The University of Otago’s new vice-chancellor Grant Robertson marked his first day on the job soaked in rain and ready to get down to business.
Mana whenua hosted a pōwhiri at Ōtākou Marae on Otago Peninsula yesterday for Mr Robertson, while he was officially welcomed to the university in the afternoon at a function for all staff.
For the few minutes he had in between, he welcomed the media and other onlookers in the pouring rain for a quick-fire stand-up outside the Clocktower building.
"The next couple of weeks are about getting my feet under the desk.
"I'm delighted to be here and looking forward to meeting as many students as soon as possible . . . the university only exists because of, and for, the students."
On political matters, the former deputy prime minister said he was "aware" that the Tertiary Education Commission had signalled it could allow universities to raise their fees by up to 6% next year.
"That will be up to each university based on its budget and thinking about the position students are in. I'll take some time to consult on it."
"More broadly, it’s the societal changes that are out there . . . the cost of living challenges that are facing students and families.
"We want to make sure there’s a good crop of students both domestically and internationally in 2025."
The university’s reputation abroad was "sound" and came up in all sorts of unlikely places, Mr Robertson said.
"I was on a boat trip on Loch Ness and they were talking about the DNA project that the university did . . . every single day, thousands of tourists hear about Otago University and that’s a great story.
"So yes, there are lots of challenges, but also lots of opportunities."
