Professor Richard Barker, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Sciences).
Kia ora, me haere mai ki Te Rohe a Ahikāroa
I am delighted to welcome you to the Division of Sciences.
Science has been an essential cornerstone of the University of Otago since its establishment in 1869. The disciplines represented by three of the four foundation professors at the University remain represented in the Division of Sciences today – our founders understood that to fulfil their vision of educational excellence in Aotearoa that they needed a strong foundation of science.
Today the Division of Sciences is internationally recognised for excellence in all of its activities with a strong emphasis on research and research-led teaching that is grounded in our location and the collective skills of our people.
Centred on coastal Otago our natural laboratories are unsurpassed. We also have some of the latest high-end built or upgraded laboratories on campus allowing us to remain at the forefront of scientific endeavour.
Our staff are stellar, with a very large proportion engaged or supporting research and scholarship that directly bear on the major issues that face our planet.
We offer a diverse range of quality subjects that can now be studied at both the undergraduate and postgraduate levels. As well as our touchstone BSc (Bachelor of Science) and BSc(Hons) degrees with their large assortment of majors, you may also be interested in BAppSc (Bachelor of Applied Science), BASc (Bachelor of Arts and Science) and BComSc (Bachelor of Commerce and Science), our professional degrees, or programmes that cut across normal departmental structures. I invite you to look further at our website for more detailed information.
I feel honoured to head the Division at New Zealand's most science intensive university. I am also very proud of our staff and the cutting-edge results that they produce each year. As a student in the Division of Sciences you will be taught by leading experts, providing you with the opportunity to gain a world-class qualification whilst at the same time contributing to revolutionary research.
Wishing you all the best and I look forward to applauding your academic success.
Professor Richard Barker
Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Sciences)