ABOUT AUT :
Auckland University of Technology is a dynamic university that strives for excellence in learning, teaching, research and scholarship. An important part of achieving these goals involves providing well-designed, pleasant facilities that meet student and staff needs now and in the future. This is resulting in more than $220 million being invested in Building AUT, a long term programme to provide facilities that better meet student and staff needs.

AUT Technology Park in Penrose, its participation in the pioneering Global University Alliance, its various computer-based learning activities, its involvement in increasingly significant applied research "collaboratories" with international colleagues, its library-based online research project, the development of a major in e-business, the innovative Arion system, the commitment to replacing every one of its 2,800 computers every three years, etc. are all indicators of its determination to connect with the realities of the knowledge society.

Its Prime Minister has declared her Government's intention to nurture research and development initiatives with extra resourcing to ensure New Zealand succeeds in the knowledge economy. Undoubtedly, the profitable commercialisation of research and development will crucially boost New Zealand's economic well-being. It is important that employment prospects are enhanced. And it is essential that it retains many of its talented innovators. So this policy is to be encouraged.

Being the youngest University, and without a history of research successes, it might find difficulty in ensuring its talents are recognised as deserving the extra resourcing that is to be made available. So it must make it abundantly clear that its commitment is to connect with the learning needs of its community which requires a commitment to innovative research and development in this new computer oriented era. And, as its record of achievement shows, it is contributing significantly.

However, in its striving to enhance its technological development, it must not lose sight of the underlying purposes of its social and educational existence. As well as being committed to providing the very best possible education to as many students as possible, it is committed to contributing to a good community so that those who follow after us will have a better place in which to live. So it insists, with its Ethics Committee, that its research and development options be measured by ethical principles including respect for people, nature, its future community, justice, etc.

It must cherish a New Zealand that is to be more than merely a wealthy society. It wants to live in a community where its innovations do not harm or pollute the natural order, which do not jeopardise its quest for a just and sustainable economy, and, above all, which do not compromise its enjoyment of interpersonal relationships and its respect for others.

Thus, it accepts accountability to an order of values higher than just profit, knowledge, and technical progress. So, rather than call it a knowledge society, It might prefer to refer to the wisdom society. But, since computerisation is making such a remarkable and important impact, it might incorporate its deference to it by calling its age "the mega-knowledge wisdom society." This declares that while it recognise the importance of knowledge it desire to look at key values and purposes governing its uses of knowledge.

It might recall T S Eliot's lament: "Where is the wisdom it has lost in knowledge". This is particularly pertinent as its factual knowledge escalates with such remarkable rapidity. Someone has calculated it is doubling every seven years. It may well know how to do everything. But it need to know why it should do everything and whether it is in the best interests of its future so to do.