The newly appointed Ron Lister Chair, Professor Etienne Nel, is photographed on Otago’s Dunedin campus, with Muaūpoko Otago Peninsula behind him. Ron Lister was one of the founders and Chair of the Otago Peninsula Trust.
An Otago geographer with a career focused on development issues in New Zealand and globally is well placed to take up the Ron Lister Chair at Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka.
Professor Etienne Nel, Te Iho Whenua School of Geography, says he is truly honoured to be in this endowed position starting in March.
“Ron Lister’s work at Otago was groundbreaking in terms of establishing geography at the University and through his impact on the local community. He was also forward-looking in terms of focusing on the developing world, particularly Asia, undertaking his own research and field work and supporting student research and engagement there,” Etienne says.
Ron Lister was the first Professor of Geography at Otago. The Endowed Chair was established in 2004, in recognition of the significant academic contributions and input he made to the University and the wider Otago community.
The Ron Lister Trust supports a wide portfolio of activities that Etienne says are clearly well thought through, which he considers a testament to the vision of the Trust, which established the Chair, as well as Ron Lister.
Otago Vice-Chancellor Grant Robertson welcomes this appointment to an important role in the University.
“The Ron Lister Chair anchors an important set of initiatives at the University to advance our understanding of society, the environment, climate change and geography. Etienne Nel is a terrific appointment, this is a well-deserved honour, and I am sure he will make the most of this role,” Grant says.
Etienne’s own work on development issues within New Zealand focuses on small urban places and communities. Key aspects of this include population and economic change over time, how this impacts on communities and how they are responding to these changes.
“Geography is a very diverse subject and overlaps with other disciplines in the process,” Etienne says.
Etienne also has a global development focus in his research. So far, this has mainly been in Africa in research themes that include urban, economic and policy development. More recently, Etienne has been studying renewable energy and the mining of critical minerals and sees a lot of development in this field in Asia, which aligns with Ron Lister’s interest in that region.
Etienne is a longstanding member of The International Geographical Unions Commission on Globalisation and Marginalisation, which he has chaired in the past.
“The aspect of marginalisation brings in the notion of researching and studying places which are experiencing development challenges and trying to find economic alternatives for them. So, again, this aligns well with the nature of this Chair in terms of shared objectives and research.”
Etienne was born in Zambia, schooled in Zimbabwe and then undertook tertiary study in South Africa. His academic career was mainly at Rhodes University, South Africa, where he served as Head of Department before moving to Otago.
Etienne has been with Otago for 18 years and served as Head of the School of Geography from 2020 to 2024.
Alongside the Chair, the Trust seeks to promote the subject of geography, engage with the community, and encourage Otago students to go overseas for their research. Etienne says over the years he has seen many students exposed to global issues and processes through these experiences.
“The legacy the trust has set up aligns with Ron’s vision of promoting the subject as well as benefiting the community locally, and promoting relevant and applied research in the developing world with a particular focus on Asia.
“I am honoured and very pleased that the University and my colleagues have recognised me in this fashion. I look forward to the challenge and hope that I can live up to expectations.”
About the late Professor Ron Lister
The first Professor of Geography at Otago, Ron Lister served as the Head of the Department for nearly 30 years and inspired many students with his passion for the integrative discipline, which aims to establish knowledge of relationships between and among human and natural systems.
Professor Lister graduated in 1939 with first-class honours from University College in London and accepted the position of Lecturer in Charge at Otago in 1952 after working for four years at Auckland University College.
Initially teaching all the courses himself, he threw himself at the task of developing the department, while his own specialty was the regional geography of Asia. This emphasis resulted from his war service from 1940-46 during which he served in South-East Asia.
In 1965, Professor Lister was appointed the Foundation Chair of Geography. He retired in 1981 and passed away in 1985.
Read about the Ron Lister Research Grants.
- Kōrero by Antonia Wallace, Kaiarataki Pārokoroko Communications Adviser
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