"Real things, not just ideas. Because it's easy enough to say we want to catch the knowledge wave but it's how we're going to do it that's going to be the problem.
"I want to see what they've got in mind."
Adrian Ranaweera, a bursary student at Auckland's St Paul's College, plans to study biotechnology at Auckland University and believes education is key to the country's future.
"I thought that maybe giving out my view can help to advance that sector (biotechnology) so that after I graduate there will actually be hope for me here instead of having to find work overseas."
Kesaia Waigth, a bursary student at Gisborne Girl's High School, sees youth input as vital to the conference, because young people have the drive and ambition to really want the things they talk about.
The gathering will include a special youth forum where the students will identify options for New Zealand's future, before presenting their ideas to the full conference.
"These students demonstrated real insight into the issues New Zealand faces in becoming a knowledge society," says Colin Prentice, University of Auckland Schools Director and co-ordinator of the essay competition.
"We were delighted with the quality of essays we received, and the range of young New Zealanders who entered the competition."
The following are a selection of comments from the students' essays on the kind of knowledge society they want for New Zealand.
* The Herald is a co-sponsor of the Catching the Knowledge Wave conference.
Melissa James
Tokoroa High School, Tokoroa
According to Aristotle, the Greek philosopher, "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit". Stephen R. Covey defines a habit as the intersection of knowledge, skill and desire. Knowledge is the theoretical paradigm, the what to do and why. Skill is the how to do, and desire is the motivation, the want to do. But to make excellence a habit rather than an act, we should have all three of these principles operating. A knowledge society is one where dreams become reality, and excellence becomes a habit. As put most gracefully by Malcolm X: "A mind is a terrible thing to waste".
Adrian Ranaweera
St Paul's College, Auckland
A knowledge society can only come about from a public that is well educated, innovative and creative; from people who live in an environment that holds economic strategies for growth which raise standards of living and encourage national development. Only when New Zealand has set itself a proper vision that is understood and accepted by all, can the first positive steps be taken. Productivity must be kindled and economic reform brought about with a government drive on strategic economic policies.
Joshua Mouldey
Mt Maunganui College, Mt Maunganui
Funding should be increased to areas of industry that will be important to New Zealand's knowledge society. Grants and scholarships should be provided for organisations involved in research and development projects, so they are able to be carried out and hopefully provide value to the country. Another possible option is to provide assistance to targeted areas in the form of tax breaks, to encourage firms to devote resources to these areas. Taking that to a further level, company tax rates should be lowered across the board significantly, benefiting the whole business community and encouraging businesses to invest and set up in New Zealand. This would lead to an inflow of investment capital into New Zealand.
Kesaia Waigth
Gisborne Girls' High School, Gisborne
In order for vision to become reality we must put in place economic strategies. Firstly we must achieve prosperity to raise the living standards of New Zealanders and improve the quality of life. To do this we must work towards improving the productive and innovative capacity of the economy to increase its operational effectiveness. This means using knowledge-led innovation to create higher-value commodities and services, and improve the efficiency with which traditional products are produced. This will allow us to compete in the global market. To remain competitive New Zealand must apply higher and higher levels of technology to continue to add value to the commodities we produce. It is critical that the quality of human resources is continually upgraded to meet rising skill requirements, and to stay competitive within the global economy.
James Stegeman
Tauranga Boys' College, Tauranga
New Zealanders are already known for their energy, capacity to learn, their leadership qualities and their ability to innovate, all of which can be strengthened by healthy local competition. Government and business could collaborate on an awards scheme, which could be held every year with prizes for innovation in different areas of technological practice. These prizes could be targeted as capital injections or research grants to support any new projects that would strengthen New Zealand's position in the global market. This not only has obvious productivity advantages, but also instils a desire to be the best among the technological entrepreneurs.
Rosemary Wilkinson
Kaipara College, Helensville
It is from new ideas and innovations that new products and services develop. This leads to more jobs and economic growth. A culture of innovation and creativity needs to be nurtured. New Zealand already has a colourful history of ingenuity and a can-do philosophy. We need to build on this to provide an environment that allows creativity and innovation to blossom. We need a system that supports creative thinkers, entrepreneurs and new businesses by providing them with the resources they need and making sure they are aware that these resources are available. The government needs to keep up with technological advances to ensure that outdated legislation does not inhibit new innovations.
Robert Tilbey
King's College, Auckland
It is commonly held that lack of population is a major handicap in the move into future modernisation of society. However, population has not hindered countries such as Ireland and Finland, and it shall not inhibit us if we strive to become an "intelligent island". Becoming a knowledge society is a realistic dream, but in order to succeed we must move forward as one nation, corporations and government alike. I would like to see a society that seeks to inspire individuals, while retaining the capabilities to support their ideas. I would like to see New Zealand with international authority, a nation in which I would be happy to create a future.
Pascal Millaire
King's College, Auckland
Knowlege, creativity and innovation are the most valuable natural resources in the 21st Century. What is in our heads is increasingly more important than what is in the countryside. New Zealand's potential is only limited by the knowledge, creativity and innovation of its people. As a small country we will always be on an "edge" but whether that is the leading edge or trailing edge will be dictated by the decisions and direction New Zealand is taking now. In a global information age, with the current and increasing freedom of knowledge and capital flows, New Zealand is in an enviable position to catch the "knowledge wave", to find ourselves a niche in the global market and forge a new knowledge society.
Kimberley Huston
Paraparaumu College, Paraparaumu
Above all, a knowledge society is about valuing knowledge, using opportunities and creating new ones. It is about fostering ideas, innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship, exploiting our potential in all spheres of existence. Creating a knowledge society in New Zealand requires a change in perspective. It requires the upheaval of a narrow mentality that struggles to fix problems with the status quo as they arise but does not focus on improving the entire situation. There is no quick fix remedy. To achieve this vision there must be a strong government focus, but without the private sector, communities and, most importantly, individuals assuming their responsibility, there is no solution.
Lydia So
Diocesan School for Girls, Auckland
The kind of knowledge society that New Zealand should favour is one that also benefits the global society, one that aims to reduce the disparity between the haves and the have-nots and shows a moral obligation to people as well as to the environment. It should promote science and technology and innovation, whilst encouraging and supporting the arts, and artists, to flourish. Finally, there should be a greater emphasis placed on educating and training future knowledge society workers.
Claire Hunter
Fiordland College, Te Anau
A knowledge economy is about improving the education the youngest generations receive. It is about renewing the education of the older generations. It is about embracing industries of our own design and using these as sources for funding to put into research. It is about encouraging people to strive for excellence in their chosen field and having incentives to do so. It is also about not forgetting who we are, and that we've all got the ability to be innovative.
Laura Macassey
Columba College, Dunedin
Technology is driven by knowledge, especially scientific knowledge. Knowledge builds up, discovery followed by discovery, at an accelerating rate as, often, earlier unsuspected links between different areas of knowledge are exploited, each breakthrough making more progress and creating more opportunities. If New Zealand is left behind we will struggle ever to catch up again. The Government must encourage innovation. This can be achieved through allocating more funding to Crown Research Institutes, university research units, and by supporting private company research and development.
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