Vice-Chancellor Professor Harlene Hayne speaks at the 2015 Vice-Chancellor's Garden Party for postgraduate students yesterday.
Guests mingle at the Garden Party.
2015 started off with a warm welcome for those who have started postgraduate study at Otago in the past year.
The Vice-Chancellor's Garden Party is a formal greeting to all postgraduates who have started their study in the past 12 months and was well attended by students at all levels, from diplomas to PhDs.
The annual event is held at the University's postgraduate residential college, Abbey College, which is the only exclusively postgraduate residence in New Zealand.
Vice-Chancellor Professor Harlene Hayne told the assembled students, along with senior staff in attendance, that postgraduates were strongly valued by the University.
Professor Hayne said she and other senior University staff “jealously guarded” their opportunity to conduct research and supervise postgraduates, even under heavy workloads operating at the University.
“It's that important to us,” she said.
Otago has more than 4000 postgraduate students, many of whom are from overseas universities. Professor Hayne noted that created diversity at postgraduate and academic staff levels which she was very proud of.