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In this episode, James Kierstead talks with Sarah McLaughlin, Senior Scholar, Global Expression at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), about her forthcoming book Authoritarians in the Academy. They explore how authoritarian governments, particularly China, pressure universities abroad through funding ties, partnerships, and intimidation of students and scholars. Read more

Dr Michael Johnston talked to Michael Laws on The Platform about grade inflation at New Zealand universities, explaining how A-grade rates have increased from 22% to 35% since 2006 and pass rates now exceed 90%. Dr Johnston argued that this trend stems from universities' commercial focus on retaining students for fee income, creating pressure to pass students regardless of assignment quality. Read more

Dr James Kierstead talked to Emile Donovan on RNZ about his research showing grade inflation at New Zealand universities, with A grades rising from 22% to 35% between 2006 and 2024. Dr Kierstead explained that this trend isn't driven by improved student performance but rather by institutional incentives that pressure academics to award higher grades to attract more students and receive better evaluations. Read more

Dr James Kierstead talked to Paul Brennan on Reality Check Radio about his report "Amazing Grades", which exposes how New Zealand universities have become increasingly generous with their grading over recent years. Dr Kierstead explained that the surge in high grades stems from academics adopting more lenient assessment practices rather than any genuine improvement in student ability, a pattern that became starkly evident during the pandemic. Read more

In this webinar, we launch our new report Amazing Grades: Grade Inflation at New Zealand Universities. Author Dr James Kierstead presents key findings on rising grades across NZ’s universities, joined by commentary from Professor Douglas Elliffe. Read more

Wellington (Tuesday, 26 August 2025) - Nearly half of all grades at the University of Auckland were As during COVID-19, part of a dramatic rise in top marks that cannot be explained by academic improvement, according to a new report released today. Amazing Grades: Grade Inflation at New Zealand Universities, published by The New Zealand Initiative, is the first analysis of grading patterns across all eight New Zealand universities. Read more

Dr James Kierstead talked to Ryan Bridge on Herald Now about grade inflation at New Zealand universities, revealing that A grades have increased by 13 percentage points since 2006, with pass rates now above 90% at most institutions. Dr Kierstead argued this isn't due to students getting smarter but rather an "ethic of kindness" where academics give more accommodations, particularly highlighted during COVID when 49% of University of Auckland grades were A-range. Read more