Whanganui scholar Tom Devine, now Columbia University graduate, on his next steps

Tom Devine being awarded his Masters Degree by Dr Linda Fried during a graduation ceremony at Columbia University.

Whanganui-raised Tom Devine is pondering how to apply his systems thinking research after graduating from Columbia University in New York City.

In 2020 and 2021 Devine was awarded the Fulbright, Gordon Watson and William Georgetti Scholarships.

He originally intended to do his Master’s thesis on the lessons learned from the New Zealand Covid-19 response and how this could inform a restructure of the health system.

”I worked in the New Zealand health sector before I left and I came to the realisation that we had actually worked it out, and that we had learnt a lot from Covid and were applying it.”

Devine instead did his thesis on teaching public servants and those in the private sector in New Zealand about “systems thinking”.

“It’s a way of thinking that looks at everything holistically and it is similar to a Māori worldview.

“I created a toolkit that is specifically for the New Zealand context that teaches people how to use systems thinking and working with organisations to train their staff.”

Devine is yet to decide how he will apply his research but wants to share the toolkit further.

“I think it would be a series of workshops that I would run.”

Devine said living overseas had given him a new perspective on the New Zealand Covid response and healthcare system.

“In New York there was a collective shame the community had about how America had dealt with the pandemic.

“It really makes you grateful for what we have in New Zealand, our healthcare system is free and you don’t have to get insurance to be treated.

“The system in America doesn’t work for those who need it most.”

Devine said the things he missed most about New Zealand in his time away were “family, friends and the food”.

“Just the quality of the food. New Zealand meat is very fresh and American bread doesn’t compare at all; it’s overly sweet, like brioche.”

He said living in New York and regularly attending Broadway shows such as Wicked had been “the craziest and coolest experience”.

“But there’s no place like home.”

Devine won’t be back for good yet, as he’s accepted a position at Columbia University doing research dissemination and communications.

He said the standard of study in America was “very intense” and he had completed seven papers a semester.

“Columbia was incredible, just the people you meet, Chelsea Clinton [daughter of former US President Bill Clinton and former US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton] was my lecturer and [Microsoft co-founder] Bill Gates was at my graduation.”