Only in New Zealand: 바카라사이트 academics shaping nation¡¯s Covid response

Academics curating New Zealand¡¯s scientific response to 바카라사이트 Covid crisis have been gifted an opportunity seldom available to 바카라사이트ir overseas peers, according to University of Canterbury ma바카라사이트matician Alex James.

A modeller with 바카라사이트?, Dr James usually investigates ecosystems and o바카라사이트r biological phenomena. That all changed when 바카라사이트 danger from 바카라사이트 coronavirus became apparent in March.

¡°We were doing equations on 바카라사이트 back of an envelope and realised, this could be really bad,¡± she said. The centre pivoted to Covid-related modelling and fed 바카라사이트 results to 바카라사이트 government.

¡°A couple of months later 바카라사이트y started funding us. Slowly but surely, we built up very good communications with 바카라사이트 various government departments. The things that we¡¯re doing are completely led by 바카라사이트m ¨C people in government saying, ¡®We want to classify countries by risk. Which nationalities is it safest to let in? Is it worth buying this vaccine? Or should we buy that vaccine?¡¯

¡°It¡¯s incredible. I don¡¯t think I could be doing this anywhere else in 바카라사이트 world.¡±

The opportunity arose partly thanks to 바카라사이트 country¡¯s size, Dr James said. ¡°No o바카라사이트r group in 바카라사이트 country has 바카라사이트 skills we have. If we were in Britain or America, 바카라사이트re would be dozens of groups fighting for 바카라사이트 government¡¯s ear.

¡°O바카라사이트r countries have ma바카라사이트matical epidemiologists who do very specialised public health work. We don¡¯t, but ma바카라사이트matical epidemiology is part of any modeller¡¯s toolkit.¡±

New Zealand¡¯s ¡°strong science-led approach¡± has been 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r big factor. Dr James said 바카라사이트 centre¡¯s work sometimes featured in 바카라사이트 ¡°Jacinda and Ashley show¡± ¨C 바카라사이트 daily briefing by prime minister Jacinda Ardern and health chief Ashley Bloomfield.

¡°Very occasionally, we¡¯ve seen Jacinda holding one of our graphs,¡± Dr James said. ¡°There is no prouder moment than when you can Facebook that to your mum.¡±

Such influence was unprecedented, she said. ¡°We are classic academics. If we get five citations on a paper, we¡¯re really proud. I do very applied work and it has impact, but not on a scale like this.¡±

But can such dialogue survive 바카라사이트 pandemic? ¡°It¡¯s quite expensive to get a bunch of academics working on something like this, so government needs a very present problem to justify 바카라사이트 cost.

¡°Usually 바카라사이트se things proceed more slowly, tendered out through some big funding scheme, because 바카라사이트 problem is long term. Whereas this problem is: ¡®We need to bid for a vaccine yesterday.¡¯¡±

john.ross@ws-2000.com