There¡¯s no escaping the health issues
thrown up by the Covid-19 pandemic. But for many, there¡¯s no escape from the
financial and economic issues either.
As the world has turned en-masse to the
expert opinion of virologists, epidemiologists and infectious disease experts,
so too have they turned to experts on business, economy, lending, employment
and more.
And as New Zealand¡¯s number one ranked
research business school, Otago Business School (OBS) academics are sought
after for their expertise.
OBS Pro-Vice-Chancellor Professor Robin
Gauld says he is proud of the way staff put their own concerns aside and made
themselves available for media.
¡°These are unprecedented and unsettling
times, and now more than ever the public needs to know they can believe what
they are reading in the media. We know health is a big concern, but the economy
is certainly also at the forefront of people¡¯s minds.¡±
Among the stories was Head of the
Department of Economics, Professor Paul Hansen, has featured prominently in all
media the past fortnight as health organisations around the world use his
1000Minds decision making software to prioritise ICU beds for patients.
His expertise was also sought on a long
form story on what New Zealand could look like in a year. https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/coronavirus/120799098/future-shock-what-will-new-zealand-look-like-a-year-after-coronavirus
Behavioural economist Professor Nathan Berg
told national media Stuff that the public needed praise for their response to
the lockdown.
"It
takes surprisingly intense effort and commitment to change these so-called
'automatic behaviours' (guided by muscle memory rather than conscious
deliberation). Doing so usually requires frequent reminders and
vigilance." https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/coronavirus/120627425/coronavirus-why-we-do-what-were-told-when-our-society-is-shut-down
As all non-essential businesses were closed
and staff made to work from home, Dr Paula O¡¯Kane gave tips on working
remotely. https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/campus/university-of-otago/clear-goals-key-working-remotely
¡°This is all happening while our staff
worked extremely hard to ensure a smooth transition to online teaching for our
students.
¡°We don¡¯t know what the future holds, but I
do know that staff at Otago Business School will continue to help in every
possible way.¡±
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