A Samoan pastor has won the “Three Minute Thesis” competition at Massey University with a snapshot of his doctoral study on counselling in the church.
Alesana Pala’amo beat eight other finalists and captivated judges with his presentation titled “Researching God: Come talk to your Pastor”.
Mr Pala’amo, from the School of Health and Social Sciences at Albany, is doing his research on pastors in the Congregational Christian Church in Apia, Samoa.
A minister in the church himself, he was motivated because of a concern that younger Samoans are not responding to a traditional, more directive style of counselling.
He says the popularity of social media and the use of mobile phones have changed the way Samoans communicate.
The younger generation of Samoans seek a more reciprocal approach to counselling that acknowledges both spiritual and social issues.
Professor Brigid Heywood said the judges chose the winning entry because of the way the topic brings a traditional concept into a modern context.
Mr Pala’amo will take part in the trans-Tasman finals in Perth in November, along with representatives from each New Zealand university.
The winner of the Trans-Tasman finals will go through to the World finals, which are held online.
The contest – academia’s equivalent of television’s Idol singing competition – has a serious mission to encourage doctoral students to find creative ways of succinctly communicating their research projects.
This year’s judges were Fonterra Food Structure manager Dr Steve Taylor, Massey vice-chancellor Steve Maharey, assistant vice-chancellor Research, Academic and Enterprise Professor Brigid Heywood and pro vice-chancellor – College of Sciences Professor Robert Anderson.
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