Final blog of another extraordinary year and it only remains for me to thank everyone one more time for their outstanding work in 2021.
It’s important we recognise that the singular achievement of our small team delivering teaching and research – and the professional support that allows it to happen – under such circumstances has not been without cost. ‘Frazzled’ hardly covers it. I think we are all heartily sick of Zoom, our home offices, trying to juggle home and work responsibilities and all under an ongoing cloud of uncertainty for next month (let alone next year).
For this reason it is terribly important that you all take a proper break that allows you to properly make time for yourself and for your families and friends.
I know that universities are not always the greatest at recognising staff, but I am immensely proud of what we have achieved as a group this year.
I’ve been particularly struck at how mutually supportive staff have been in helping one another get through it. While I can’t promise 2022 will be business as usual, I do believe that we have now turned a corner and that we have shown we are capable of extraordinary things as a group.
Tini whetū ki te rangi, he iti te pōkēao ka ngaro (literally) “a small cloud over head can obscure the stars” (figuratively) “a small team can overcome a myriad of difficulties”.
Noho ora mai
Steven
Professor Steven Dakin
Head, School of Optometry and Vision Science
Faculty of Medical & Health Sciences, The University of Auckland
Office | 503-359, 85 Park Road, Grafton, Auckland 1023
Postal | Optometry and Vision Science, The University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
Phone | +64 (0)9 9238898 Mob | +64 (0)278 365 800
Web | http://www.optometry.auckland.ac.nz
Orcid | 0000-0002-3548-9104
Twitter | @StevenDakin