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Jessica Palmer 2020 image
Professor Jessica Palmer

Nau mai, haere mai ki Te Kete Aronui o Te Whare Wānanga o Otāgo nei. He mihi nui, he mihi mahana ki a koutou, ngā ākonga e whai mātauranga ana.

Mā te ora, ka mōhio. Mā te mōhio, ka ora.
(Through life, we learn. Through learning, we live.)

Welcome to Humanities at Otago

In the Humanities, we are interested in how human beings relate to their diverse and dynamic environments in the past, present and future. We explore how we interact with one another and interpret our experiences, how social and political institutions function, how human societies evolve, and how different cultures relate to one another. We work in many fields including social sciences, arts, geography, law, indigenous studies, performing arts, music and education.

We offer a wide range of internationally recognised programmes. Our BA degree is exceptionally flexible with many different majors to choose from. We also offer specialised undergraduate diplomas and degrees in Music, Performing Arts and Theology, as well as professional programmes in Law, Social Work, and Teaching. We offer a diverse set of outstanding postgraduate programmes that are highly competitive, attracting students from throughout New Zealand and around the world.

We are committed to providing a life-changing educational experience for our students. Our staff are scholars, practitioners and performers who bring cutting-edge knowledge from their research and their professional practice into our lecture theatres, seminar rooms and performance spaces. Otago's motto is 'Sapere Aude' - 'dare to be wise'. Our world needs creative and diverse critical thinkers who can investigate and understand the nature of complex human problems, communicate effectively, and act ethically. Humanities students are encouraged to embrace critical thinking, applying ground-breaking methodologies, theories and approaches to make sense of human experience.

I invite you to explore our website to learn more about what is on offer within the Division of Humanities Te Kete Aronui. And we look forward to welcoming you to our community.

Professor Jessica Palmer
Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Division of Humanities

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