After heart attack, cancer causes the maximum number of deaths in India. In 2014 alone, 4, 91,598 people died in the country due to cancer and the number is increasing every year. While cancer remains the world's single biggest cause of death, Dr. Aniruddha Chatterjee, now a researcher at the University of Otago, has made an important discovery that would potentially lead to improvements in the way we diagnose and treat cancer.
The University of Otago has been a real game changer for Dr. Chatterjee, who is an alumnus Osmania University and Vellore Institute of Technology. This year, Dr. Chatterjee became one of the only ten recipients across New Zealand to be awarded a Rutherford Discovery Fellowship, which isworth $800,000 over five years. Jason Cushen, Director International, University of Otago, says, "Dr. Chatterjeeis a wonderful ambassador for Indian students succeeding at University of Otago."
An excellent platform for researchers across the globe, the University of Otago has a strong history of research and scholarship from its foundation in 1869. Cushen adds, "We are proud to be New Zealand's leading postgraduate research university and here students are motivated to work for the relevant and innovative research that can be connected with the people."University blends the academic staff, students and the Otago Innovation Ltd - the University's wholly owned commercialisation arm - in order to foster the culture of research.
An excellent platform for researchers across the globe, the University of Otago has a strong history of research and scholarship from its foundation in 1869
The Otago Innovation Ltd plays a role of significance in developing and commercializing the intellectual property in the university. The Otago Innovation Ltd started functioning in 2002 and since then, the researchers of the university have got an ease on the investment side of the scene. The complete transfer of knowledge to products and services are undertaken by this team.
Further, the university is in its final stages of a complete NZ$56million refurbishment of the University's Science building, which will be used for both Undergraduate and Postgraduate/ Research studies. The University is constantly trying to give students the best facilities possible to help them achieve their academic goals. It is evident that students at Otago really do have some of the best facilities available.
"As New Zealand�s first university, whilst we are constantly upgrading our facilities, we also try and retain elements of our Scottish and European heritage, from when our University was established in 1869," states Cushen. This university possessing a historical journey started with three Professors for Classics and English Literature, Mathematics and Natural Philosophy, and Mental and Moral Philosophy and Political Economy. As time progressed, more professors joined and other classes were added. The University moved to its current site in 1878, when the northern part of the famous Clocktower Building was completed. By 1961, the University had a roll of around 3,000 students, and by 2016 there were more than 20,000. Due to the old heritage buildings, as well as our new facilities and beautiful landscapes, The University of Otago is now internationally recognised as one of the 15 most beautiful university campuses in the world.
Opened to a Global Learning
"Despite our geographical location, we are very much a global university, with over 2500 international students, over 90 student exchange partners and countless partnerships with other universities around the world, all of which offer our students abundant opportunities," states Cushen. Further, the university offers a range of scholarships, in particular postgraduate scholarships, which are very popular with the Indian students.
The University of Otago has many agreements with institutions all over the world. "In India specifically, we have agreements with the Bombay Stock Exchange Institute and O.P. Jindal Global University, where students can complete part of their Business Masters degree here, and part there. Opportunities like this are wonderful as they give students many industry connections and experiences around the world," pinpoints Cushen. Many of the programmes incorporate placements or enable students make good industry connections. For example, Undergraduate Business students have the opportunity to take up an internship, whilst the Postgraduate Business students are able to work on real life business cases with local businesses. "Furthermore, our Health Science students benefit from the strong working relationship between the University of Otago and the Southern District Health Board, allowing students to go on several clinical placements during their programmes," adds Cushen.
Otago is a great choice for the research-oriented students, as the universityfalls among the top ranked research universities with a benefit of domestic fees for the international students studying a PhD. "We are always looking to strengthen ourrelationships and collaborations by introducing more programmes to our agreements, visiting the institutions, hosting delegates from the institutions and meeting and advising interested students. We acknowledge the value of these relationships in our success and thus we prioritize to nurture and strengthen these bonds," concludes Cushen.
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