Past events

Read about past events from the School of Science in Society.

Café Scientifiqué

Café Scientifiqué is a place where, for the price of a cup of coffee or a glass of wine, anyone can come to explore the latest ideas in science and technology in a relaxed, friendly environment.

Want to be informed of upcoming events? Sign up for our mailing list.

For further information, please contact scienceinsociety@vuw.ac.nz.

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June 2026

The School of Science in Society invites you to Café Scientifiqué—‘How nature inspires medicine'.

Drawing on Pacific Island knowledge and Western scientific approaches, a chemist and a biologist share insights about the potential of marine organisms for the development of modern medicines.

Speakers

Dr Helen Woolner

Dr Helen Woolner is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Biological Sciences at Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington. Combining Pacific Island knowledge with an all-encompassing scientific approach, she investigates the potential of marine organisms to provide a new generation of antibiotic drugs.

Rob Keyzers

Rob Keyzers is an Associate Professor of Chemistry and Head of the School of Chemical & Physical Sciences. His work mainly focuses on profiling the new and under-explored molecules made by marine invertebrate animals and plants.

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September 2025

Join us for a new Café Scientifiqué series hosted by Pūtaiao ki te Pāpori—School of Science in Society.

In September, an astrophysicist and a novelist discussed the evolving picture physics gives us about the nature of the universe, and the ways people find their place in it.

Speakers

Dr Tim Corballis

Tim Corballis, Senior Lecturer in Science in Society at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington, is a novelist and researcher in aesthetic and cultural aspects of science.

Dr Yvette Perrot

Yvette Perrott is a Senior Lecturer in Astrophysics at Te Herenga Waka. She studies the largest structures in the Universe using radio and X-ray telescopes.

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