Professor Richard Bedford named AUT Emeritus Professor

Professor Richard Bedford named AUT Emeritus Professor

AUT is proud to continue its tradition of recognising and honouring outstanding academics with the awarding of Professor Richard Bedford as Emeritus Professor of the Auckland University of Technology.

Professor Bedford’s career as both a specialist in migration research and an academic leader has been long and distinguished. Nationally and internationally he was and continues to be influential in migration research and policy formulation.

Professor Bedford is a human geographer with a special interest in population dynamics. He completed his PhD at the Australian National University in 1971. He has held teaching and research positions at the Universities of Canterbury and Waikato before joining AUT, as well as visiting lecturer positions at the Universities of Hannover, Aachen and Gothenburg. He has also carried out research for UNESCO, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the United Nations Population Fund.

His work has achieved sustained success, and benefitted many. Recent achievements have included projects on migration policy for ILO Office for Pacific Countries (Suva), the Nansen Initiative on Disaster-Induced Cross-Border Displacement (Geneva) and New Zealand and Australia’s seasonal work programmes in the Pacific.

Professor Bedford joined AUT in 2010 as Pro Vice-Chancellor Research, and Professor of Migration Studies. Since then, he has been instrumental in adjusting AUT to the PBRF (performance based research funding) system in his role as Pro Vice-Chancellor Research.

According to AUT Vice-Chancellor Derek McCormack, he provided pivotal leadership in the growth of the University’s research efforts.

“Professor Bedford has enhanced the reputation of the University through his own research and international reputation as well as through his work focused on AUT’s overall research portfolio.

“Being taught by research active lecturers means AUT students benefit from having teachers who are leaders in their fields,” he said.

Professor Bedford has been recognised by numerous national honours during his time with AUT, including the Royal Society of New Zealand’s Dame Joan Metge Medal for the Social Sciences in 2010 and being made Companion of the Queen’s Service Order (QSO) in recognition of his services to geography in 2008. He is currently the President of the Royal Society of New Zealand, the first social scientist to hold this post for 75 years.

The honorary title of Emeritus Professor may be bestowed on senior staff who have retired from the University and who have given long and distinguished leadership to the University through teaching or and research.

ENDS

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