Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka University of Otago is New Zealand's first university and a globally respected centre of teaching and research. It is renowned for excellence in health sciences, humanities, sciences, and Māori scholarship.
Jacinta Ruru is a Professor of Law at the University of Otago. Her research has focused on exploring Indigenous peoples' legal rights to own, manage and govern land and water including national parks and minerals in Aotearoa New Zealand, Canada, United States, Australia and the Scandinavia countries.