Join Dr James Kierstead for this webinar launching his new report "Amazing Grades: Grade Inflation at New Zealand Universities".
The report provides compelling evidence that grade inflation has taken hold in our universities over the past two decades, with particularly steep rises in the proportion of A grades awarded in recent years.
James will present an overview of the key data and trends, explore the drivers behind grade inflation, and discuss possible solutions.
He will be joined by Professor Douglas Elliffe from the University of Auckland's School of Psychology, who will share his perspective on grade inflation.
Date: Tuesday, 26 August 2025
Time: 2:30pm
Please register for the webinar via this link. Also, submit your question in advance on Slido.com using code #3762639
Dr James Kierstead, Research Fellow, The New Zealand Initiative
James is a Research Fellow at the New Zealand Initiative, where his research focuses on university policy. After receiving his PhD in 2013, James taught in the Classics Programme at Victoria University of Wellington for ten years. He has previously produced reports for the initiative on administrative bloat and academic freedom at New Zealand universities.
Douglas Elliffe, Professor, Faculty of Science University of Auckland
Douglas is a Professor of Psychology at the University of Auckland, where he’s taught undergraduate and graduate students for about 40 years. He is a former Head of Psychology and former Deputy Dean of Science, and in both roles continued to maintain a full teaching and supervision load. His dominant interest in recent years is the future direction of universities, in particular the need to defend academic freedom and the value of dispassionate scientific enquiry.
Dr Oliver Hartwich, Executive Director, The New Zealand Initiative
Oliver is the Executive Director of The New Zealand Initiative. Before joining the Initiative, he was a Research Fellow at the Centre for Independent Studies in Sydney, the Chief Economist at Policy Exchange in London, and an advisor in the UK House of Lords. Oliver holds a Master’s degree in Economics and Business administration and a PhD in Law from Bochum University in Germany.