Honorary Professor Vijay Mallan received his award at special dinner presentation on 28 April, seen here with Otago Graduate Research School Dean Professor Diane Ruwhiu.
Otago excellence is in the international spotlight once again, this time highlighting the innovative work around supporting the University’s doctoral supervisors.
Honorary Otago Professor Vijay Mallan has been awarded the Australian Council of Graduate Research (ACGR) 2025 Award for Excellence in Graduate Research Programs and Support, recognising his contribution to the Otago Doctoral Supervision Programme (ODSP).
Since the ACGR Awards were established in 2018, this marks the first time a New Zealand academic, and a New Zealand university, has received this prestigious award.
“It is a significant honour for the University of Otago, affirming its global leadership and innovation in the field of doctoral education,” Vijay says.
Vijay led the ODSP for four years, driving the University-wide initiative that offers research-informed, targeted workshops tailored to supervisors’ needs.
ODSP was developed in collaboration with Otago’s Graduate Research School (GRS), doctoral education researchers, subject experts, and dedicated administrative staff.
“Drawing on these collaborations, I led the design and delivery of the programme to ensure it meets the evolving needs of supervisors and doctoral candidates,” Vijay says.
“While I had the privilege of leading the initiative, this award acknowledges the dedication and insights contributed by both academic and professional staff across the University.
“It is a shared recognition, reflecting the strong institutional support from the GRS, especially Professors Diane Ruwhiu and Rachel Spronken-Smith, and the culture of collaboration that defines graduate education at Otago.”
The ODSP includes more than 55 workshops that go beyond compliance and policy to focus on the relational, pedagogical, and inclusive aspects of supervision.
Key to the success of the ODSP are the flexible workshop formats and the focus on areas such as mental health, cultural responsiveness, intercultural communication, and sustainability, he says.
“We worked closely with subject matter experts in embedding Māori and Pacific perspectives across the ODSP workshops to help supervisors develop a deeper understanding of Indigenous perspectives and integrate them into their broader supervisory practice.
“We also collaborated with specialists in cross-cultural supervision, wellbeing and student health experts, the Sustainability Office, and the University mediator’s office to enhance supervisor skills in these critical areas.”
Since its inception, the ODSP has recorded 1,385 participants, growing Otago’s supervisory capacity and seeing an increase in supervisor confidence.
“In a recent survey, 95 per cent of attendees rated the ODSP sessions as highly relevant to their supervisory roles, significantly boosting their confidence in navigating complex challenges.”
The programme has transformed supervision practices at Otago and attracted attention from universities around the world, achieving significant national and global success.
“The Feedback Expectation Tool and a co-supervision framework, signature features of the ODSP, have been embedded into Otago’s supervisory practice.
“With the support of GRS, the Enhancing Doctoral Supervision Practices programme transitioned from voluntary participation into a mandatory two-day workshop for all new Otago supervisors in 2022,” Vijay says.
In 2024, Vijay became the first academic outside the United Kingdom to receive the UK Council for Graduate Education’s Recognised Research Supervisor status, going on to mentor seven Otago colleagues to achieve the same distinction, another national first.
He has also been invited to lead initiatives focused on building supervisor capabilities in institutions globally, working with 45 universities across 15 countries, sharing key components of the ODSP and helping supervisors adopt structured feedback models and research-informed supervision strategies.
University of Durham Professor Stan Taylor, former Chair of the UK Council for Graduate Education’s Research Supervisor Network, says the ODSP is “one of the most extensive in scope and coverage anywhere in the world”.
“Under Vijay’s visionary leadership and contributions from across the University, the ODSP has grown into a world-class initiative, reflecting a collective commitment to enhancing doctoral supervision. Vijay is truly deserving of the 2025 AGCR Award.”
Vijay has recently taken up the role of Dean of Postgraduate Studies at Quest International University in Malaysia. He continues to maintain a strong scholarly connection with Otago as an Honorary Professor of Doctoral Education, fostering international collaboration and ongoing academic engagement between the two institutions.
~ Kōrero by Sandra French, Adviser Internal Communications
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