Scholarships for today and tomorrow
An AUT student has received not one, but two PhD scholarships. Hamideh Gholizadeh, School of Science, has been granted both the Freemasons University Scholarship and the Dick and Mary Earle Scholarship in Technology Scholarship; in total worth more than $20,000 in funding.
Hamideh applied for her scholarships last year, with the goal of finding a better way to balance her work and school life. Being granted these scholarships has allowed Hamideh to reduce her hours working as a teaching assistant and focus more on data collection and working on her PhD research project. Her research project centres around the development of a pharmaceutical device which she hopes will be able to replace current nasal packs while being safer and cheaper to produce.
“I would like to send my gratitude to both Dick and Mary Earle and Freemasons New Zealand for offering these scholarships. They have had a great positive influence in supporting my goals towards doing my research,” Hamideh said.
Prior to moving to New Zealand, Hamideh studied environmental science in her home country of Iran. Alongside her studies, at just 15 Hamideh also began a home-based business sewing orders for friends and families, which gradually grew to a workshop employing eight women to tailor and design specialty gowns.
In the future, Hamideh hopes to combine her academic and business experiences by establishing her own business and then moving onto teaching. She is presently in her third year of graduate studies and hopes to submit her thesis next May.
“These prestigious scholarships are for students who undertake community work alongside their studies, and as a recipient, you feel that your hard work is recognised. I believe this approach will increase students’ self-confidence and further motivate them to give back to their community in return.”
The Freemasons University Scholarship is currently accepting applications for its 2019 scholarships until 1 October. Applicants must have good academic standing, be a New Zealand residence or hold permanent New Zealand residency, and have shown outstanding leadership and community involvement.
The Dick and Mary Earle Scholarship in Technology is also accepting 2019 applicants, with a deadline of 1 September. Applicants must be New Zealand citizens or permanent residents who have resided in New Zealand for at least three years prior to selection year. Applicants must have BTech, BEng, BE degree or equivalent from a New Zealand university, with honours where they are awarded.
For further information visit the Scholarships and Awards page on the AUT website.
Find out more about the Freemasons University Scholarships
Find out more about The Dick and Mary Earle Scholarship in Technology