Vice President Al Gore supports New Zealand’s future leaders
Westpac presents: An Evening with Vice President Al Gore
Date: Friday 12 October 2012
Venue: Telstra Pacific Events Centre
A giant figure on the world stage, 45th Vice President Al Gore is widely recognised for his positive impact on the
future of humanity and for highlighting the business opportunities presented by sustainability.
AUT is delighted to join in sponsoring Al Gore at this event in Auckland, which is sure to be provocative and
insightful.
Westpac’s director of Corporate Affairs Sue Foley said: “We take our corporate responsibility seriously – this year we
were awarded the Sunday Star Times Most Socially Responsible Bank and were finalists in all five categories of the
Sustainable 60 Awards. We’re pleased to be able to support the leadership that AUT is showing in this area”.
Referred by TIME Magazine as “a businessman who is out to change the world,” Gore’s status as a leader in global
politics, technology and business influences his positions as Senior Advisor to Google and member of the Board of
Directors of Apple. Vice President Gore continues to lead the campaign to educate the world on climate change; he will
be speaking in New Zealand this month on Leadership in a Changing World – leadership, reinvention and the challenges facing global economies and businesses.
AUT University’s Vice Chancellor, Derek McCormack, says “we are educating the leaders of tomorrow; our role is to
provide them with the complex skills to work in multifaceted and multicultural global environments. Beyond university
our graduates will need to draw on their personal experiences as well as their education lead with influence in the
changing world”.
The event will also feature an auction, the proceeds of which will enable AUT University to establish an international
internship scholarship fund for students.
New Zealand's relative geographic isolation, compounded by the expense of travelling, means that most university
students have few opportunities to experience living and working in another country before they graduate, if indeed
ever.
The opportunity provided by AUT’s international internship scholarships will prove invaluable to students as part of
their development, and will enable them to make a greater contribution to Auckland and New Zealand. The scholarship
students will be able to work in another market for a global company where they can learn to navigate different
professional and physical environments and cultures. They will earn their ‘first stripes’ as future global leaders for
New Zealand.
Auckland University of Technology is a university for the changing world, an increasingly powerful force for learning
and discovery. A contemporary, connected and relevant study destination, which has differentiated itself through its
commitment to widening university access and participation, and its engagement with business, industry and communities.
AUT, New Zealand’s fastest growing university, has an enrolment of around 19,000 equivalent full-time students across
three campuses – City, North Shore and Manukau. AUT is ranked in the top 500 QS International Rankings of 20,000
universities around the world and 358th in the world for Engineering and Technology in the QS subject rankings.
ENDS