Postgraduate Research Symposium
The Postgraduate Research Symposium is an annual event that provides an opportunity for AUT postgraduate research students to take part in the abstract review process, and to showcase and present their research to their friends, family and peers.
Past symposia
The event opened with a keynote address by Associate Professor Barbara Bollard, a Senior Lecturer at AUT in the School of Applied Sciences within the Faculty of Health & Environmental Sciences, titled, 'To Infinity and Beyond: Fly Above to Sea Below'. Associate Professor Bollard discussed how she built an exciting research career based on a childhood fascination with satellites.
Watch Associate Professor Barbara Bollard's keynote address
The day then split out into eleven streams of student presentations, with over 30 students giving 15-minute presentations on topics from cloud computing, to healthcare for the elderly, to the experiences of non-standard workers. An array of student posters were also on display throughout the day. The day concluded with the 2019 AUT 3MT Competition finals.
Presenters Tanya Ewertowska and Amr Mahmoud took home awards for the Best Abstract and Best Poster, respectively.
Read about the 2019 AUT 3MT Competition finals here.
Check out photos from the event on the Thesislink Facebook page.
Check out videos from the event on the Thesislink YouTube feed.
The day opened with a keynote address, before launching into a variety of research presentations by postgraduate research students.
Keynote address
We had Dr Diana Albarrán González as our keynote speaker for 2021’s event, sharing her keynote address, “Corazonar: Weaving values into the heart of research”.
Diana is a Native Latin American design researcher from Mexico who completed her PhD here at AUT within the Faculty of Te Ara Poutama. Her PhD research focused on Decolonising Design in collaboration with Indigenous (Mayan) communities and ethical-sustainable consumption.
Diana has more than 18 years of international experience in places like New Zealand, Singapore, Japan, Spain and Mexico applying, re-learning, researching and teaching design. This has given her the ability to address challenges in a variety of contexts, and the opportunity to develop a meaningful sense of culture and diversity awareness and sensitivity. She is a craftivist, a mother and an active member of the Latin American community seeking to contribute to community well-being and support connections between Moana-nui-a-Kiwa and Abya Yala.
Best Abstract award
The winner of the 2021 AUT Postgraduate Research Symposium Best Abstract award was Hazel Abraham.
The judging of the Best Abstract award was based on the student’s abstract submission meeting the following criteria:
- Communicates the purpose of the presentation
- Describes the research project
- Communicates the methodology used (or planned)
- Communicates the implication and significance of the research
- Gives an indication of findings (or anticipated findings)
Best Poster Presentation award
All those who attended the 2021 Postgraduate Research Symposium were invited to cast a vote for Best Poster Presentation. The winner of the 2021 AUT Postgraduate Research Symposium Best Poster Presentation award was Awanis Azizan.
Thanks to all those who came out to the AUT Postgraduate Research Symposium on 17 November, and helped celebrate AUT’s brilliant postgraduate researchers! We had a fab day of talks, posters, kai, and conversation.
Event photos and videos
The photos and videos from the event are now up on:
If you presented at the event, you will be pictured (unless you opted out of having your image published), so check out the Facebook photos, and share with friends and family.
Keynote presentation
Don’t miss the recorded keynote presentation from Dr Peter Jean-Paul, a recent AUT graduate who Zoomed in all the way from Saint Lucia to share his insights on how to succeed in a postgraduate research programme. He emphasised how ‘growing your environment', talking to as many people as possible, planning and prioritising self-care can create the conditions for a productive research career.
Postgraduate Research Symposium Programme
Download the full programme for the 2023 symposium and the different events offered on the day.
Keynote address
Damon Yu was the keynote speaker for the 2023 Postgraduate Research Symposium. His keynote address was titled, “Enjoy your Research Journey”. He is a PhD candidate in the Finance Department at AUT, as well as the postgraduate affairs officer at the AUT Student Representative Council. He has received his bachelor’s degree major in finance and accounting, and two postgraduate degrees, Master of Applied Finance and Master of Business in Finance, from AUT. Damon was one of the team members that represented AUT in the CFA Institute Research Challenge 2018 where the team placed second among eight New Zealand universities. He also worked as a research assistant at the New Zealand Commission for Financial Capability. His teaching at AUT includes Financial Decision Making and Information System, and Corporate Financial Management. Damon’s current doctoral research focuses on behavioural finance. He aims to understand the influence of psychology on the behaviour of individual investors.
Student speakers
Following the keynote address, a diverse and exciting range of research across AUT faculties and departments was represented through student presentations. 31 postgraduate students gave oral presentations on their research.
Best poster presentation award
We invited all those who attended the event to cast their vote for best poster presentation after the poster presentation session.
The winner of best poster presentation at the 2023 Postgraduate Research Symposium was Mackenzie Freeman, with her poster presentation titled “The interplay between supply chain resilience and climate change”.
Best abstract award
Five students were nominated for the best abstract award based on their original submission meeting the following criteria:
- Communicates the purpose of the presentation
- Communicates the implications and significance of the research
- Gives an indication of findings
- Communicates the methodology used
- Describes the research project
The winner of best abstract at the 2023 Postgraduate Research Symposium was Yousef Adeeb Chamchaei, with his abstract titled “Predicting Rainfall-Induced Landslides in Muriwai, Auckland: A Comprehensive Multi-Model Approach for Enhanced Risk Management”
Photos and videos
Photos and a short highlights video from the 2023 Postgraduate Research Symposium are available through the Graduate Research School’s Facebook page.
Keynote speaker
Dr Atakohu Middleton (Photo by Simon Smith)The keynote speaker for the 2024 Postgraduate Research Symposium was Dr Atakohu Middleton. Atakohu is a reo Māori journalist and communications advisor, and published the non-fiction book, Kia Hiwa Rā!: Māori Journalism in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Keynote address
Dr Atakohu Middleton’s path to university study and, eventually, a PhD in Māori journalism was long, winding and featured a few potholes. With her PhD turned into the book Kia Hiwa Rā! Māori journalism in Aotearoa New Zealand, a publication aimed at the general-interest and education markets, she shared some of the things she has learned about life, doctoral study and turning a PhD into a book in her keynote address, “Insights from an accidental academic: What you need in your PhD toolkit”.
Student speakers
Following the keynote address, a diverse and exciting range of research across AUT faculties and departments was represented through student presentations. 31 postgraduate students gave oral presentations on their research.
Awards
Best Poster Presentation
We invited all those who attended the event to cast their vote for Best Poster Presentation after the Poster Presentation session.
The winner of the Best Poster Presentation award at the 2024 Postgraduate Research Symposium was Mohammad Hossein Shirazi.
Best Abstract
The winner of the 2024 Best Abstract award was Jessica Worchel.
The judging of the Best Abstract award was based on the student’s abstract submission meeting the following criteria:
- Communicates the purpose of the presentation
- Describes the research project
- Communicates the methodology used (or planned)
- Communicates the implication and significance of the research
- Gives an indication of findings (or anticipated findings)
Programme
Contact us
Graduate Research School
Phone: +64 9 921 9907
Email: grs@aut.ac.nz
City Campus - level 5, WU Building
Other postgraduate events
You may also be interested in the postgraduate student events below: