In the Spirit of Alexander von Humboldt and Friedrich Wilhelm von Humboldt:
The Role of Fundamental Research in our Society
Mark Brunton, Ngai Tahu people, gives a traditional Mihi whakatau welcome to delegates.
The Biennial Meeting of the Association, originally set down for 2009, was held jointly with our New Zealand colleagues from 28 – 30
January, 2010, in conjunction with a Humboldt Symposium, at the University of Otago, Dunedin. This timing enabled representatives of the Humboldt Foundation (AvH) in Bonn to attend and attracted around 100 participants in all, in comparison with the normal 30 – 40 to which we have become accustomed for an AAvHFs Conference in Australia. There were also a number of other supporters of Humboldt activities at the meeting who took part in the proceedings on an occasional basis throughout the two and one half days of the conference.
Following a traditional Mihi whakatau welcome to delegates, the conference opened with a welcome address by Professor Sir David Skegg, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Otago. Prof. Skegg drew attention to the name Humboldt in New Zealands Mountains and Falls. Drawing on the quote from Wilhelm von Humboldt, You need to be more like a gardener than an engineer, Prof. Skegg outlined his ideal model for the administration of a University, already in place at the University of Otago.