University chair in communications mooted

Press, 7 May 1983, Page 7

University chair in communications mooted

PA Wellington A chair of communications may be established at a New Zealand university after a meeting at the Beehive this week. Businessmen were asked for their financial support at a luncheon at which the Postmaster-General, Mr Talbot, was the host, and also attended by the Gover-nor-General, Sir David Beattie. Mr Talbot put forward a number of ideas aimed at marking 1983 as World Communications Year, including the . chair of communications. Victoria University’s Vice-Chancellor, Dr lan Ax-

ford, told the. gathering that a chair would cost about $lOO,OOO a year. Mr Talbot said an alternative to providing the chair might be sponsoring a student through a university or tertiary course. He undertook to form a national steering committee to consider some of the ideas he outlined yesterday. They included establishing a technical library in the South Pacific to provide reference material “on a whole range of subjects sorely needed by the region’s developing nations.” He also said that the Post Office was participating in an international programme

to improve internal and external communications in the Tokelau group. New Zealand would contribute $200,000 to the project’s total cost of $750,000 and Mr Talbot suggested that the private sector might be interested in giving financial support. Sir David is a member of the International Committee of Honour for World Communications Year, established by the International Telecommunications Union. Outlining developments in technology, he said that New Zealand could be said to be among the leading nations of the world in communications.