University’s transformation impresses speakers

A leading academic and University of Otago graduate Sir Mason Durie, at a 1pm ceremony on Saturday, gives a wide-ranging and good-humoured address to Otago graduates, who laugh in response to his talk. Photos: Peter McIntosh.

The University of Otago has undergone a "remarkable transformation" since Sir Mason Durie gained his medical qualifications there, more than 50 years ago.

A leading Maori academic, former psychiatrist, and former Massey University deputy vice-chancellor, Sir Mason was commenting in an address to more than 360 physiotherapy and medical graduates, at the 1pm graduation ceremony at the Dunedin Town Hall on Saturday.

His address was the start of a rare double act, as his wife and fellow Otago University graduate Arohia Lady Durie, gave a second graduation address, at 4pm.

He recalled that only 120 people had graduated at the Otago ceremony he had attended in 1963. Six were women, one was an overseas student — from Samoa — and two were Maori.And there had been two male graduates, and one Maori among the Otago physiotherapy graduates that year.

But today, those statistics had been "turned on their head".

In each discipline, more than half of the 250 Otago medical graduates and 112 physiotherapy graduates this year, were women, there were 42 Maori medical graduates and six in physiotherapy.

And there were 29 overseas medical graduates this year, and nine in physiotherapy.

Lady Arohia Durie, a University of Otago graduate, and wife of Sir Mason Durie, gives an address to a second Otago University graduation ceremony, at 4pm on Saturday.

The university deserved to be congratulated over this "remarkable transformation".

Sir Mason said that, looking another 50 years into the future, technology would have further revolutionised the practice of medicine and physiotherapy, and added "enormously to the diagnosis, management and outcomes" for patients.

And graduates in 20 years’ time would "smile in a somewhat patronising fashion" when told about "things called iPhones, laptops, notebooks, Facebook and Twitter".

But despite improved technologies, the focus of the commitment and energies of health practitioners should remain the same in future, to "improve the health of our peoples" and to "alleviate the very human trials faced by patients and families".

Lady Durie, a retired former Massey University education professor, also reflected on major historical changes when she addressed more than 340 graduates attending the second Otago graduation ceremony.

Lady Durie told the graduates, in several health science disciplines, including dentistry and pharmacy, that the Otago University where she had studied in the 1960s had been "largely a male university".

"Your generation has learned from the errors of mine."

Her generation had grown up "alongside those who believed that natural resources could be endlessly exploited" and were seen as simply "assets there to be harnessed for profit".

Finding a balance in all aspects of living and working, and between "wants and needs, between fossil fuels and renewable energy sources" were among the key challenges ahead.

john.gibb@odt.co.nz

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