University of Otago
Encyclopedia
The University of Otago in Dunedin
is New Zealand's oldest university with over 22,000 students enrolled during 2010.
The university has New Zealand's highest average research quality and in New Zealand is second only to the University of Auckland in the number of A rated academic researchers it employs. It topped the New Zealand Performance Based Research Fund
evaluation in 2006.
Founded in 1869 by a committee including Thomas Burns
, the university opened in July 1871. Its motto is "Sapere aude" ("Dare to be wise"). (The University of New Zealand
subsequently adopted the same motto.) The Otago University Students' Association
answers this with its own motto, "Audeamus" ("let us dare"). The university's graduation song Gaudeamus igitur, iuvenes dum sumus... ("Let us rejoice, while we are young") acknowledges students will continue to live up to the challenge if not always in the way intended. Between 1874 and 1961 the University of Otago was a part of the University of New Zealand
, and issued degrees in its name.
Otago graduates are among the most dispersed university alumni in the world, due in part to New Zealand being considered a relatively good destination by many Asian students and with the greater variety of jobs, opportunities and salaries on offer overseas for New Zealand students graduating from an established university. Many graduates ultimately settle in Australia
, the United Kingdom, Ireland
, Canada
, the United States, China
, Malaysia, India
, Sri Lanka
, South Korea
, Japan
, Singapore
or parts of New Zealand
beyond Otago
. Otago
is known for its student life, particularly its flatting. The nickname Scarfie comes from the habit of wearing a scarf during cold southern winters.
The Otago Association's plan for the European settlement of southern New Zealand, conceived under the principles of Edward Gibbon Wakefield
in the 1840s, envisaged a university.
Dunedin leaders Thomas Burns and James Macandrew
urged the Otago Provincial Council during the 1860s to set aside a land endowment for an institute of higher education. An ordinance of the council established the university in 1869, giving it 100000 acres (404.7 km²) of land and the power to grant degrees in Arts, Medicine, Law and Music. Burns was named Chancellor but he did not live to see the university open on 5 July 1871.
The university conferred just one degree, to Alexander Watt Williamson
, before becoming an affiliate college of the federal University of New Zealand
in 1874. With the dissolving of the University of New Zealand in 1961 and the passage of the University of Otago Amendment Act 1961, the university resumed its power to confer degrees.
Originally operating from William Mason's Post Office building on Princes Street
, it relocated to Maxwell Bury
's Clocktower
and Geology buildings in 1878 and 1879. This evolved into the Clocktower complex
, a striking group of Gothic revival buildings at the heart of the campus. These buildings were inspired by then-new main building at Glasgow University in Scotland.
Otago was the first university in Australasia to permit women to take a law degree. Ethel Benjamin
graduated LLB in 1897. Later that year she became the first woman in the British Empire to appear as counsel in court.
Professor Robert Jack
made the first radio broadcast in New Zealand from the physics department on 17 November 1921.
Because it had a wider range of courses than New Zealand's other university institutions Otago attracted more students from outside its provincial district. This led to the growth of colleges and informal accommodation in north Dunedin around the faculty buildings. This development of a residential campus gave Otago a more vibrant undergraduate student life at the same time as comparable but smaller developments in Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland were eclipsed in the late 20th century. Otago now has the most substantial residential campus of any university in New Zealand or Australia, although this is not without its problems.
In May 2010 University joined the Matariki Network of Universities
(MNU) together with Dartmouth College
(USA), Durham University
(UK), Queen’s University (Canada), University of Tübingen (Germany), University of Western Australia
(Australia) and Uppsala University
(Sweden).
For external and marketing purposes, the Division of Commerce is known as the School of Business, as that is the term commonly used for its equivalent in North America. Historically, there were a number of Schools and Faculties, which have now been grouped with stand alone departments to form these divisions.
In addition to the usual university disciplines, the Otago Medical School
(founded 1875) is one of only two in New Zealand (with constituent branches in Christchurch
and Wellington
), and Otago is the only university in the country to offer training in Dentistry. Other professional schools and faculties not found in all New Zealand universities include Pharmacy, Physical Education, Physiotherapy, Medical Laboratory Science, and Surveying. It was also home to the School of Mines, until this was transferred to the University of Auckland
in 1987. Theology is also offered, traditionally in conjunction with the School of Ministry, Knox College
, and Holy Cross College, Mosgiel
.
There are also a number of service divisions including:
and Wellington (based at the Wellington Centre). The medical schools have larger campuses near Christchurch and Wellington Hospitals. Additionally, the university has the Portobello Marine Laboratory
inside Otago Harbour.
Merger with Dunedin College of Education
The University and the Dunedin College of Education
(a specialist teacher training institution) merged on 1 January 2007. The University of Otago College of Education is now based on the College site, and includes the College's campuses in Invercargill
and Alexandra
. Staff of the University's Faculty of Education relocated to the college site. A merger had been considered before, however the present talks progressed further, and more amicably, than previously.
The Central Library is part of the Information Services Building and has over 2000 study spaces. It has the Māori Resources Collection Te Aka a Tāwhaki, a collection pertaining to Te Ao Māori, and the Special Collections consisting of about 9,000 books printed before 1801.
The Health Sciences libraries are the Medical Library in the Sayers Building, and the Dental library on the ground floor of the Dental School. The Medical Library contains 150,000 volumes including 79,000 books, and receives over 1,600 periodicals. The Dental book collection consists of 2000 volumes.
The Science Library is at the north end of the campus in the Science III building, with seating for approximately 500.
Other libraries are:
In 1998, the physics department gained some fame for making the first Bose–Einstein condensate
in the Southern Hemisphere
.
The 2006 Government investigation into research quality (to serve as a basis for future funding) ranked Otago the top University in New Zealand overall, taking into account the quality of its staff and research produced. It was also ranked first in the categories of Clinical Medicine, Biomedical Science, Law, English Literature and Language, History and Earth Science. The Department of Philosophy received the highest score for any nominated academic unit. Otago had been ranked fourth in the 2004 assessment.
In 2006, a report released by the Ministry of Research, Science and Technology found that Otago was the most research intensive university in New Zealand, with 40% of staff time devoted to research and development.
Journal "Science" has recommended worldwide study of Otago's Biochemistry database "Transterm
", which has genomic
data on 40,000 species.
For 2010-2011, Times Higher Education produced its first set of rankings independently from Quacquarelli Symonds (QS)
. The University of Otago did not appear in the top 200 listed universities.
s, which provide food, accommodation, social and welfare services. Most of these cater primarily for first year students, though some have a sizable number of second and higher year undergraduates, as well as occasionally a significant postgraduate population. While some teaching is normally undertaken at a college, this generally represents a small percentage of a resident's formal tuition.
Most colleges actively seek to foster a sense of community and academic achievement amongst their members through, variously, intercollegiate competitions, communal dining, apartment groups, traditionalism, independent students' clubs, college events and internal sporting and cultural societies.
Some colleges are co-institutional, accepting students from both the University of Otago and Otago Polytechnic
.
'O-Week' or Orientation Week is the Otago equivalent of Fresher's Week. While the new students are sometimes referred to as 'freshers' the label of 'first years' is more common. O-week is organised by the Otago University Students' Association
and involves competitions such as 'Fresher of the Year' whereby several students volunteer to carry out a series of tasks throughout the week before being voted to win. All tasks are related to the O-Week theme. The OUSA also organise events each night including various concerts, a comedy night, hypnotist plus busses to Carisbrook
(at the other end of Dunedin) where the Highlanders usually schedule a game. Local bars organise events also with a range of live music and promotional deals including the Cookathon and a Miss O-Week competition hosted by The Outback. The Cookathon was held by a local pub (the Cook) with the premise that your first drink costs you about $20 which gives you a t-shirt, three meal vouchers and reduced price on drinks then you spend the rest of the day binge drinking and 'telephoning' the occasional jug with mates.
Traditions
Each year the first years are encouraged to attend the toga parade and party dressed in white sheets wrapped as togas. Retailers called for an end of the parade after property damage and disorder during the 2009 event. A clocktower race also occurs, in the style of Chariots of Fire
. Students must race round the tower and attached building, beginning on the first chime of the clock at noon and completing before the chimes cease. Unlike Chariots of Fire, the task is possible with a couple of students completing each year.
Themes
Previously each year a theme was chosen for the O-week festivities, usually based on a recent movie or TV show. The week was then branded with altered posters depicting the theme plus all events were somehow linked to the theme. This practice ended in 2008.
Couch burning
Couch burning is a frequent, illegal
, problem with partying students in the student neighbourhood surrounding the campus. In 2007, a pub owner was charged with sedition
over a pamphlet offering O-Week students the prize of a fuel-soaked couch.
Riots
Large scale clashes between Otago and Canterbury University students and Police took place in 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 related to events surrounding the Undie 500 car rally organised by students from Canterbury University. Other student social events during the year such as the Toga Parade and the Hyde Street Keg Race are also notable for attracting Police attention, but not to the scale of the Undie riots.
Protest
Otago students are notable for protesting contentious political issues in nearly every decade. In the 1960s students at Otago who were involved with the Progressive Youth Movement led protests against the Vietnam War
. In the 1970s mixed flatting (males and females were prohibited from sharing housing up to that time) was contested in various creative ways by Otago students. On 28 September 1993 Otago students protested against a fee increase at the university, going as far as occupying the University Registry (Clocktower Building), which ended in a violent clash with police. Since 2004, the Otago University NORML club has met weekly on the Otago campus to protest by smoking cannabis in defiance of New Zealand's cannabis laws. In 2008, several members were arrested and issued trespass notices from the Union Lawn, but the protests continue to this day.
novels are set at Otago University.
Dunedin
Dunedin is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the principal city of the Otago Region. It is considered to be one of the four main urban centres of New Zealand for historic, cultural, and geographic reasons. Dunedin was the largest city by territorial land area until...
is New Zealand's oldest university with over 22,000 students enrolled during 2010.
The university has New Zealand's highest average research quality and in New Zealand is second only to the University of Auckland in the number of A rated academic researchers it employs. It topped the New Zealand Performance Based Research Fund
Performance Based Research Fund
The Performance Based Research Fund is a New Zealand tertiary education funding process, assessing the research performance of tertiary education organisations and then funding them on the basis of their performance....
evaluation in 2006.
Founded in 1869 by a committee including Thomas Burns
Thomas Burns (New Zealand)
Thomas Burns was a prominent early European settler and religious leader of the province of Otago, New Zealand.Burns was baptised at Mauchline, Ayrshire, Scotland in April 1796, the son of estate manager Gilbert Burns, who was the brother of the poet Robert Burns...
, the university opened in July 1871. Its motto is "Sapere aude" ("Dare to be wise"). (The University of New Zealand
University of New Zealand
The University of New Zealand was the New Zealand university from 1870 to 1961. It was the sole New Zealand university, having a federal structure embracing several constituent colleges at various locations around New Zealand...
subsequently adopted the same motto.) The Otago University Students' Association
Otago University Students' Association
The Otago University Students' Association is the Students' Association of the University of Otago, New Zealand.OUSA provides "representation, welfare, advocacy, recreation, fun events and media" for its members...
answers this with its own motto, "Audeamus" ("let us dare"). The university's graduation song Gaudeamus igitur, iuvenes dum sumus... ("Let us rejoice, while we are young") acknowledges students will continue to live up to the challenge if not always in the way intended. Between 1874 and 1961 the University of Otago was a part of the University of New Zealand
University of New Zealand
The University of New Zealand was the New Zealand university from 1870 to 1961. It was the sole New Zealand university, having a federal structure embracing several constituent colleges at various locations around New Zealand...
, and issued degrees in its name.
Otago graduates are among the most dispersed university alumni in the world, due in part to New Zealand being considered a relatively good destination by many Asian students and with the greater variety of jobs, opportunities and salaries on offer overseas for New Zealand students graduating from an established university. Many graduates ultimately settle in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, the United Kingdom, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, the United States, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, Malaysia, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
, South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
or parts of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
beyond Otago
Otago
Otago is a region of New Zealand in the south of the South Island. The region covers an area of approximately making it the country's second largest region. The population of Otago is...
. Otago
Otago
Otago is a region of New Zealand in the south of the South Island. The region covers an area of approximately making it the country's second largest region. The population of Otago is...
is known for its student life, particularly its flatting. The nickname Scarfie comes from the habit of wearing a scarf during cold southern winters.
History
Edward Gibbon Wakefield
Edward Gibbon Wakefield was a British politician, the driving force behind much of the early colonisation of South Australia, and later New Zealand....
in the 1840s, envisaged a university.
Dunedin leaders Thomas Burns and James Macandrew
James Macandrew
James Macandrew was a New Zealand ship-owner and politician. He served as a Member of Parliament from 1853 to 1887 and as the last Superintendent of Otago Province.-Early life:...
urged the Otago Provincial Council during the 1860s to set aside a land endowment for an institute of higher education. An ordinance of the council established the university in 1869, giving it 100000 acres (404.7 km²) of land and the power to grant degrees in Arts, Medicine, Law and Music. Burns was named Chancellor but he did not live to see the university open on 5 July 1871.
The university conferred just one degree, to Alexander Watt Williamson
Alexander Watt Williamson
Alexander Watt Williamson in 1874 was the first person to receive a degree from a New Zealand University. He received the first and only degree issued by the University of Otago before it merged into the University of New Zealand...
, before becoming an affiliate college of the federal University of New Zealand
University of New Zealand
The University of New Zealand was the New Zealand university from 1870 to 1961. It was the sole New Zealand university, having a federal structure embracing several constituent colleges at various locations around New Zealand...
in 1874. With the dissolving of the University of New Zealand in 1961 and the passage of the University of Otago Amendment Act 1961, the university resumed its power to confer degrees.
Originally operating from William Mason's Post Office building on Princes Street
Princes Street, Dunedin
Princes Street is a major street in Dunedin, the second largest city in the South Island of New Zealand. It runs south-southwest for two kilometres from The Octagon in the city centre to the Oval sports ground, close to the city's Southern Cemetery...
, it relocated to Maxwell Bury
Maxwell Bury
Maxwell Bury was an English-born architect who was active in New Zealand in the 19th century. He is best remembered for his buildings for the University of Otago.-Life:...
's Clocktower
University of Otago Registry Building
The University of Otago Registry Building, also known as the Clocktower Building, is a Victorian and later structure in the city of Dunedin, New Zealand. It stands next to the banks of the Water of Leith and is constructed from contrasting dark Leith Valley basalt and Oamaru stone, with a...
and Geology buildings in 1878 and 1879. This evolved into the Clocktower complex
University of Otago Clocktower complex
The University of Otago Clocktower complex is a group of architecturally and historically significant buildings in the centre of the University of Otago campus. Founded in Dunedin, New Zealand, in 1869, the University of Otago was the expression of the province's Scottish founders' commitment to...
, a striking group of Gothic revival buildings at the heart of the campus. These buildings were inspired by then-new main building at Glasgow University in Scotland.
Otago was the first university in Australasia to permit women to take a law degree. Ethel Benjamin
Ethel Benjamin
Ethel Rebecca Benjamin was New Zealand’s first female lawyer. On 17 September 1897, she became the first woman in the British Empire to appear as counsel in court, representing a client for the recovery of a debt...
graduated LLB in 1897. Later that year she became the first woman in the British Empire to appear as counsel in court.
Professor Robert Jack
Robert Jack (physicist)
Robert Jack was a Scottish-born physicist, professor and Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Science, University of Otago, and pioneer of radio broadcasting, New Zealand.- Early life and education :...
made the first radio broadcast in New Zealand from the physics department on 17 November 1921.
Because it had a wider range of courses than New Zealand's other university institutions Otago attracted more students from outside its provincial district. This led to the growth of colleges and informal accommodation in north Dunedin around the faculty buildings. This development of a residential campus gave Otago a more vibrant undergraduate student life at the same time as comparable but smaller developments in Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland were eclipsed in the late 20th century. Otago now has the most substantial residential campus of any university in New Zealand or Australia, although this is not without its problems.
In May 2010 University joined the Matariki Network of Universities
Matariki Network of Universities
The Matariki Network of Universities is an international group of universities created in 2010, which focuses on strong links between research and undergraduate teaching. It claims that each member is leading international best practice in research and education based on long academic traditions...
(MNU) together with Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...
(USA), Durham University
Durham University
The University of Durham, commonly known as Durham University, is a university in Durham, England. It was founded by Act of Parliament in 1832 and granted a Royal Charter in 1837...
(UK), Queen’s University (Canada), University of Tübingen (Germany), University of Western Australia
University of Western Australia
The University of Western Australia was established by an Act of the Western Australian Parliament in February 1911, and began teaching students for the first time in 1913. It is the oldest university in the state of Western Australia and the only university in the state to be a member of the...
(Australia) and Uppsala University
Uppsala University
Uppsala University is a research university in Uppsala, Sweden, and is the oldest university in Scandinavia, founded in 1477. It consistently ranks among the best universities in Northern Europe in international rankings and is generally considered one of the most prestigious institutions of...
(Sweden).
Divisions
The university is divided into four academic divisions:- Division of Humanities
- Division of Health Sciences
- Division of Sciences
- School of Business
For external and marketing purposes, the Division of Commerce is known as the School of Business, as that is the term commonly used for its equivalent in North America. Historically, there were a number of Schools and Faculties, which have now been grouped with stand alone departments to form these divisions.
In addition to the usual university disciplines, the Otago Medical School
University of Otago Dunedin School of Medicine
The Dunedin School of Medicine is one of three medical schools that make up the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Otago. All Otago University medical students who gain entry after a first year "Health Sciences" program, or who gain graduate entry spend their second and third years studying...
(founded 1875) is one of only two in New Zealand (with constituent branches in Christchurch
University of Otago Christchurch School of Medicine
The University of Otago, Christchurch, formerly Christchurch School of Medicine and Health Sciences, in Christchurch, New Zealand, is one of three medical schools that make up the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Otago. It is based primarily at Christchurch Hospital, in Christchurch Central...
and Wellington
University of Otago Wellington School of Medicine
The Wellington School of Medicine and Health Sciences is one of three medical schools that make up the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Otago. All Otago University medical students who gain entry after a first year "Health Sciences" program, or who gain graduate entry spend their second and...
), and Otago is the only university in the country to offer training in Dentistry. Other professional schools and faculties not found in all New Zealand universities include Pharmacy, Physical Education, Physiotherapy, Medical Laboratory Science, and Surveying. It was also home to the School of Mines, until this was transferred to the University of Auckland
University of Auckland
The University of Auckland is a university located in Auckland, New Zealand. It is the largest university in the country and the highest ranked in the 2011 QS World University Rankings, having been ranked worldwide...
in 1987. Theology is also offered, traditionally in conjunction with the School of Ministry, Knox College
Knox College, Otago
Knox College is a privately run residential college affiliated to the University of Otago in New Zealand, providing accommodation for primarily first and second year students, with a smaller number of postgraduates. The college is set in an landscaped site in Opoho on the opposite side of the...
, and Holy Cross College, Mosgiel
Holy Cross College (New Zealand)
Holy Cross College or Holy Cross Seminary is the national Roman Catholic seminary of New Zealand for the training of priests. It was first opened in 1900 in Mosgiel and was relocated to Auckland in 1997.-Establishment:...
.
There are also a number of service divisions including:
- Financial Services Division
- Human Resources Division
- Information Technology Services Division
- Marketing & Communications Division
- Property Services Division
- Research & Enterprise Division
- Student Services Division
Students
| Enrolment By Qualification Type | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Doctoral | 1,158 | 1,074 | 935 | 829 | 755 | 723 |
| Masters | 1,056 | 1,048 | 1,052 | 1,108 | 1,060 | 994 |
| Bachelors Honours | 723 | 750 | 736 | 769 | 771 | 763 |
| Bachelors Ordinary | 13,347 | 13,136 | 12,868 | 12,939 | 12,711 | 12,186 |
| Postgraduate Diplomas and Certificates | 1,566 | 1,435 | 1,507 | 1,378 | 1,353 | 1,345 |
| Graduate Diplomas and Certificates | 317 | 494 | 204 | 392 | 314 | 298 |
| Undergraduate Diplomas and Certificates | 133 | 265 | 216 | 239 | 318 | 344 |
| Intermediates | 981 | 1,084 | 965 | 991 | 1,003 | 909 |
| Miscellaneous | 1,334 | 1,246 | 1,235 | 1,326 | 1,291 | 1,186 |
| Sub-degree | 137 | 133 | 135 | 86 | 98 | 96 |
| Total | 20,752 | 20,665 | 19,853 | 20,057 | 19,674 | 18,844 |
| Ethnicity of Students | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand/European | 68.4% | 68.3% | 69.1% | 69.5% | 71.8% |
| Māori | 6.9% | 6.4% | 6.2% | 6.1% | 6.3% |
| Asian | 15.6% | 16.5% | 16.1% | 15.2% | 13.5% |
| Pacific Islanders | 2.6% | 2.6% | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.4% |
| Other / unknown | 6.5% | 6.2% | 6.1% | 6.6% | 5.9% |
Campuses
In addition to the main Dunedin campus, the University has small facilities in AucklandAuckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
and Wellington (based at the Wellington Centre). The medical schools have larger campuses near Christchurch and Wellington Hospitals. Additionally, the university has the Portobello Marine Laboratory
Portobello Marine Laboratory
The Portobello Marine Laboratory is located on the end of a short peninsula close to the township of Portobello, within the limits of the city of Dunedin in New Zealand's South Island...
inside Otago Harbour.
Merger with Dunedin College of Education
The University and the Dunedin College of Education
Dunedin College of Education
The University of Otago College of Education is a teacher-training facility in Dunedin, New Zealand, run as part of the University of Otago since 2007. Formerly called Dunedin College of Education , the college was founded in 1876, and has the longest continuous history of teacher education in New...
(a specialist teacher training institution) merged on 1 January 2007. The University of Otago College of Education is now based on the College site, and includes the College's campuses in Invercargill
Invercargill
Invercargill is the southernmost and westernmost city in New Zealand, and one of the southernmost cities in the world. It is the commercial centre of the Southland region. It lies in the heart of the wide expanse of the Southland Plains on the Oreti or New River some 18 km north of Bluff,...
and Alexandra
Alexandra, New Zealand
Alexandra is a town in the Central Otago district of the Otago region of New Zealand. It is located on the banks of the Clutha River , on State Highway 8, 188 km by road from Dunedin and 33 km south of Cromwell.At the time of the 2006 census, the permanent population was 4,827, an...
. Staff of the University's Faculty of Education relocated to the college site. A merger had been considered before, however the present talks progressed further, and more amicably, than previously.
Libraries
The University of Otago has ten libraries – seven based in Dunedin on the main university campus, the Education library in Southland, plus two medical libraries in Wellington and Christchurch. All libraries have wireless access.The Central Library is part of the Information Services Building and has over 2000 study spaces. It has the Māori Resources Collection Te Aka a Tāwhaki, a collection pertaining to Te Ao Māori, and the Special Collections consisting of about 9,000 books printed before 1801.
The Health Sciences libraries are the Medical Library in the Sayers Building, and the Dental library on the ground floor of the Dental School. The Medical Library contains 150,000 volumes including 79,000 books, and receives over 1,600 periodicals. The Dental book collection consists of 2000 volumes.
The Science Library is at the north end of the campus in the Science III building, with seating for approximately 500.
Other libraries are:
- Hocken LibraryHocken LibraryThe Hocken Library is a research library, historical archive and art gallery based in the New Zealand city of Dunedin...
- Stout Law Library
- Robertson Library
Distinctions
Many Fellowships add to the diversity of the people associated with "Otago". They include:- Robert Burns FellowshipRobert Burns FellowshipThe Robert Burns Fellowship, established in 1958 as a bicentennial celebration, is claimed to be New Zealand's premier literary residency. The list of past fellows includes many of New Zealand's most notable writers....
(literature) - Caroline Plummer Fellowship in Community Dance
- Charles Hercus Fellowship
- Claude McCarthy Fellowship
- Foxley Fellowship
- Frances Hodgkins FellowshipFrances Hodgkins FellowshipThe Frances Hodgkins Fellowship, established in 1962, is one of New Zealand's premier arts residencies. The list of past fellows includes many of New Zealand's most notable artists.The position is based at the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand...
(art) - Henry Lang Fellowship
- Hocken Fellowship
- James Cook Fellowship
- Mozart FellowshipMozart FellowshipThe Mozart Fellowship is a 12-month composer residency attached to the Music Department of the University of Otago. It may be awarded for a second time only to any one composer...
(music) - THB Symons Fellowship
- William Evans Visiting Fellowship
In 1998, the physics department gained some fame for making the first Bose–Einstein condensate
Bose–Einstein condensate
A Bose–Einstein condensate is a state of matter of a dilute gas of weakly interacting bosons confined in an external potential and cooled to temperatures very near absolute zero . Under such conditions, a large fraction of the bosons occupy the lowest quantum state of the external potential, at...
in the Southern Hemisphere
Southern Hemisphere
The Southern Hemisphere is the part of Earth that lies south of the equator. The word hemisphere literally means 'half ball' or "half sphere"...
.
The 2006 Government investigation into research quality (to serve as a basis for future funding) ranked Otago the top University in New Zealand overall, taking into account the quality of its staff and research produced. It was also ranked first in the categories of Clinical Medicine, Biomedical Science, Law, English Literature and Language, History and Earth Science. The Department of Philosophy received the highest score for any nominated academic unit. Otago had been ranked fourth in the 2004 assessment.
In 2006, a report released by the Ministry of Research, Science and Technology found that Otago was the most research intensive university in New Zealand, with 40% of staff time devoted to research and development.
Journal "Science" has recommended worldwide study of Otago's Biochemistry database "Transterm
Transterm
Transterm is a database of mRNA sequences, codon usage, and associated cis-regulatory elements that regulate gene expression. Many of these elements are in the 3' UTR.- References :...
", which has genomic
Genomics
Genomics is a discipline in genetics concerning the study of the genomes of organisms. The field includes intensive efforts to determine the entire DNA sequence of organisms and fine-scale genetic mapping efforts. The field also includes studies of intragenomic phenomena such as heterosis,...
data on 40,000 species.
Academic rankings
| World university rankings | ||
|---|---|---|
| Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) QS World University Rankings The QS World University Rankings is a ranking of the world’s top 500 universities by Quacquarelli Symonds using a method that has published annually since 2004.... |
Academic Ranking of World Universities Academic Ranking of World Universities The Academic Ranking of World Universities , commonly known as the Shanghai ranking, is a publication that was founded and compiled by the Shanghai Jiaotong University to rank universities globally. The rankings have been conducted since 2003 and updated annually... |
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| 2011 | 130 | 201-300 |
| 2010 | 135 | 201-300 |
| 2009 | 125 | 201-302 |
| 2008 | 124= | 201-302 |
| 2007 | 114= | 305-402 |
For 2010-2011, Times Higher Education produced its first set of rankings independently from Quacquarelli Symonds (QS)
QS World University Rankings
The QS World University Rankings is a ranking of the world’s top 500 universities by Quacquarelli Symonds using a method that has published annually since 2004....
. The University of Otago did not appear in the top 200 listed universities.
Residential colleges
The University of Otago owns, or is in affiliation with, fourteen residential collegeResidential college
A residential college is an organisational pattern for a division of a university that places academic activity in a community setting of students and faculty, usually at a residence and with shared meals, the college having a degree of autonomy and a federated relationship with the overall...
s, which provide food, accommodation, social and welfare services. Most of these cater primarily for first year students, though some have a sizable number of second and higher year undergraduates, as well as occasionally a significant postgraduate population. While some teaching is normally undertaken at a college, this generally represents a small percentage of a resident's formal tuition.
Most colleges actively seek to foster a sense of community and academic achievement amongst their members through, variously, intercollegiate competitions, communal dining, apartment groups, traditionalism, independent students' clubs, college events and internal sporting and cultural societies.
Some colleges are co-institutional, accepting students from both the University of Otago and Otago Polytechnic
Otago Polytechnic
The Otago Polytechnic is a public New Zealand tertiary education institute, centred in Dunedin with campuses throughout the region of Otago including Cromwell, Wanaka and Queenstown....
.
O-Week
Otago University Students' Association
The Otago University Students' Association is the Students' Association of the University of Otago, New Zealand.OUSA provides "representation, welfare, advocacy, recreation, fun events and media" for its members...
and involves competitions such as 'Fresher of the Year' whereby several students volunteer to carry out a series of tasks throughout the week before being voted to win. All tasks are related to the O-Week theme. The OUSA also organise events each night including various concerts, a comedy night, hypnotist plus busses to Carisbrook
Carisbrook
Carisbrook was a major sporting venue in Dunedin, New Zealand. The city's main domestic and international rugby union venue, it has also been used for other sports such as cricket, football, rugby league and motocross. Carisbrook has also hosted a Joe Cocker concert and frequently hosted pre-game...
(at the other end of Dunedin) where the Highlanders usually schedule a game. Local bars organise events also with a range of live music and promotional deals including the Cookathon and a Miss O-Week competition hosted by The Outback. The Cookathon was held by a local pub (the Cook) with the premise that your first drink costs you about $20 which gives you a t-shirt, three meal vouchers and reduced price on drinks then you spend the rest of the day binge drinking and 'telephoning' the occasional jug with mates.
Traditions
Each year the first years are encouraged to attend the toga parade and party dressed in white sheets wrapped as togas. Retailers called for an end of the parade after property damage and disorder during the 2009 event. A clocktower race also occurs, in the style of Chariots of Fire
Chariots of Fire
Chariots of Fire is a 1981 British film. It tells the fact-based story of two athletes in the 1924 Olympics: Eric Liddell, a devout Scottish Christian who runs for the glory of God, and Harold Abrahams, an English Jew who runs to overcome prejudice....
. Students must race round the tower and attached building, beginning on the first chime of the clock at noon and completing before the chimes cease. Unlike Chariots of Fire, the task is possible with a couple of students completing each year.
Previously each year a theme was chosen for the O-week festivities, usually based on a recent movie or TV show. The week was then branded with altered posters depicting the theme plus all events were somehow linked to the theme. This practice ended in 2008.
- Supersize Me – 2005
- Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy – 2006
- Prison BreakPrison BreakPrison Break is an American television serial drama created by Paul Scheuring, that was broadcast on the Fox Broadcasting Company for four seasons, from 2005 until 2009. The series revolves around two brothers; one has been sentenced to death for a crime he did not commit, and the other devises an...
– 2007 - Orientation '08 – 2008
- Orientation '09 – 2009
Behavioural issues
Student behaviour is a major concern for both the University administration and Dunedin residents in general. Concerns over student behaviour prompted the University to introduce a Code of Conduct (CoC) which its students must abide by in 2007. The introduction of the CoC was accompanied by the establishment of the dedicated 'Campus Watch' security force to keep tabs on crime and anti-social behaviour on campus and in the student neighbourhoods nearby. Campus Watch reports directly to the University's Proctor.Couch burning
Couch burning is a frequent, illegal
Arson
Arson is the crime of intentionally or maliciously setting fire to structures or wildland areas. It may be distinguished from other causes such as spontaneous combustion and natural wildfires...
, problem with partying students in the student neighbourhood surrounding the campus. In 2007, a pub owner was charged with sedition
Sedition
In law, sedition is overt conduct, such as speech and organization, that is deemed by the legal authority to tend toward insurrection against the established order. Sedition often includes subversion of a constitution and incitement of discontent to lawful authority. Sedition may include any...
over a pamphlet offering O-Week students the prize of a fuel-soaked couch.
Riots
Large scale clashes between Otago and Canterbury University students and Police took place in 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 related to events surrounding the Undie 500 car rally organised by students from Canterbury University. Other student social events during the year such as the Toga Parade and the Hyde Street Keg Race are also notable for attracting Police attention, but not to the scale of the Undie riots.
Protest
Otago students are notable for protesting contentious political issues in nearly every decade. In the 1960s students at Otago who were involved with the Progressive Youth Movement led protests against the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. In the 1970s mixed flatting (males and females were prohibited from sharing housing up to that time) was contested in various creative ways by Otago students. On 28 September 1993 Otago students protested against a fee increase at the university, going as far as occupying the University Registry (Clocktower Building), which ended in a violent clash with police. Since 2004, the Otago University NORML club has met weekly on the Otago campus to protest by smoking cannabis in defiance of New Zealand's cannabis laws. In 2008, several members were arrested and issued trespass notices from the Union Lawn, but the protests continue to this day.
Faculty
- John Carew EcclesJohn Carew EcclesJohn Carew Eccles, AC FRS FRACP FRSNZ FAAS was an Australian neurophysiologist who won the 1963 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his work on the synapse. He shared the prize with Andrew Huxley and Alan Lloyd Hodgkin....
, Nobel PrizeNobel PrizeThe Nobel Prizes are annual international awards bestowed by Scandinavian committees in recognition of cultural and scientific advances. The will of the Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, established the prizes in 1895...
winner, professor of physiology at the Medical School from 1944 to 1951. - Michael Cullen, Former Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand, lecturer from 1971 to 1981.
- James R. FlynnJames R. FlynnJames Robert Flynn PhD FRSNZ , aka Jim Flynn, Emeritus Professor of Political Studies at the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand, researches intelligence and has become well known for his discovery of the Flynn effect, the continued year-after-year increase of IQ scores in all parts of the...
, intelligence researcher, namesake of the Flynn EffectFlynn effectThe Flynn effect is the name given to a substantial and long-sustained increase in intelligence test scores measured in many parts of the world. When intelligence quotient tests are initially standardized using a sample of test-takers, by convention the average of the test results is set to 100... - David HarrisDavid Harris (software developer)David Harris is a software developer from Dunedin, New Zealand. He developed the Pegasus Mail client and the Mercury Mail Transport System, and is a former staff member of the University of Otago....
, developer of the Pegasus MailPegasus MailPegasus Mail is a donationware , proprietary, email client that is developed and maintained by David Harris and his team. It was originally released in 1990 for internal and external mail on Netware networks with MS-DOS clients, and was subsequently ported to Microsoft Windows...
email system - J. L. MackieJ. L. MackieJohn Leslie Mackie was an Australian philosopher, originally from Sydney. He made significant contributions to the philosophy of religion, metaphysics, and the philosophy of language, and is perhaps best known for his views on meta-ethics, especially his defence of moral skepticism.He authored six...
, noted philosopher, faculty member 1955–1959 - William Noel BensonWilliam Noel BensonWilliam Noel Benson FRS FRGS was a research geologist and academic. After studying geology at the University of Sydney, Benson worked temporarily at the University of Adelaide before returning to Sydney as a demonstrator...
, geologist and head of the Geology Department from 1917 until 1951 - Alan MusgraveAlan MusgraveAlan Musgrave is an English born New Zealand philosopher. Musgrave was educated at the London School of Economics with a BA Honours Philosophy and Economics 1961. Sir Karl Popper supervised Musgrave's PhD which was completed in 1969. Musgrave worked as Popper's Research Assistant initially then...
, philosopher of science - Robert JackRobert Jack (physicist)Robert Jack was a Scottish-born physicist, professor and Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Science, University of Otago, and pioneer of radio broadcasting, New Zealand.- Early life and education :...
, Professor of Physics (1914–47); Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Science, and pioneer of radio broadcasting, New Zealand - Robert J. T. BellRobert J. T. BellRobert J. T. Bell RSE was a Scottish mathematician. He held the positions of Professor of Pure and Applied Mathematics and Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Science, at the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand....
, Professor of Pure and Applied Mathematics (1920–48); Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Science, and author An Elementary Treatise on Co-ordinate Geometry of Three Dimensions (Macmillan 1910, to third edition 1944. Reprinted 2009, publisher BiblioBazaar)
Alumni and alumnae
(with Hall of Residence, if any, in parentheses where known)- Arthur Henry AdamsArthur Henry AdamsArthur Henry Adams was a journalist and author. He started his career in New Zealand, though he spent most of it in Australia, and for a short time resided in China and London.-Biography:...
, journalist and writer - Annette BaierAnnette BaierAnnette C. Baier is a well-known moral philosopher and Hume scholar, focusing in particular on Hume's moral psychology. For most of her career she taught in the philosophy department at the University of Pittsburgh, having moved there from Carnegie Mellon University...
, moral philosopher - Barbara Anderson, novelist
- David Benson-PopeDavid Benson-PopeDavid Henry Benson-Pope is a New Zealand Labour Party politician who sat in the Parliament of New Zealand from 1999 to 2008. He formerly served as a cabinet minister....
, former MP and Labour cabinet minister - Dame Silvia CartwrightSilvia CartwrightDame Silvia Rose Cartwright, PCNZM, DBE, QSO, DStJ was the 18th Governor-General of New Zealand.She is a graduate of the University of Otago, where she gained her LL.B degree in 1967, and a former student at Otago Girls' High School.- Public life and family :In 1989, she became the first female...
– former Governor GeneralGovernor-General of New ZealandThe Governor-General of New Zealand is the representative of the monarch of New Zealand . The Governor-General acts as the Queen's vice-regal representative in New Zealand and is often viewed as the de facto head of state....
(2001–2006), former High Court judge - Roderick Carr, former acting governor of the Reserve Bank, Vice-Chancellor of Canterbury University
- David CunliffeDavid CunliffeDavid Richard Cunliffe is a New Zealand politician. He is a member of the Labour Party, and the sitting member of parliament for New Lynn, West Auckland. He served as the Minister of Health and Minister for Communications and Information Technology for the Fifth Labour Government of New Zealand...
(Carrington) – current Member of Parliament (Labour – New Lynn), former Minister of Health - Brian ChristieBrian Christie (neuroscientist)Brian R. Christie is a Michael Smith Senior Scholar and an Associate Professor of Medicine and Neuroscience at The University of Victoria...
, Ph.D, neurology professor and active researcher - Sir Thomas DavisTom Davis (Cook Islands)Sir Thomas "Tom" Robert Alexander Harries Davis KBE was a Prime Minister of the Cook Islands and a medical researcher.-Early life and education:...
, first Cook IslandsCook IslandsThe Cook Islands is a self-governing parliamentary democracy in the South Pacific Ocean in free association with New Zealand...
medical graduate in New Zealand, former Prime Minister of the Cook IslandsPrime Minister of the Cook IslandsThe Prime Minister of the Cook Islands is the official rsponsible for heading Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II's government in the Cook Islands, a self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand. The office was established in 1965, when self-government was first granted to the islands...
, High CommissionerHigh CommissionerHigh Commissioner is the title of various high-ranking, special executive positions held by a commission of appointment.The English term is also used to render various equivalent titles in other languages.-Bilateral diplomacy:...
to New Zealand, and research physiologist with NASANASAThe National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
. M.B.Ch.B. (1945) LL.D. (2005). - Derek Denny-BrownDerek Denny-BrownDerek Ernest Denny-Brown OBE was a neurologist. Working in Oxford, London and Boston, he made major contributions to the field of neurology, such as the development of electromyography, physiology of micturition and the treatment of Wilson's disease.-Biography:Born in New Zealand, he studied at...
- Marc Ellis (Unicol), rugby and TV personality
- Bill EnglishBill EnglishSimon William "Bill" English is the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Finance and Minister of Infrastructure of New Zealand.English entered parliament in 1990 as a National party MP representing the Wallace electorate...
(Selwyn) – Deputy Prime MinisterDeputy Prime Minister of New ZealandThe Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand is second most senior officer in the Government of New Zealand, although this seniority does not necessarily translate into power....
, Minister of FinanceMinister of Finance (New Zealand)The Minister of Finance is a senior figure within the government of New Zealand. The position is often considered to be the most important Cabinet role after that of the Prime Minister....
, current Member of Parliament (National – Clutha-Southland) - Janet FrameJanet FrameJanet Paterson Frame, ONZ, CBE was a New Zealand author. She wrote eleven novels, four collections of short stories, a book of poetry, an edition of juvenile fiction, and three volumes of autobiography during her lifetime. Since her death, a twelfth novel, a second volume of poetry, and a handful...
, author - Ian FraserIan Fraser (broadcaster)Ian Fraser OBE is a New Zealander who was the Chief Executive Officer of Television New Zealand from 2002 until 2005. During his time in this office, TVNZ made a transition from a wholly commercial broadcaster to a public company operating under a charter.He resigned on 30 October 2005 following a...
, broadcaster, head of Television New Zealand - William FyfeWilliam FyfeWilliam Sefton Fyfe, is a New Zealand geologist and Professor Emeritus in the department of Earth Sciences at the University of Western Ontario. He is widely considered among the world’s most eminent geochemists.-Life:...
, Geochemist - Jon GadsbyJon GadsbyJon Gadsby QSO is a New Zealand television comedian and writer, most well known for his role in the comedy series McPhail and Gadsby co-starring alongside David McPhail.-Biography:...
, comedian and actor - Malcolm GrantMalcolm GrantMalcolm John Grant, CBE is the Provost and President of University College London. He took up the post – the principal academic and administrative officer and head of UCL – on 1 August 2003. Since then, UCL has developed as one of the world's leading universities and he has tackled critical...
, President and ProvostProvost (education)A provost is the senior academic administrator at many institutions of higher education in the United States, Canada and Australia, the equivalent of a pro-vice-chancellor at some institutions in the United Kingdom and Ireland....
, University College LondonUniversity College LondonUniversity College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
, Environmental Law specialist. - Julian Grimmond, co-producer of "The Amazing Race", which won two consecutive Primetime Emmys
- Stephen GuestStephen GuestStephen Guest, Barrister and Barrister and Solicitor , is the Professor of Legal Philosophy at the University College London Faculty of Laws.-Education:...
, professor of legal philosophy, University College LondonUniversity College LondonUniversity College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London... - Graeme HartGraeme HartGraeme Hart is a New Zealand businessman reported to be the richest person in Australasia with a personal fortune of NZ$8.8 billion according to the 2009 Forbes rich list. The 2007 September 22–28 issue of the New Zealand Listener listed Hart as being the 29th most powerful New Zealander...
, reportedly the richest person in New Zealand in 2007. - Volker HeineVolker HeineVolker Heine FRS is a New Zealand-British physicist.He was educated at Wanganui Collegiate School and the University of Otago, then Clare College, Cambridge where he became a fellow and professor. He obtained his PhD in physics in Cambridge as student of Sir Nevill Mott.He was elected Fellow of...
, Theoretical physicist, Professor at the University of Cambridge - Jan HellriegelJan HellriegelJan Hellriegel is a singer/songwriter based in Auckland, New Zealand.Her first recorded appearances were in Dunedin band Working With Walt in the mid-1980s when Jan studied at the University of Otago in Dunedin...
, singer/songwriter - Greg HendersonGreg HendersonGregory Henderson is a professional track and road racing cyclist who rides for , but who will ride for Lotto in 2012. His career includes winning the 15 km scratch race at the 2004 world championships and, in road cycling, winning the points competition at the 2005 Tour de Georgia. He...
, world-champion track cyclist and road cyclist - Fergus HumeFergus HumeFergusson Wright Hume, known as Fergus Hume was an English novelist.-Early life:Hume was born in England, the second son of Dr. James Hume. At the age of three years his father emigrated with his family to Dunedin, New Zealand. He attended Otago Boys' High School and studied law at the University...
, English novelist - David KirkDavid KirkDavid Edward Kirk, MBE, , is a former New Zealand rugby union player. He is best known for having been the captain of the All Blacks when they won the inaugural Rugby World Cup in 1987....
(Selwyn), Rhodes scholar, World Cup winning All Black captain and former CEO Fairfax (Australia) - Josh KronfeldJosh KronfeldJoshua Adrian Kronfeld is a former rugby union footballer who represented New Zealand at international level and Otago, the Highlanders and Leicester at first-class level...
,(Aquinas College) All Black and Physiotherapy graduate - Chris LaidlawChris LaidlawChristopher Robert Laidlaw , Rhodes Scholar, All Black, diplomat, MP, talk radio host, author, is a 20th century New Zealand figure.-Academic and Rugby Union:...
, All Black and politician - Michael LawsMichael LawsMichael Laws is a New Zealand politician, broadcaster and writer/columnist. He served two terms as a Member of the New Zealand Parliament, representing the National Party and New Zealand First . He was elected as Mayor of Wanganui in 2004, was re-elected in 2007 but announced his retirement from...
, (Arana Hall) politician, writer, broadcaster, Mayor of WanganuiWanganuiWhanganui , also spelled Wanganui, is an urban area and district on the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand. It is part of the Manawatu-Wanganui region.... - John Edward "Jack" LovelockJack LovelockJohn Edward Lovelock was a New Zealand athlete, and the 1936 Olympic champion in the 1500 metres....
, athlete - Sir Kamisese MaraKamisese MaraRatu Sir Kamisese Mara, CF, GCMG, KBE is considered the founding father of the modern nation of Fiji. He was Chief Minister from 1967 to 1970, when Fiji gained its independence from the United Kingdom, and, apart from one brief interruption in 1987, the first Prime Minister from 1970 to 1992...
(Knox), FijiFijiFiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
an politician - Archibald McIndoeArchibald McIndoeSir Archibald McIndoe CBE FRCS was a pioneering New Zealand plastic surgeon who worked for the Royal Air Force during World War II. He greatly improved the treatment and rehabilitation of badly burned aircrew.-Background:...
, plastic surgeon - Dame Judith Mayhew JonasJudith MayhewDame Judith Mayhew Jonas, DBE is a New Zealand-born British lawyer and academic.Born and educated in New Zealand, Judith Mayhew graduated LLM from the University of Otago, where she lectured before moving to the UK as a lecturer in law at King's College London where she set up and became Director...
, former head of the City of London Corporation. - Joseph William MellorJoseph William Mellor-Early life:Joseph William Mellor was born in Lindley, Huddersfield, England, in 1869. He grew up on New Zealand's South Island where his father found employment in the textile industry. The family was too poor to send Joseph to secondary school, but he continued to study in his spare time.Mellor...
, F.R.S., chemist - Arnold NordmeyerArnold NordmeyerSir Arnold Henry Nordmeyer, ONZ, KCMG , born Heinrich Arnold Nordmeyer, was a New Zealand politician. He was leader of the Labour Party for three years while it was in Opposition.-Early life:...
, Opposition and Labour Party Leader - Anton OliverAnton OliverAnton David Oliver is a retired New Zealand rugby union footballer who most recently played professionally for the French second-division club Toulon, noted for signing veteran greats including former All Blacks captain Tana Umaga and great George Gregan...
(Unicol), rugby player and member of the All BlacksAll BlacksThe New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport.... - Prof. Datuk Dr. Mazlan OthmanMazlan OthmanMazlan Binti Othman is a Malaysian astrophysicist who has served in several roles within her country, and as Director of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs in Vienna.-Early life and education:...
, astrophysicist and head of the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs. - Lord PorrittArthur Porritt, Baron Porritt- External links :* * *...
(Selwyn), Olympic GamesOlympic GamesThe Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
100 meters bronze medalist, Governor-General of New Zealand and physician to the Queen. - Robert StoutRobert StoutSir Robert Stout, KCMG was the 13th Premier of New Zealand on two occasions in the late 19th century, and later Chief Justice of New Zealand. He was the only person to hold both these offices...
(Aquinas College), Prime Minister & Chief Justice. - Lauren Kim RocheLauren Kim RocheLauren Kim Roche is a bestselling author and physician. She was born in Miramar, New Zealand, a suburb of Wellington. In 1991, she obtained her medical degree from the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand...
, physician, author - Sulaiman DaudSulaiman DaudTan Sri Sulaiman Daud was a Malaysian politician who held seven ministries in the Malaysian government between 1981 and 1999...
, Malaysian politicianPoliticianA politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
, ministerMinister (government)A minister is a politician who holds significant public office in a national or regional government. Senior ministers are members of the cabinet....
. - Peter TapsellPeter Tapsell (New Zealand)Sir Peter Wilfred Tapsell, KNZM, MBE, FRCS, FRCSEd was Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives from 1993 to 1996...
, Cabinet minister - Jeremy WaldronJeremy WaldronJeremy Waldron is professor of law and philosophy at the New York University School of Law and Chichele Professor of Social and Political Theory at All Souls College, Oxford University.-Career:...
, legal philosopher - Allan WilsonAllan WilsonAllan Charles Wilson was a pioneer in the use of molecular approaches to understand evolutionary change and reconstruct phylogenies, and a contributor to the study of human evolution. He was one of the most controversial figures in post-war biology; his work attracted a great deal of attention...
, biologist
Rhodes Scholars
(College at Oxford in brackets)(Source: List of NZ Rhodes Scholars)1 two of Dan Davin'sDan Davin
Daniel Marcus Davin was an author who wrote about New Zealand, although for most of his career he lived in Oxford, England, working for Oxford University Press....
novels are set at Otago University.
See also
- Capping ShowCapping ShowThe Capping Show is the name given to the University of Otago student revue. This is a comedy revue full of offensive and entertaining skits. In previous years, there has been a main story line which has weaved through it little skits, bad puns and musical numbers...
- Otago University AFC
- Otago University Debating SocietyOtago University Debating SocietyThe Otago University Debating Society was established in June 1878 and is the oldest society of the University of Otago, the first university to be founded in New Zealand...
- Otago University Rowing ClubOtago University Rowing ClubOtago University Rowing Club is a rowing club affiliated with the University of Otago New Zealand. It was established on the 16th of April 1929. The first President, Professor D W Carmalt Jones, continued until 1944. Carmalt Jones had rowed for Corpus Christi College, Oxford University, and...
- ScarfiesScarfiesScarfies is a low-budget 1999 New Zealand film set in the southern university city of Dunedin. The film's original title comes from the local nickname for university students, scarfie, so called because of the traditional blue and gold scarves worn by students during the city's cool winters in...
- University of Otago Christchurch School of MedicineUniversity of Otago Christchurch School of MedicineThe University of Otago, Christchurch, formerly Christchurch School of Medicine and Health Sciences, in Christchurch, New Zealand, is one of three medical schools that make up the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Otago. It is based primarily at Christchurch Hospital, in Christchurch Central...
- University of Otago Faculty of DentistryUniversity of Otago Faculty of DentistryUniversity of Otago Faculty of Dentistry is one of the faculties of the University of Otago.Founded in 1907, the Faculty of Dentistry is the only Faculty and School of Dentistry in New Zealand. It forms an integral part of the Division of Health Sciences within the University of Otago in Dunedin...
- University of Otago Faculty of LawUniversity of Otago Faculty of LawThe Faculty of Law is one the professional schools at the University of Otago. Otago is New Zealand's oldest law school, lectures in law having begun in 1873...