20 September 2000 Research to examine cultural aspects of biotechnology

A Lincoln University research project into the cultural aspects of biotechnology has received special funding from the University's Fund for Excellence.

Dr Stefanie Rixecker, a senior lecturer in the Environmental Management and Design Division, is among six students and five staff members who have shared an allocation of funds from Lincoln University's Fund for Excellence, which raises money from alumni for promising research projects.

Dr Rixecker's current research into biotechnology is concerned with the cultural aspects of technology, especially in relation to gender, sexuality, procreation and human development. She is working with geneticists and cultural specialists in the United States and Europe to develop a global picture of biotechnology and cultural risk assessment. The support of the Fund for Excellence will enable the programme to include a New Zealand perspective on these issues, through interviews with key policymakers and research organisations such as the Crown Research Institutes and the Environmental Risk Management Authority.

Dr Rixecker says the results of research will be incorporated into undergraduate courses such as Systems Analysis for Resources Studies in 2002. Dr Rixecker and the Environmental Management and Design Division intend to introduce a new subject, Applied Policy Analysis, which will use technology policy as its focus. The information, results and contributors to this research will be used to inform the subject.

"This is a vital component in the ongoing dialogue regarding the nature and use of biotechnology, especially in relation to cultural risk and environmental management," says Dr Rixecker. "Lincoln is actively involved in the science of biotechnology, and this research into the social issues will provide a balanced approach to an area which can be controversial and challenging."

Lincoln's Fund for Excellence was the first of its kind established by a New Zealand university, and aims to promote excellence in teaching, research and student services using funds collected in an annual appeal to alumni, University Council members and friends of Lincoln University.

Ian Collins, Journalist, Lincoln University, Canterbury, New Zealand