University of Otago student Tom Mottershead (22) will graduate from the university today. Photo: Peter McIntoshUniversity of Otago student Tom Mottershead will today become the first person to graduate from university with a new bachelor of arts and science degree, which aims to break down barriers between arts and science. Another Otago student, Eirenie Taua, who has majored in neuroscience and Pacific Island studies, will on Saturday become the new degree programme’s second graduate. Background information provided by Otago University about the new degree points out that most universities encourage students to specialise in either the sciences or the humanities. Prof Greg Dawes, of the university philosophy department, said the new degree aimed partly at breaking down the barriers between arts and science, which had been referred to by English writer C. P. Snow’s well-known essay "The Two Cultures".

Source: Otago Daily Times December 12, 2017 16:07 UTC