the first New Zealand Complementary Education Course for student engineers on sustainable development. In addition he was the first New Zealand student to attend the Board of European Students of Technology (BEST) Compulsory Education Course in Paris which focuses on sustainable energy.

Lucy Forgie is a University of Otago student studying a double degree - a Bachelor of Science in ecology and statistics and a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy, politics and economics. She is committed to environmental issues and recently won a $9,000 Linklater Memorial bursary awarded to students in the field of environmental study. On top of her study she holds a part-time job at the University of Otago’s zoology department, working as an assistant on a PhD project.

*Interviews with and photographs of the NZ Bayer Eco-Minds 2007 students are available on request.

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Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the fields of health care, nutrition and high-tech materials. The company’s products and services are designed to benefit people and improve their quality of life. At the same time Bayer creates value through innovation, growth and improved earning power. The Group is committed to the principles of sustainable development and acknowledges and accepts its role as a socially and ethically responsible “corporate citizen”. Economy, ecology and social responsibility are corporate policy objectives of equal rank. In fiscal 2006, Bayer employed 106,000 people and had sales of around €29 billion. Capital expenditures amounted to €1.7 billion, the R&D budget to €2.3 billion. More information is available on the Internet at www.bayer.com

In New Zealand, Bayer aims to make a positive contribution to the community, not only by providing innovative solutions, but also through our educational partnerships. For example, Bayer supports ongoing clinical research and educational initiatives in the treatment of haemophilia. On a broader scale, we believe social commitment also extends to the environment. We support initiatives to preserve and protect New Zealand’s native flora and fauna, such as the Whangarei Native Bird Recovery Centre and the BAYERBoost Environmental Scholarship Scheme for senior secondary school and tertiary students.

Bayer has had a presence in Australia and New Zealand for more than 75 years. For more information on Bayer visit www.bayer.co.nz or contact:

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