Vaughan Elder

New Zealanders can lay claim to yet another flightless bird, with recent research on the origin of the penguin suggesting the species originated from prehistoric New Zealand.

New Zealanders do not understand how well the country did at the London Olympics, with a haul of six gold medals "fairly unique" for a small nation, Sport New Zealand chief executive Peter Miskimmin says.

Otago Polytechnic fears a change in funding that left it more than $500,000 out of pocket is the start of a wider push by the Government to privatise parts of the tertiary education system, which could see further cuts in future.

A decision by the Government to shift funding from polytechnics to the private sector has left Otago Polytechnic more than $500,000 out of pocket and could force it to cut courses beyond next year.

Bragging rights were at stake at Dunedin's Residential College Chef of the Year competition at the University of Otago as chefs from the city's colleges worked their culinary magic on gourmet dishes.

The University of Otago has made changes to reduce the risk of fraud at the institution in the aftermath of the theft of nearly $240,000 over a seven-year period by a former accounts manager.

A decision by the Dunedin School of Art to increase by 5% its commission on works sold at an end-of-year exhibition has left a sour taste with those enrolled at the school, student about to graduate says.

The University of Otago is about halfway through a $490,000 feasibility study looking into the replacement of its ageing dental school.

The public needs to be made more aware of the issues around genome sequencing if New Zealand is take full advantage of the fast-growing technology, University of Otago Faculty of Law dean Prof Mark Henaghan says.

Ten fashion students from China are in Dunedin this week as part of a collaboration with Otago Polytechnic, which saw six of its students visit Shanghai last month.

The latest Student Job Search (SJS) figures reveal many University of Otago students are doing it "tough" financially, and more people are competing for fewer jobs, Otago University Students' Association president Logan Edgar says.

The Otago University Students' Association exposed the gulf between the best and worst student flats in Dunedin yesterday, with the top flat described as a "beautiful mansion" and that judged the worst a "turd".

The All Blacks take jet lag seriously and their search for ways to combat its effects led them to a solution developed by University of Otago researchers.

The University of Otago will raise the cap on international student numbers from 12% to 15% from next year as it seeks to boost international enrolments.

Police are looking for a man who tried to force a 25-year-old woman to the ground in Dunedin's Town Belt this morning in what they believe was a sexually motivated attack.

The Ministry of Justice has secured a temporary venue for jury trials in Dunedin, meaning they will no longer need to be held in Invercargill once work on the venue is completed.

A $50 million to $100 million project to replace Dunedin's dental school is great news for New Zealand dentistry, New Zealand Dental Association president Geoff Lingard says.