See message updates here.

Do I need my Canterbury Card to access buildings?

While UC Canterbury Cards will not be required to enter University buildings from Thursday 23 May, you should always carry your Canterbury Card with you whenever you are on campus.

What links does the University have to weapons and how does the University invest?  

Investment of University Funds

The University’s funds (which includes student tuition fees and government funding) is managed in accordance with the University’s Treasury Management Framework  which is publicly available online on the University’s website and has been since 2013.

Section 6 of the Policy deals with Investment Restrictions and clearly states that “The University does not invest in equity markets”. In plain English this means the University does not use its funds to invest in companies and does not trade on the stock exchange by buying and selling shares or investments in companies. It clearly states in the Policy that “The Vice-Chancellor is permitted to invest funds only with organisations and subject to the limits set out in Appendix C of the Policy”. Appendix C sets out a list of banks. This means that as per the Policy the University’s funds are only invested in banks. The University confirms that it adheres to the Policy requirements and University funds are only invested with banks.

Investment of University of Canterbury Trust Funds

Through a number of donations, gifts and endowments which have been given to the University on trust for scholarships, a separate fund called the “University of Canterbury Trust Fund” exists. That fund is invested through a Statement of Investment Policy and Objectives (SIPO) and is managed by a fund manager. The SIPO is a commercially sensitive document which details how the funds will be invested, in order to maximise return so that more scholarships can be distributed to students. The SIPO which the fund manager is required to adhere to specifically states on page 18 of the document the following:

“The Council has a formal resolution that funds should not knowingly be invested in tobacco or armaments companies or in the gaming industry”.

Investment of University of Canterbury Foundation

Additionally, under a separate legal entity called the University of Canterbury Foundation (the board of trustees consist of alumni and UC supporters) a separate fund exists. That fund has also been established through a number of donations, gifts and endowments which have been given to the Foundation on trust for scholarships. That fund is invested through a separate Statement of Investment Policy and Objectives (SIPO) and is managed by a different fund manager. The SIPO is a commercially sensitive document which details how the funds will be invested in order to maximise return so that more scholarships can be distributed to students. The SIPO which the fund manager is required to adhere to specifically states on page 20 of the document the following:

“The Board has an ethical investment policy that funds should not directly be invested in the following:

• Tobacco
• Armaments
• Gaming Industry”.

It is factually incorrect to make statements alleging that University funds are being used to invest in weapons, support war, or cause genocide. Those statements are not based on any evidence and demonstrate a lack of good faith on the part of anyone who makes such statements.

What involvement does the University have with Lockheed Martin?

The University of Canterbury, including the Wireless Research Centre, has never had investments or interests with Lockheed Martin. 

What involvement does the University of Canterbury have with Northrop Grumman? 

In 2012 University of Canterbury’s Research and Innovation Centre licensed technology for use by Northrop Grumman. However, the patent rights have lapsed and there is no recent communication or dealings with Northrop Grumman.   

Will the University withdraw its ‘deal with HP’? 

UC does not have a direct relationship with Hewlett-Packard (HP) or Hewlett-Packard Enterprise (HPe). UC’s hardware is procured through an All-of-Government supplier. 

Does the University receive funding from organisations that support weapons for final-year engineering projects?  

To the best of our knowledge, UC does not receive funds from organisations purporting to support weapons.