UNIVERSITY OF MAGAZINEOtago ISSUE 4: FEBRUARY 2003 Former Afghani MP at OTAGO OUR PEOPLE IN EAST TIMOR OTAGO TALENT RETURNS MOUNTAINEER SETTING WORLD FIRSTS UNIVERSITY of OTAGO SAPERE AUDE Te Whare Wänanga o Otägo UNIVERSITYmagazine OF OTAGO CONTENTS 12 East Timor As the majority of New Zealand’s troops involved in East Timor withdraw, University of Otago Magazine talks to staff and alumni who have helped this country back to its feet. 19 Mountaineer-come-researcher photo:Cover Alan Dove Julie-Ann Clyma This multi-talented graduate talks to Claire Finlayson about what drives her to 5 push her brain and body to the limits. Vice-Chancellor’s comment 22 6 Young, gifted and back Inbrief They were standouts when they were Otago’s academic highlights students here and they’ve continued to make their mark further afield: now Professors Stephen Robertson and 31 Allan Herbison are back in town. Hocken Legacy 26 34 Former Afghani MP Najibullah Lafraie UniNews Students are flocking to learn from political studies teaching fellow Dr Najibullah Lafraie - former Afghani Minister of State for 36 Foreign Affairs. UniClippings 29 37 Otago’s new Entrepreneurship programme Books Entrepreneurship: Otago is doing more than just talking about it, with the introduction of an entrepreneurship programme. 38 Alumni 32 News and resources Alumni Insight Young, funny and not bad with a pen: 42 Jeremy Elwood asks why Dunedin friends What ever happened to... stalk him around the world. The Sextet 3 UNIVERSITY OF OTAGO magazine UNIVERSITY A magazine for alumni and friends of the University of Otago of University of Otago Magazine Issue 4 February 2003 ISSN - 1175-8147 O TAGO Managing Editor Gillian Thomas Editor Brigid Feely [email protected] Designer Peter Scott Contributing Writers Simon Ancell Jeremy Elwood Claire Finlayson Jo Galer Serena Gill Jill Jolliffe Liz MacIntyre Pam Morrison Nicola Mutch Dianne Pettis Penny St John Christan Stoddart Ainslie Talbot Karin Warnaar Photography Ross Coombes Alan Dove Stephen Goodenough Leaving a legacy to Otago, Jill Jolliffe Becky Nunes through a will, Neil Price Dean Proudfoot is a powerful way of Advertising Ruth Mackenzie-White supporting the University Circulation Alumni Office [email protected] at a level not possible Contact Details during one’s lifetime. University of Otago Magazine Marketing and Communications PO Box 56 Dunedin New Zealand The University’s A Legacy for Excellence Tel 64 3 479 8515 explains how the University’s alumni and friends, Fax 64 3 479 5417 Email [email protected] by making a donation through a will, Web www.otago.ac.nz/otagomagazine can play a key role in advancing Otago Submissions as world class university. Contributed articles and letters should be addressed to: The Editor, University of Otago Magazine, at the above address or email [email protected]. Copyright You are welcome to reproduce material from the magazine after gaining permission from the editor. For a copy of this brochure, please contact The University of Otago Magazine is published by the Marketing and Communications Division of the Alumni and Development Office, the University. The opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the University. University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin, New Zealand, Rhodes Scholarship Omission The complete list of Otago Rhodes Scholars included in the October telephone 64 3 479 5246, facsimile 64 3 479 6522 2002 edition of the University of Otago Magazine omitted the 1950 or email [email protected] entry for Peter Selwyn O’Connor.After completing his Rhodes’ studies, O’Connor returned to New Zealand. He taught history at Otago and, later in his career, he was appointed an Associate Professor in History at the University of Auckland. O’Connor died in February 1994. 4 major campaign to secure additional support from graduates and friends of the University. The article on page 34 of this edition of the Magazine outlines in more detail the programmes which we have put in place to achieve this. VC’s COMMENT Briefly they are: • the Advancement Campaign to enhance our academic In the October edition of the University of Otago Magazine, excellence in research and teaching and to provide more I made reference to the difficulties now being encountered in scholarship support for students; obtaining sufficient funds to maintain our position as a • the Annual Fund for graduates and friends who wish to leading University. make donations to selective activities; Some three years ago, we realised that – if we did not take • the Bequest Programme for those who wish to consider steps to help ourselves – simply relying on Government support for the University in their estate planning. funding policies would mean an inevitable decline in the quality of the University of Otago’s research and teaching. As To date, we have made significant progress, but much more your Vice-Chancellor, I decided this was something all needs to be achieved. I look forward to the University’s university stakeholders, particularly its graduates, would not receiving your support as we seek to secure Otago’s reputation be prepared to tolerate: we had to take steps to raise as a University of true international standing. additional funds ourselves to lessen our reliance on Government funding and student tuition fee income. We have been successful in increasing, by a significant margin, the funds which we receive from contestable research bidding and for commercial research activities. However, this alone will not be enough. Hence our decision to undertake a Dr Graeme Fogelberg Vice-Chancellor – University of Otago INBRIEF SURFACE BACTERIA HYPOTHESIS A joint effort among chemists, which enabled them to cling to APPEARS TO STICK food scientists and biochemists metal surfaces, but couldn’t tell has shed new light on how exactly which compound it was,” bacteria stick to surfaces. The says McQuillan. “Lamont’s group work could increase the success of was studying pyoverdine and how surgical implants, improve the bacteria use this compound to get hygiene of food processing iron from our bodies. They gave surfaces, and increase the us some purified pyoverdine to efficiency of surfaces such as water look at and its spectral pattern pipes and ships’ hulls. matched that of our surface “It’s an example of the whole adhering compound.” being greater than the sum of its A recent Marsden grant of parts,” says biochemist Associate $617,000 will enable Lamont and Professor Iain Lamont. his colleagues to continue their Lamont is working with investigations into other bacteria Associate Professor Jim McQuillan, and other surfaces. whose infra-red spectroscopy Bremer explains: “We’re keen to allows him to look closely at how look at bacteria that don’t make chemical bonds are formed pyoverdine and see if they also between various substances, and produce specific compounds that Dr Phil Bremer, who is interested enable them to form chemical in bacterium Pseudomonas bonds with a variety of metal Otago researchers (from left) Jim McQuillan,Associate Professor aeruginosa and its ability to grow surfaces like chromium oxide – Iain Lamont and Dr Phil Bremer look at how bacteria stick to on surfaces. the substance which dominates surfaces and the implications for industries, including health, food and shipping. “We could see that the bacteria the surface layer of stainless steel.” had a metal binding compound GLOBAL WARMING AND THE RISK Pests and parasites represent a Health Research Council fellow TO LIFE greater threat to life on earth if Dr Simon Hales studies infectious global warming continues at its human diseases spread by pests present rate. and the likely threat to our health Dengue fever, which currently resulting from a dramatic change affects 30 per cent of the world’s in temperature. population, could threaten five to “If more of the world’s surface six billion people by the end of the becomes suitable for mosquitoes, the century, and wildlife is vulnerable spread of dengue fever is probable. to the spread of parasites. “Obviously, there are other Zoology research fellow Dr Kim factors which contribute. Climate Mouritsen has spent the past year change is just one of several looking specifically at how global-scale trends which threaten parasites are affected by climate human health in the long term.” change. “All animals, including “We’re interested in being able humans, harbour parasites and to more accurately predict the parasites are very sensitive to effect of social trends on the climate change. An increase in transmission of disease.” temperature of just a few degrees, Hales is a lead author of a chapter for instance, could double or treble in the Millennium Ecosystem the population of some parasites Assessment – an International and consequently increase the Scientific Assessment due to report Climate change could threaten both wildlife and human health if it mortality rate of their hosts.” in two years’ time. continues at its current rate. Mouritsen says rare species – like the kakapo and some species of frogs - could face extinction. 6 PUCK PICKED AS ONE OF TWO BURNS There’s a jaunty, language-licking, During his six-month Burns FELLOWS IN 2003 fun-poking bard at the helm of tenure - Sarah Quigley takes up the 2003 Robert Burns Fellowship. the post from August - Ascroft Nick Ascroft is the Puck of New will write poems both for Zealand poetry – a cheerful verbal publication and performance. trickster with an impish delight in Seven years of Glottis poetry stretching tired old language into readings (these days at Arc Café) new unlikely corners. Indeed, there’s and the close study of phonetics at something of the Jabberwocky in the University of Otago have left some of Ascroft’s poems: “That’s him attuned to the delicious always been the type of poetry I’ve gallop of language on the tongue: loved the most – well-crafted “Poetry for me is a kind of nonsense poetry.