Tuesday 26 July 2022 10:51am
Head of the Department of Tourism Professor Brent Lovelock
The University of Otago’s teaching of hospitality and tourism management has ranked 23rd worldwide in the Shanghai Ranking Consultancy’s Academic Ranking of World Universities.
The University’s teaching of dentistry and oral sciences also placed in the top 75 of the global rankings, while the teaching of public health and food science and technology appeared in the top 100.
“The Otago Business School, and particularly its Department of Tourism, is elated to have received such a high global ranking,” Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Dean of the Otago Business School Professor Robin Gauld says.
“The Department of Tourism is a significant part of the University, actively reimagining and reinventing how that sector might operate into the future and so we are glad to see it get hard-earned and well-deserved credit.
“This acknowledges the work staff have put into not only maintaining the Department’s prestigious reputation but improving it as well.”
Head of the Department of Tourism, Professor Brent Lovelock, has been with the University of Otago for the past 22 years and is glad to see it receiving recognition for all its efforts.
“The Shanghai Ranking Consultancy is an independent organisation that conducts the Academic Ranking of World Universities,” Professor Lovelock says.
“The process for evaluating higher education intelligence is transparent, rigorous and impartial, which gives weight to this ranking.
“We look forward to celebrating this and using it to fuel our desire to continue being the best learning environment we can be.”
Acting Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the Division of Health Sciences, Professor Patricia Priest, says that while ranking approaches are only one of a number of ways of measuring University quality, it is pleasing to see these results for Health Sciences subject areas.
“The importance of Public Health is very evident globally at present, so it’s good to have this recognition,” Professor Priest says.
Dean of the Faculty of Dentistry, Professor Paul Cooper, also welcomes the high ranking for the “Dentistry and Oral Sciences” subject.
“Dentistry and Oral Sciences are important for ensuring the overall health of our communities, and so it is really affirming to see how well placed we are internationally in this as a subject area. As Aotearoa’s only School of Dentistry it’s good to have these global comparisons. I also welcome this as a reflection on the excellence of our very dedicated team,” Professor Cooper says.
The Head of the Department of Food Science, Professor Indrawati Oey, is proud “Food Science and Technology” has placed in the top 100, saying that this is testimony to the excellent research outputs of staff.
“Food Science and Technology is essential for our health, economy and community. This acknowledgement is testimony to the excellent research outputs of all staff involved and we are elated to receive global recognition of our great performance,” Professor Oey says.