About
The New Zealand Computer Science Research Student Conference exists to draw graduate students together into a lasting community, increasing their awareness of each other's work and establishing contacts that will support future careers. Participants will gain experience with submitting, reviewing and presenting papers in a friendly and supportive environment. There will also be guest speakers, opportunities to meet representatives of the New Zealand and international IT industry, and plenty of social activities.
The conference is intended for honours, masters and doctoral students, but other interested students and staff are also encouraged to participate. The attendance fee for postgraduate students affiliated with any of the eight NZ Universities has been highly subsidised to $NZ40. The cost for academic staff / faculty staff has also been discounted to NZ$100. Other participants can also attend at a cost of NZ$200. We are also attempting to organise sponsorship for accommodation/travel expenses.
This year's conference will be hosted by the University of Canterbury, in Christchurch. The conference will be held in the main lecture theatres of the University of Canterbury. Accommodation will be at Bishop Julius Hall, a short walk from the university campus.
Conference Map
Bishop Julius Hall
Accommodation for NZCSRSC'08 is at Bishop Julius Hall, a residential hall and conference centre close to the University of Canterbury.
The hall was established by Churchill Julius, the second Anglican bishop of Christchurch as a women-only hall for students of the university. It was not opened to male students until 1993, with the curious exception of Tim Bell, who received special dispensation to live there when he was a student, for reasons that are not entirely clear.
Getting There
Transport from the airport will be provided.
If you prefer to make your own travel arrangements, the address of Bishop Julius Hall is
90 Waimairi Road
Ilam
Christchurch
Commercial shuttles from the airport cost about $10.
Facilities
Accommodation will be in individual rooms, with bed linen provided. Most floors have a microwave, tea and coffee making facilities, a washing machine, dryer, iron and ironing board.
Getting around
Bishop Julius Hall is a short walk from the main university campus, through the leafy environs of the historic Staff Club
Bus routes 19 (Burnside), 21 (Ilam), 24 (Hyde Park) and 3 (Avonhead) travel between the central city and the University. The fare is $2.50 each way, and you can pay on the bus. Information on routes and timetables can be found here.
Riccarton Mall and Bush Inn Shopping Centre are within easy walking distance. Countdown at Church Corner is open 24 hours.
The University of Canterbury / Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha
The University of Canterbury was established in 1873 as the second university in New Zealand, after Otago. It was originally sited in the centre of the city, in buildings that are now the Christchurch Arts Centre, but moved in the 1960s to a more spacious campus in Ilam, about five kilometres away.
Ernest Rutherford studied at Canterbury in the 1890s, before taking up a scholarship to Cambridge. His contemporary Apirana Ngata was the first Maori graduate from any New Zealand university. These two men appear on the New Zealand $100 and $50 bank notes respectively. Other famous alumni include Rita Angus, Michael Cullen, Denis Dutton, Roy Kerr, John Key, Margaret Mahy, William Pickering and Beatrice Tinsley. The philosopher Karl Popper taught at Canterbury in the 1940s, and Richard Feynman delivered several of his famous physics lectures here as a visiting professor.
The large engineering school and department of Computer Science and Software Engineering at Canterbury have resulted in a large and rapidly-growing "Silicon Plains" IT industry in Christchurch. Canterbury's Blue Fern is the most powerful supercomputer in the Oceania region and one of the 40 most powerful supercomputers operated by academic institutions throughout the world.
Getting around
A map of the campus is available here.
Christchurch / Ōtautahi
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island, and the third largest urban area of New Zealand.
The City's English name comes from the central Christ Church cathedral, which is in turn named after Christ Church, a college at the University of Oxford. The full Māori name Te Whenua o Te Potiki-Tautahi refers to a location in what is now the central city that was a seasonal home of Ngai Tahu chief Tautahi.
Christchurch was planned as a 'Garden City', with expansive parks, city squares, public gardens and broad tree-lined avenues.
Things to do
The most popular attractions for visitors to Christchurch are the weekend Arts Centre Market, the Cathedral, Botanic Gardens and the International Antarctic Centre.
The Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetu exhibits New Zealand and international art and Canterbury Museum has fine cultural and natural collections. Orana Park is New Zealand's largest wildlife reserve and Willowbank Wildlife Reserve has an impressive daytime kiwi viewing area.
Rutherford's Den provides a tour of the rooms in which Ernest Rutherford worked as a student.
The Dux De Lux is a popular venue for live music, with no cover charge. The Court Theatre is New Zealand's foremost professional theatre company.
The Antigua Boatsheds rent kayaks for paddling on the Avon River, and the Christchurch Gondola carries visitors to the top of the Port Hills, giving panoramic views over Christchurch, the Canterbury Plains, and the volcanic harbours of Banks Peninsula.