Info tech focus in Tamaki campus upgrade

By REBECCA WALSH education reporter

Auckland University plans a multimillion-dollar development at its Tamaki campus in a bid to attract more students and staff.

Development at the campus, which was opened in 1991 to relieve overcrowding at the city site, will have a strong emphasis on information technology.

The university is also investigating the possibility of developing a science technology park on an adjacent site.

Professor Alastair MacCormick, former dean of the commerce facility and an adviser to vice-chancellor Dr John Hood on the Tamaki campus, said the aim of the development was to ensure "more students, more staff and more innovation."

"There's so much opportunity for research and development built around computers, communication and micro processes," he said.

"The opportunities are there and students want to work in these areas. They offer future employment.

"They are part of where the country as a whole wants to develop its economy."

When the campus was established there had been some difficulty attracting students and it had been decided that a better strategy was for it to specialise.

It now had almost 2000 fulltime-equivalent students.

Professor MacCormick said the major development would be in information technology but it was possible other subjects already offered, such as sports science and medicine, and environmental science and management, would be expanded.

The university was also interested in cooperating with local developers to build a science technology park.

A large area of land adjacent to the campus, a former quarry site, had become available for development and the university was talking with its owners, Fletcher Property and Brierley subsidiary Patras Investments, about the idea.

"Essentially, firms working in high-tech areas locate there, in the neighbourhood of the university, and start working on joint programmes.

"It's in the nature of cooperation between university and industry."

Professor MacCormick said the university would soon appoint a Tamaki campus pro-vice-chancellor who would be responsible for overseeing the development.

The expansion project was part of the university's capital development programme and was likely to be completed over a decade.