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Thursday 5 April 2018 9:35pm

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University of Otago Chancellor Dr Royden Somerville QC addresses guests at the formal opening of the redeveloped University of Otago Business School. Photos: Graham Warman.

The compliments have been flowing since the redeveloped University of Otago Business School’s common space opened for use at the beginning of this year.

The redeveloped space over two floors was formally opened last Wednesday, and blessed with a whakawatea in December 2017 by Hata Temo of the Office of Māori Development.

Construction work on the redevelopment started in October 2016, to bring it into line with a more modern learning environment, and to replace the wet and cold atrium, exacerbated by leaks and the lack of a wind-proof door.

The newly developed ground level cafe, study and social spaces, known as Te Wao Nui, has been welcomed by students and staff alike.

Pro-Vice-Chancellor Commerce Professor Robin Gauld told those at last Wednesday’s opening that the collaborative space signified a new direction for the Business School, which is the first in New Zealand to incorporate the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals as part of its newly-developed strategy.

Chancellor Dr Royden Somerville welcomed the refurbishment, noting the building has now successfully addressed its significant design faults. He paid testament to those who ensured the redevelopment was of a high standard, and also extended an apology to Ms Kate Casey and her family for injuries suffered from slipping on the building's tile flooring in 2013, a consequence of those building faults.

Dr Somerville also paid tribute to some of the Business School's recent achievements, including its online MBA being ranked third in the world by the influential UK magazine CEO, its Tourism Department being recognised as a World Leisure Centre of Excellence, the School becoming part of the Global Research Alliance for Sustainable Finance and Investment, and the success of its new DBA programme which has attracted a further 30 students from Shanghai this year.

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Vice-Chancellor Professor Harlene Hayne unveils the plaque for the redeveloped building.

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The plaque.

Vice-Chancellor Professor Harlene Hayne said the warm and welcoming environment of the newly developed building encapsulates the collegial support that is so important to Otago. She said it recognises the importance of the University's relationship with Ngai Tāhu, and the significant design features within the space that reflect tangata whenua.

"The space also represents the University's fierce ambition to be the best – the Business School is demonstrating that it is world-class," she said.

Te Wao Nui is now an engaging central common space for collaborative, formal and informal learning and social interactions for students and Business School staff, as well as the wider business community.

A distinctive 10-metre sculpture by Ngāi Tahu artist Ross Hemera, suspended from the ceiling above this shared space, is a modern interpretation of ancient Māori rock art. It is a visual exploration of notions about navigation, sustenance and preservation.

Specially designed etchings on glasswork around the shared space reflect migration and settlement, and reference Ranginui (sky), tīpuna (ancestors), and ngā ika (water creatures).

Other features are a cafe, known as Te Mātiti, new study rooms equipped with screens and projectors for group work, and a new and more accessible street entrance from Union Street East at ground level.

The Otago MBA, formerly located in an unconnected lower ground floor wing of the building, is now located on the first floor.

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