UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State Global sponsored two Penn State professors, Anne Hoag, associate professor, Department of Telecommunications and director of the Center for Penn State Student Entrepreneurship, and Esther Obonyo, associate professor of Architectural Engineering and director of Global Building Network, to attend the December 2022 Blue and Green Technology Conference in Auckland, New Zealand. The visit underscored the strong partnership that connects the University of Auckland and Penn State.

With a focus on clean technology and innovation, the conference explored and showcased how the update of blue and green technologies can help humanity live with current climate change-related extreme weather events while also mitigating the adverse impacts of projected future global challenges. Government, industry, and academic leaders convened to try to identify collaboration strategies that could accelerate a just transition to a low carbon and climate-resilient future.

Meetings with government officials, industry, and the university highlighted the strong connections that bind Penn State and the University of Auckland around the United National Sustainable Development Goals.

“During the conference, several frameworks from frontline communities were showcased as strategies for addressing the climate emergency alongside some very modern high-tech strategies,“ said Obonyo. “These were conceptualized and developed as hybrid solutions by having two-way exchanges between the universities‘ research centers and the frontline communities. We usually go beyond our campuses to engage with the local and indigenous knowledge systems and will be exploring ways of providing reverse visit opportunities for members of frontline communities.”

“Throughout the conference and in conversation with faculty, I was struck by how a New Zealand Maori principle — the importance of ‘being a good ancestor’ — is integrated into the mission of many New Zealand startups and into the entrepreneurship ecosystem,“ said Hoag. “I want my Penn State students to see how this ethic enhances the entrepreneurial mindset.” 

The two professors envision that next steps in their collaboration with the University of Auckland will include the exploration of international student experiences, whether virtual or in person. This builds on the institutional partnership that the University of Auckland and Penn State embarked on in 2018, which has led to collaborations in research, education and the co-hosting of the Times Higher Education Innovation and Impact Summit in 2021. 

“We are very grateful that the University of Auckland provided the wonderful opportunity for Professor Hoag and Professor Obonyo to attend the conference. The trajectory of the partnership remains high due to universitywide commitment and joint Penn State-Auckland faculty teams who have collaborated successfully over the course of the last few years,” said Alexandra Persiko, Assistant Director for Europe and Oceania Partnerships. “We look forward to an upcoming seed-funded collaboration program in 2023 — stay tuned for further announcements.”

For additional information on the Penn State and University of Auckland institutional partnership, contact Alexandra Persiko at axp1225@psu.edu.