Universities, democracy and cultural shifts: A farewell to Dr James Kierstead

This podcast features Oliver Hartwig and Damien Grant interviewing James Kierstead, who is departing from New Zealand. They discuss Kierstead's work at The New Zealand Initiative, his research on universities, and his observations on changes in New Zealand's culture and politics since his arrival in 2013. Kierstead shares his experiences teaching at a New Zealand university, the decline in academic standards he witnessed, and his future plans to return to the UK to reconnect with family and explore career opportunities. The conversation touches on the differences between New Zealand and other countries he has lived in, and his hopes for the future of liberal democracy.