TERNZ 2026 (Tertiary Education Research NZ Conference)

Overview

TERNZ 2026 (Tertiary Education Research New Zealand) is confirmed on its official page to run 25-27 November 2026 in Auckland (herdsa.org.nz/ternz). It is a long-running annual gathering on teaching and learning research and practice in higher and tertiary education, structured to "facilitate research- and practice-based exchange in a supportive atmosphere." The 2026 edition is capped at 200 places, with registration closing 15 November 2026 (registration page). A pre-conference workshop and a finalised programme (due early November) sit alongside the main three-day event.

Who runs it

TERNZ is the annual conference of the HERDSA New Zealand (Aotearoa) Branch, the local arm of the Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia (HERDSA NZ branch). The branch runs TERNZ in the years it is not hosting the trans-Tasman Australasian HERDSA Conference. The conference traces back to the early 2000s, initiated by Kathryn Sutherland, Stanley Frielick and Tony Harland (HERDSA Connect). The branch also confers the HERDSA/TERNZ Research Medal for outstanding contributions to NZ tertiary education research. Current branch chair Susan Geertshuis is based at the University of Auckland Business School, which aligns with the 2026 host venue.

Who it's for

The audience is tertiary educators, academic developers, and higher-education researchers from across New Zealand universities and polytechnics. Past editions (e.g. Dunedin 2022, hosted by Otago's Higher Education Development Centre) drew 60+ delegates and combined presentations, facilitated "conversations," a conference dinner, and the branch AGM (HERDSA Connect). It is a community-of-practice style academic conference rather than a large trade event.

The venue

The official page confirms the 2026 conference "will be hosted by The Business School, Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland" (herdsa.org.nz/ternz). The Business School occupies the landmark Sir Owen G. Glenn Building in Auckland's city-centre university precinct, within walking distance of the CBD, the Britomart transport hub and central hotels, making delegate movement and accommodation straightforward for an in-city academic conference. The official TERNZ 2026 pages include a dedicated "Location & Accommodation" section for attendees.

Why it matters for NZ MICE

TERNZ is a dependable, recurring association conference anchored in the university sector, with a national delegate draw and a multi-day format that fills mid-week city-centre dates in late November. As an academic association event rotating between NZ campuses, it represents the steady, sector-driven end of the business-events market: modest in scale but reliable, repeat business for university and CBD venues, and a template for how scholarly societies underpin New Zealand's conference calendar.