The 2025 McAuley Orator, Emeritus Professor Philip Nel.
‘Global health in challenging times’ is the theme of the 17th Otago Global Health Institute (OGHI) conference, that will run from 25-26 November 2025 at Te Kura Pakihi Otago Business School.
The conference is an annual opportunity for researchers (including students) and practitioners in global health to share their research, hear from other researchers, discuss projects, and foster new partnerships.
“From pandemics to climate change, the health of people and the planet are deeply linked. Addressing these challenges requires cooperation, innovation, and a shared commitment to leaving no one behind,” says Associate Professor Htin Lin Aung (Department of Microbiology and Immunology), chair of the OGHI conference organising committee.
“Global Health is one of the University of Otago’s flagship areas of expertise, uniting researchers from across the University in interdisciplinary programmes that extend from the Pacific to Asia and Africa. Through these partnerships and engagement with leading global health funders, Otago is helping to shape a healthier, more equitable world.”
Fellow OGHI committee member, Professor Stephen Knowles (Department of Economics), says the event will bring together leading and emerging researchers, practitioners, and advocates to explore innovative evidence-based solutions to global health issues.
“The conference will discuss the latest developments in global health research as we confront the most pressing health challenges of our time amid a rapidly shifting global political landscape,” says Stephen.
“In an era where geopolitical tensions, funding uncertainties, and misinformation threaten scientific collaboration and progress, as well as the day-to-day health and security of millions of people around the world, this conference serves as a vital forum for jointly charting a path forward.”
The line-up of eminent keynote and invited speakers includes Professor Nichole Georgeou, Humanitarian and Development Studies, University of Western Sydney; Dr Emma Powell, Director of Te Puna Vai Marama: Cook Islands Centre for Research, Rarotonga, and Senior Lecturer, Te Tumu School of Māori, Pacific, and Indigenous Studies, University of Otago; and Dr Berk Özler, Honorary Associate Professor, Centre for International Health, University of Otago, and former Lead Economist and Research Manager, Development Research Group, World Bank.
This year’s McAuley Oration – held in conjunction with the conference – will be delivered by Philip Nel, Emeritus Professor in Political Economy at the University of Otago.
As author of The Politics of Economic Inequality in Developing Countries, Philip is well versed in the political economy of global inequality. He’ll draw on this knowledge for the topic of his McAuley Oration – ‘Where you live should not determine whether you live’.
“Despite recent progress in reducing extreme poverty, improving the wellbeing of countless people in the world, and reducing between-country income inequality considerably, our world remains fundamentally unequal,” says Philip.
“Many more children would survive if it were not for the inordinate role that national borders play in determining who gets what in our world.
"While it is unwise to wish national borders away, the world has shown that multilateral cooperation is not only possible, but highly effective in dealing with global challenges. Unfortunately, contemporary geopolitical trends threaten to undo many of the multilateral advances of our time.”
The McAuley Oration is a free public lecture. All are welcome to attend.
When: Tuesday 25 November, 4:00-5:15pm.
Where: Archway 2 lecture theatre or watch via livestream: 2025 McAuley Oration livestream
For more information about OGHI and the conference, email globalhealth@otago.ac.nz
Otago Global Health Institute
Fostering partnerships to help solve global health problems. E whakarenarena ana i te taukaea tangata, e hauora ai te ao.
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