Vaughan Elder

The Otago University Students' Association (OUSA) has revealed plans to spend about $500,000 upgrading its clubs and societies centre in Albany St.

Two researchers who were awarded $100,000 each were among the 15 recognised for their contribution to health research at the joint Dunedin School of Medicine and Southern District Health Board (SDHB) research excellence awards this week.

The University of Otago is working hard to position itself as an attractive institution for top-achieving students, to prevent higher numbers of what Prime Minister John Key's science adviser calls "scholarship kids" from going overseas to study.

The number of Canterbury-based students enrolling at both the University of Otago and Otago Polytechnic has risen this year as student numbers at the University of Canterbury continue to drop in the aftermath of the city's earthquakes.

Three weeks of training in the Australian state of Victoria has given a group of Otago rural firefighters vital experience for fighting fires back home, Department of Conservation (Doc) deputy principal rural fire officer Trevor Mitchell says.

The University of Otago's new Unipol recreation centre in the University Plaza at Forsyth Barr Stadium has proven popular with students and visists have increased 40% compared with last year, before the facility shifted.

Almost 250 University of Otago students were suspended last year for failing to pass an adequate number of papers as the university increases its focus on producing quality students, vice-chancellor Prof Harlene Hayne says.

Neighbourhood Watch and the police are looking for "larger-than-life characters" to become "scarfie sheriffs" in an effort to help catch out criminals in the student quarter.

Free Tibet protesters (from left) Ngodup Lama, April Dolkar, Geshe Jampa Tensin, Lhagon Turku, Peter Small and Jampa Drolma were among a group of about 15 who set up in the Octagon to mark the 23rd birthday of Panchen Lama Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, who was taken into custody by the Chinese government at the age of 6 and whose whereabouts are unknown.

About 1000 people gathered in the sun in front of the University of Otago's much-photographed clocktower for the inaugural Otago University Students Association (OUSA) Anzac service yesterday afternoon.

A media watchdog formed by the University of Otago has had its first meeting with student magazine Critic at which it discussed an article about sex entitled "F... me baby, I was born this way" from its second issue this year.

Beekeepers in Otago and Southland are facing "significantly" higher costs after varroa mite, a bee parasite, was found in Dunedin and Invercargill this week.

The Otago University Students Association (OUSA) is confident the Unipol recreation centre will remain student-focused, after it sold its share of the facility to the University of Otago for a total of $666,000.

A belief that the Canterbury earthquakes caused significant damage in Dunedin or that there is a high risk of quakes in Dunedin is causing some international students to avoid coming to the city, education providers say.

University of Otago new sustainability co-ordinator Hilary Phipps was brought up in Dunedin and now she is back she hopes to be able to make a real difference to the city.

The inaugural Otago University Students Association (OUSA) "staff v students" food bank appeal came down to the wire, but in the end the students were crowned champions after collecting just over 5kg more than staff.

The University of Otago recorded an operating surplus of more than $26 million last year, its second highest surplus.