John Gibb

Many youngsters and their families swarmed into the Otago Museum yesterday for an afternoon of "astronomical adventures" to celebrate tomorrow's transit of Venus.

An Otago ACC claimant support body has highlighted concerns about an "extremely broad" consent form claimants are being required to sign.

The Otago Polytechnic is seeking more backing from Dunedin employers as it prepares to launch an innovative training initiative to counter the city's youth unemployment problem.

It could be back to the future for the Otago Settlers Museum after a public poll strongly backed retaining that name, following a contest to generate a new title.

Despite some financial constraints, the redeveloped Otago Settlers Museum will deliver the "wow factor" and include a big, self-help research centre, officials say.

Four promising University of Otago staff members, Dr Haxby Abbott, Dr Andrew Clarkson, Dr Sian Halcrow and Dr Michael Knapp, have gained Early Career Awards for Distinction in Research.

A record-breaking drilling expedition off the coast of Japan will shed more light on the causes of last year's devastating tsunami, and also benefit New Zealand earthquake research, Dunedin researcher Dr Virginia Toy says.

Eight names have made the shortlist in the competition to rename the Otago Settlers Museum in Dunedin.

University of Otago researchers hope to boost awareness of a mysterious ancient people they have been studying in the remote mountains of Cambodia.

A $490,000 research project led by Dunedin senior GNS scientist Dr Simon Cox could shed new light on liquefaction problems highlighted in the Christchurch earthquakes and have important implications for identifying similar hazards elsewhere.

Even before the latest Budget is announced today, University of Otago law students Kishen Kaurah, Oliver Hornbrook and Nathan Blane have found themselves $3500 better off.

An internationally outstanding team of ocean chemistry scientists has had another big win, receiving the inaugural University of Otago Research Group Award.

Displaying a carefully-made flower and materials for making waka at the Puketeraki marae, at Karitane, yesterday are (from left in picture) Emily Ferguson (3) and Jayden Tomlinson (3), both of Kidstart Barnardos, and Patrick Payne (4), of Rainbow Preschool, South Dunedin.

University of Otago students still seem to be under the spell of the old Walt Disney magic.

Despite winning a $100,000 United States university scholarship, and being offered entry to 23 other leading universities, Jamie Band is no danger of getting big-headed.