2017 New Zealand Harkness Fellow Announced: Joe Beaglehole
WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND, 4 December, 2017 - A policy analyst with a passion for the environment will work alongside top experts in the US as the 2017 Harkness
Fellow explores the implications of rapid urbanisation and how to better plan for it in New Zealand.
The Chairman of the New Zealand Harkness Fellowships Trust Board, Ross Tanner, has announced that the New Zealand Harkness Fellow for 2017 is Joe Beaglehole.
Mr. Beaglehole is a Senior Policy Analyst at the Ministry for the Environment where he works on urban policy issues. He
was chosen from a strong field of candidates for the fellowship.
Mr. Beaglehole will spend three months in New York on a Harkness Fellowship researching new tools for addressing the
challenges of rapid urbanisation. His project, titled “Policy solutions for New Zealand’s urban growth challenge” will
address New Zealand’s rapid urban growth, which according to Mr. Beaglehole, has led to deteriorating housing and
environmental outcomes, and is increasing pressure on New Zealand’s local governance, planning and infrastructure
investment policy settings.
“The objective of work supported through this Harkness Fellowship is to gather insights for current New Zealand policy
thinking into how urban governance and planning institutions and policy frameworks can deliver the benefits of growth
while mitigating the costs. Basing myself for 12 weeks at a leading urban policy think tank in New York City, I will
have access to world leading thinkers who are confronting these issues,” said Beaglehole. He will be based at Marron
Institute, New York University for the duration of his fellowship.
As a Fulbright Scholar in 2009, Mr. Beaglehole completed a Master’s degree at New York University in political economy,
and worked at the New York University Office of Sustainability. He graduated with a BA (Hons) in Philosophy from
Victoria University of Wellington in 2005.
The purpose of the Fellowships is to reinforce New Zealand-United States links by enabling aspiring leaders to benefit
from a programme of personal study at a US research institution or other organization.
“The Trust Board is delighted to announce Joe Beaglehole’s appointment and to welcome him to our programme”, concluded
Ross Tanner. "What Joe will focus on in the US goes to the heart of what the Harkness Fellowships are about - exploring
evidence-based approaches that have worked in the US with the aim of informing policy decisions back here in New
Zealand."
ENDS
About The Harkness Fellowship
The Harkness Fellowships programme has over the last sixty years enabled mid-career professionals who aspire to
significant leadership roles within New Zealand, particularly in but not limited to the public sector, to benefit from
new ideas, practices and contacts in the United States.
The Fellowship programme in New Zealand has supported over 100 talented people to pursue study and research programmes
in the US. Many have gone on to become leaders in their profession and to make outstanding contributions to science and
technology, health care and education, economics and public sector leadership.
To find out more about the Harkness Fellowships and the work of past Fellows, visit www.harkness.org.nz