More Scottish than Scotland

Otago University has launched a global search to fill its inaugural chair in Scottish studies. The newly created position is one of a small number of its kind in the world and is intended to position Otago as an alternative location for Scottish studies for students from NZ and abroad. In his official announcement of the new chair, Vice-chancellor David Skegg described the position as a “natural academic fit for an institution of higher learning founded in the early days of the Otago settlement, a move which reflected the Scottish settlers’ strong belief in higher education as an uplifting social force.” According to current census figures, approximately 25% of New Zealanders whose ancestry pre-dates the 1950s claim Scottish descent.