Prof Hansen is co-inventor of “1,000 Minds” decision-making software, and he works mainly in priority-setting and resource allocation, especially in the health sector
After a more lively than usual series of introductions from the members present, Prof Hansen said he felt people might have questions about the University, such as ‘What is it like to be a lecturer or Professor”. He expanded on this by noting his pleasure at being recently made a Professor, “I’m really stoked about it . . . it’s been a lifelong ambition since about the age of 14”.
In the school year book when he left high school, a panel of students suggested his likely future career was “Professor of Economics”, and 33 years later, he achieved just that. The year book also noted that his favourite song was “You’re So Vain” by Carly Simon - he didn’t think that was a compliment by the editorial panel!
Born in Dunedin, he came to University at Otago, and feels he missed the considerable benefits of Hall (College) life, particularly the formation of several good friendships, some of which often last for a lifetime. (In those days Halls were considered to be mainly for ‘out-of-towners’). This became clear when he was flatting with people who had been in Hall for their first year, or longer.
“Maybe now you guys should ask questions . . . . . . I know where some of the bodies are buried!” He noted the importance of the University (and Polytech) to Dunedin, with over a quarter of the city’s population involved in some way.
The first question was “What are the bodies that are buried?”. In answer, Prof Hansen talked about the huge riot that took place when he was a student when the Police tried to close down a pub called “The Gardens”, which was a ‘notorious drinking spot . . for students . . . sometimes bikers . . . “The Police felt the place was getting out of hand, and in the riot that ensued some pretty fierce things happened, such as Police dogs being set on students and students throwing darts at Police. The Dunedin City slogan at the time was “It’s All Right Here”, and after the event, some students produced shirts saying, “It’s All Riot Here.”
The attitude of the University, at least of the upper echelons of it, was much more relaxed than it is now, even producing a TV advert which centred on being a student at Otago being more about enjoying the “lifestyle” than studying. Beginning at Carisbrook, then a famous sports ground in Dunedin, couch-burning became a ‘thing to do’. Most streets in North Dunedin still bear the scars of couch-burning there by way of scorch marks. Sometimes this happened near to wooden houses, and apparently the Vice-Chancellor of the time would sleep poorly at week-ends, wondering if he was going to have to deal with the death of someone on the Monday.
The University has worked very hard to change that kind of behaviour, and things are certainly improving. He suggested that part of the reason Colleges now had a full programme of sporting and cultural events, “and interesting and boring breakfast speakers counter the problem of 'the Devil makes work for idle hands'”.
On the topic of on-line media, Paul drew our attention to what he felt is “a watershed moment in our lives” happening right now. This is the whistle-blower disclosure that maybe more than 50 million Facebook profiles were used to psychologically profile them, and these were used by Cambridge Analytica, then on contract to Trump’s election campaign. The company at the time was headed by Steve Bannon, Chief Strategist of the Trump Administration. He lasted in that position for 7 months. The campaign appears to have been financed by billionaire right-wing philanthropist Robert Mercer. Basically they have used psychological warfare techniques on Facebook to target voters and influence the election. “Black Mirror (a TV series) doesn’t even scratch the surface on this stuff.”
Prof Hansen noted that “The people who turn up at 7.30 to hear some old guy rambling on about something, aren’t the ones at risk of not doing well.” The importance of getting a “great degree’ and also of having great social experiences at University and making great friends . . really sets you up for life.”
“99% of the time I say ‘Yes’ to opportunities that I think could be fun, and you never know what good may come of it professionally.” He talked about one of his most outstanding experiences arising in this way, a week spent at Google headquarters in Silicon Valley. This began because, as part of his research, he built some software that helped people make decisions (“1000minds.com”). This is used in a very wide a variety of areas, including in the health field, where it is used to help to prioritise who gets elective surgery such as hip replacement.
One day in his e-mail in-box he noted a message saying: “Dear Paul, I’m a senior software engineer at Google. We are interested in your software, could we set up a call?” After replying in positive terms, and following some discussion, Google paid Paul’s company $100,000 for a trial of the software - plus flying them to Googleplex, the Google headquarters in Silicon Valley to install it on their servers.
Paul freely admitted his technical skills scarcely run to effective use of a mobile phone, but his partner in 1000minds is a former head of the Treasury IT system and a computer expert, who took Paul’s original idea and turned it into a programme - a process that took the pair of them about 15 years. “That came about from my research, which came about from my education, and the business came about from some opportunities that came my way, and great partnerships that I have made.
So how did someone who can barely use a mobile phone end up like that? - Because he brings something to a group of people that they do not have . . . there is a synergy. And that’s what the key is in these situations, to find and partner up with people who are great in what they do, and also who you like . . and who knows what can come of it?"
[As usual, there was a good deal more. You had to be there!]
