Otago Polytechnic

Otago Polytechnic was a public New Zealand tertiary education institute, centred in Dunedin with additional campuses in Cromwell and Auckland. Otago Polytechnic provided career-focused education and training, offering a range of New Zealand accredited postgraduate qualifications, degrees, diplomas and certificates at levels 2–10. In November 2022, it was formally merged into the new national mega polytechnic Te Pūkenga (the New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology), ending its existence as an independent entity. Otago Polytechnic traces its ancestry back to the Dunedin Technical School, which was established in 1889 to provide evening classes for working people. In 1909 it expanded to offer day classes for secondary school pupils. In 1914 the name was changed to the King Edward Technical College. In 1921 the college took over the Dunedin School of Art, which was New Zealand's first art school established in 1870. The college expanded further by taking on the evening and day time education of apprentices, technicians and professionals. In 1966 the college was split into a secondary school (later renamed Logan Park High School) and Otago Polytechnic, which opened on 1 February 1966. On 1 April 2020, the Minister of Education Chris Hipkins confirmed that Otago Polytechnic would be merged into New Zealand Institute of Skills & Technology (Te Pūkenga) alongside the 15 other Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics (ITPs). On 1 November 2022, Otago Polytechnic formally merged into Te Pūkenga, ending its existence as an independent entity. All its roles and structures were assumed by the new mega polytechnic. Otago Polytechnic is spread over a large geographical area with campuses in Dunedin and Central Otago, as well as a campus for international students in Auckland. The Polytechnic also carries out distance-based learning in areas ranging from Veterinary Nursing to Midwifery, work-based learning for mature students through Capable NZ and an online micro-credentialing service called EduBits.