Aotearoa New Zealand Centre for Human-Animal Studies

11/05/2026

Interested in publishing in animal studies? Here's a meandering, informal chat between Dr Nik Taylor and Dr Zoei Sutton of Flinders Uni, on that very topic.

Drs Nik Taylor (University of Canterbury) and Zoei Sutton (Flinders University) have an informal chat about publishing (mainly books, but with some attention...

15/04/2026

Huge **congratulations** to Dr Eilish Espiner and Dr Kathleen Jackson, who have graduated with PhDs in Human-Animal Studies (Eilish) and English (Kathy). We are so proud of them both for their compassionate CAS scholarship on behalf of all beings. Eilish's PhD in Human-Animal Studies, supervised by Annie Potts and Philip Armstrong, is called "Meat culture in Aotearoa New Zealand: reactionary carnism, consumptive objectification, and alternative imaginings" and Kathleen's in English, supervised by Nicholas Wright and Annie Potts, is "The Animal Gothic”: Animal and ecological intersectionalism in the fiction of Zora Neale Hurston, Carson McCullers, and Flannery O’Connor". Seven PhDs were celebrated this year in the Faculty of Arts, and two of them were inspired by Critical Animal Studies! Ngā mihi nui ki a kōrua, Eilish rāua ko Kathy. Full of admiration for your mahi and we're so proud you're part of NZCHAS. Hope you both celebrate bigtime!

10/03/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/1CMcesC7uT/

09/03/2026

Dr Mary Shannon Johnstone ---- exceptional photographer and compassionate activist scholar. We're so proud you are NZCHAS Alumni.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/174ndw722i/ 🌟🎉👏💖😊

09/03/2026

18/02/2026

"Ethology, Literature and the Arts: the Science of Animal Behaviour and its Influence on Creativeness." The workshop will take place from September 23 to 27, 2026. Hosted by International School of Ethology, Ettore Majorana Centre in Erice.

The overall purpose of the Workshop is to discuss how ethological studies have influenced different non-scientific disciplines, such philosophy, literature, movies, and various forms of artistic expressions. the idea is to look at how the teachings of the great figures of ethology can be traced in humanistic and artistic expressions.

Speakers at the workshop will be: Marco Gamba Arnaud Gerspacher, Thomas Lamarre, Akira Lippit, Paolo Pecere, Simone Pollo, Andrea Ravignani, Jessica Ullrich, Giorgio Vallortigara, Augusto Vitale.
Organizational secretariat: Luca Di Vincenzo
Information on registration and participation procedures: https://centromajorana.it/ethoart2026/
E mail: [email protected]

21/01/2026

Upcoming event in Ōtautahi | Christchurch. Please share widely.

The New Zealand Cente for Human-Animal Studies and the Dept. Human Services at UC look forward to seeing you at this symposium on human-animal violence links.

20/01/2026

Writing by two NZCHAS members, Annie Potts and Philip Armstrong, features in the latest issue of Animal Studies Journal, which is freely available online now. Annie’s contribution is an essay reflecting on her experience of living with Lotus, a rescued house sparrow; Philip’s is a poem about molluscs from his latest poetry collection. Here is the publication announcement with link to the journal issue:

Animal Studies Journal would like to announce the publication of volume 14, issue 2.

This issue presents articles on species relations in multispecies ethnographic research, in the political Left, and in the lives of human-controlled junglefowl or chickens.

We also feature a diverse selection of creative work highlighting details of animality and human-animal relationships, and the responses they evoke. Topics include birds, mammals, invertebrates, marine life, and the animal origin of vellum.

We hope you enjoy this varied issue.

16/01/2026

Dr Major is one of our PhD graduates and we are so excited for her. This new role is just perfect for her and her important work on 'pest' species. Congratulations Emily!

The 2026 UPF CAE Junior Fellowship has been awarded to Emily Major (New Zealand Centre for Human-Animal Studies) and Birkan Taş (University of Kassel, Germany)

20/11/2025

Trump’s “quiet piggy” remark reflects deep-seated misogyny and speciesism.