Demographic Change - Global and Local impacts and implications
Distinguished Professor Emeritus Paul Spoonley
Wednesday, 18th March 2026 5:30pm
Nelson
Pastorius Waller Theatre Suter Art Gallery, Bridge Street, Nelson
The demography of many countries, including New Zealand, is changing dramatically. What can we expect over the coming decades? How is New Zealand changing? What are the key issues - and are there aspects of this demographic disruption that we should be doing something about?
This talk will outline the major shifts in demography, both globally and in relation to New Zealand..
Distinguished Professor Emeritus Paul Spoonley FRSNZ ONZM is the former Pro Vice-Chancellor of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at Massey University. He later advised the New Zealand Police Commissioner (2022–25) and served as Co-Director of the National Centre for Countering Violent Extremism (2022–23).
A leading researcher on immigration, diversity and inter-group relations, he has contributed widely to public policy in New Zealand and internationally. He is a Fellow of Royal Society of New Zealand, a Fulbright Senior Scholar alumnus at University of California, Berkeley, and was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2025. He has authored or edited 29 books, including The New New Zealand: Facing Demographic Disruption (2021).
The demography of many countries, including New Zealand, is changing dramatically. What can we expect over the coming decades? How is New Zealand changing? What are the key issues - and are there aspects of this demographic disruption that we should be doing something about?
This talk will outline the major shifts in demography, both globally and in relation to New Zealand..
Distinguished Professor Emeritus Paul Spoonley FRSNZ ONZM is the former Pro Vice-Chancellor of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at Massey University. He later advised the New Zealand Police Commissioner (2022–25) and served as Co-Director of the National Centre for Countering Violent Extremism (2022–23).
A leading researcher on immigration, diversity and inter-group relations, he has contributed widely to public policy in New Zealand and internationally. He is a Fellow of Royal Society of New Zealand, a Fulbright Senior Scholar alumnus at University of California, Berkeley, and was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2025. He has authored or edited 29 books, including The New New Zealand: Facing Demographic Disruption (2021).
Membership
NZIIA membership is open to anyone interested in understanding the importance of global affairs to the political and economic well-being of New Zealand.