ChemEd BioLive 2026, the combined professional-development conference for New Zealand chemistry and biology teachers, runs 18–20 November at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch.
ChemEd BioLive 2026, the combined professional-development conference for New Zealand secondary-school chemistry and biology teachers, runs 18–20 November 2026 at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch. The programme pairs keynote talks with hands-on workshops on research, teaching approaches and classroom practical activities, alongside field trips to local science, technology and conservation venues. According to the organiser, the conference theme draws on the whakataukī "Mā te huruhuru ka rere te manu" — with feathers, the bird can fly — framing the event around the sharing of knowledge.
The 2026 edition is hosted by the University of Canterbury (Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha) in association with BEANZ (Biology Educators of Aotearoa New Zealand) and SCENZ (the chemistry educators' network), with conference management handled by Conferences & Events Ltd (per the organiser's registration site). ChemEd (chemistry) and BioLive (biology) are long-running New Zealand teacher professional-development conferences that have run as a combined event since the inaugural joint gathering at Victoria University of Wellington in 2015.
The conference is aimed at teachers of chemistry, biology and general science, bringing them together to connect, collaborate and refresh classroom practice. Keynote speakers announced by the organisers include Nina Hood, William Rolleston, Andrew Digby and Nic Rawlence, among others, with a Science Learning Hub workshop, "Students seeing themselves in science," scheduled for 18 November.
Sessions are held across the University of Canterbury campus in the Christchurch suburb of Ilam, north-west of the city centre. Registration is handled through the organiser's EventsAir portal, and the combined conference runs on a biennial cycle, so 2026 marks the current instalment of the ChemEd/BioLive event. The Ilam campus is served by city bus routes and sits a short drive from both the central city and Christchurch International Airport, with suburban and central-city accommodation available for visiting delegates.
ChemEd BioLive is one of the principal subject-specific professional-development gatherings for New Zealand science teachers, drawing chemistry and biology educators from across the country to a single multi-day programme of keynotes, workshops and field trips. It is a national fixture for secondary science teaching and an example of the university-hosted conference segment that anchors campus-based business events in Christchurch.
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