Online Sunday Seminars

Join us for online (Zoom) seminars covering major issues that many people may want to know more about and / or know what they can do more about.


12 noon Sunday, April 6th, 2025
Topic:  How will AI reshape jobs and the job market?

Description

AI has made dramatic advances in the past few years. In this seminar, Robin will share his insights about how that may flow through into the types of jobs that are available in the future and how they are done, including which industries and types of roles are likely to be affected most and soonest.

Speaker

Robin Hanson is an Associate Professor of Economics at George Mason University and is also Chief Scientist at the technology prediction market, Consensus Point. His PhD is from CalTech, and he has two Masters degrees from the University of Chicago.


12 noon Sunday, May 4th, 2025
Topic: New Zealand’s place in the world’s market

Description

As a small trading nation far from our trading partners what are the forces that will shape our trade in the coming years? How might our policies align with the shifts ahead? What might be the challenges and opportunities?

Speaker

Nick Swallow is a Director at KPMG, based in Auckland, where he consults on strategy and sustainability. Before joining KPMG, Nick served as New Zealand’s Trade Commissioner to the United Kingdom and Ireland, promoting trade opportunities and strategic relationships in the region. Before this, he held the position of Consul General in São Paulo, Brazil, and was the Regional Director for trade in South America.

Nick's academic background includes a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry and Genetics, and a Graduate Diploma in Management from the University of Canterbury, where he is recognised as a notable alumni. He recently graduated with a Master's in Sustainability Leadership with distinction from the University of Cambridge, his dissertation was on reducing greenhouse gas emissions in dairy farming in New Zealand. He is interested in the intersection between New Zealand’s trade, long-term economic well-being, and environmental sustainability.


Accessing the Seminars

The Sunday Online Seminars are open to current Mensa members and invited guests. 

For details of how to access the next seminar - link

(link is valid for current Mensa NZ members logged into the website only)


Future Seminars

Seminars will take place from 12-1:30 pm NZ time the first Sunday of every month except January. Topic and speaker details will be provided via Menzed and the Mensa NZ website. New Zealand Mensa members will also be notified by e-mail. 

If you want to suggest topics or speakers for future seminars, please contact Mary Ellen Gordon (meg@maryellengordon.com).

Previous Seminars

March 2nd 2025
Topic: 
Molecular Manufacturing and Microscopic Medical Robots
Speaker: Tad Hogg

February 2nd 2025
Topic: The past, present, and future of AI
Speaker: Hazel Watson-Smith

December 8th 2024
Topic: The intergenerational value of regular population censuses whilst amidst a population storm
Speaker: Len Cook

December 1st, 2024
Topic: Climate change – what’s happening and what do we do about it? 
Speaker: James Renwick