Food sovereignty and art create new pathway

A career in food had always intrigued Prang Ittikul. She completed a degree in hospitality management in Switzerland and spent five years as a production planner for LSG Sky Chefs, a global airline catering company. At the time, food was simply a profession—something she excelled at but saw primarily as a means to a stable career.

That changed when she moved to New Zealand to pursue a Master of Gastronomy at AUT. Initially drawn to the cultural aspects of food, she soon became captivated by its political dimensions—particularly food sovereignty and how external policies impact Indigenous food systems. It is an area that has profoundly affected her view of life and her career path.

Her master’s dissertation examined how policies crafted by individuals with little understanding of Indigenous realities can lead to devastating consequences for these communities, underscoring the urgent need for a paradigm shift in global food policy.

To make her research more accessible, Prang turned to another passion in her life—illustration. She created a graphic novel, Sealing the Future, Analysing the impact of Western influences on Inuit Seal Hunting and Food Sovereignty, to accompany her exegesis. The beautifully illustrated graphic novel combines visual storytelling with a compelling narrative that highlights her research.

Connecting her talents

Prang was inspired to use her illustration skills after reflecting on the messages from various events and workshops she attended while doing the Beyond AUT programme.

“There was a range of workshops, from LinkedIn profile creation to career development sessions and inspiring guest speaker events where professionals shared their career journeys and the power of networking.”

She credits the Beyond AUT programme with helping her recognise the value of her artistic skills in an academic context.

“Many speakers emphasised the importance of showcasing your talents, believing in your skills, and applying them confidently to your career. That really resonated with me. I had always loved drawing, but I hadn’t considered it something that could contribute meaningfully to academic research.”

Once she embraced her ability to integrate art with research, her grades flourished.

“That intersection of my academic interests and my creative skills made all the difference.”

Following her values

On completing her master's, Prang was offered a production management job at Giapo, an innovative ice cream company in Auckland, where she’d worked part-time while studying. This would have furthered her career in the hospitality industry and offered a stable career path. It was tempting, a regular income with an innovative company.

However, when her final master’s grades came out, Prang realised she was eligible to apply for the Vice-Chancellor’s Doctoral Scholarship, prompting her to reflect on her long-term career aspirations. It was a moment to take stock—what next?

“I remembered a workshop I attended as part of the Beyond AUT Award, where we explored career strengths and values. I reflected on that content and realised what I value most is not production optimisation and hospitality management but justice, and food sovereignty is deeply tied to that concept.”

That realisation confirmed for Prang that her true passion lay in giving voice to important issues through innovative storytelling in research and academia, and so she chose to pursue PhD study to continue her exploration of food sovereignty, using graphic narratives to highlight indigenous people’s perspectives.

Pacific Food Lab

Her interest in food sovereignty isn’t solely academic. While volunteering for the Beyond AUT Award, she learned about the Pacific Food Lab (PFL), an initiative supporting resilient and sustainable food systems in Aotearoa/New Zealand and the Pacific. She eagerly joined as a volunteer, contributing her artistic talents by designing PFL’s logo, banner, and business cards to help promote the organisation at an AUT career fair in partnership with the Slow Food Movement.

Merging research and art

Now deep into her PhD research, Prang balances reading, writing, and illustrating.

“The story and the research develop alongside each other. I commit to drawing every day, ensuring the visual narrative integrates the academic themes. The story continues to bubble up, and I’m working hard to include a lot of the research I’m documenting in an accessible way into the novel.”

Her PhD aims to expand the discourse on Indigenous food sovereignty beyond agriculture by focusing on the Ainu’s practices of hunting, fishing, and foraging.

“Being able to merge my two passions—storytelling and research—has been a blessing. It proves the importance of figuring out your career strengths and values. Now, I hope my work can make a meaningful impact in both academic and policy spaces. My goal is to create work that has a real-world impact, both within research and beyond. Giving voice to important issues through storytelling in research and academia is a blessing and shows the importance of figuring out your career strengths and values.”

A future shaped by passion and purpose

Prang expresses her gratitude to the Employability Lab for guiding her to embrace her skills, step outside her comfort zone, and find the place where passion meets purpose.

"The guidance from the specialists in the Employability Lab is invaluable—they don’t just offer advice, but actively help you recognise and develop your strengths, ensuring you step into a future where your passion and expertise truly align. Sometimes, discovering what you're truly capable of requires seeing yourself from a new perspective—and this programme provides just that.”

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