Monday 27 February marks the beginning of semester one teaching for students in Parts II to IV of the BOptom programme. I would like to extend a warm welcome to all our new Part II students and congratulate them on admission to the optometry degree.
I would also like to acknowledge that the Part V students have been back on campus seeing patients in the Optometry Clinic under the supervision of our clinical staff since mid-January and wish them well for their final year with us in the programme.
2023 has also seen the welcome return of international students both to the undergraduate BOptom degree and as new PhD students, which is a hopeful sign that the disruptions of the past few years due to COVID-19 are mostly behind us.
The research activities of the school continue to grow with the establishment of new vision science research facilities in building 505, and the expansion of the Community Eye Health team who are commencing Aotearoa New Zealand’s first population-based eye health survey in 2023. I am always impressed by the dedication and productivity of the School’s researchers when we compile our annual reports to groups such as the Aotearoa New Zealand National Eye Centre based in the faculty.
Finally, I’d like to wish everybody the best for 2023.
Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari he toa takitini – Success is not mine alone, it is the success of the many
Ngā mihi
Dr Andrew Collins
Urumatua o te Kura | Head of School
School of Optometry and Vision Science