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Kia ora and welcome to the Study Block 1 issue of We are AIC
In this edition, we share a range of stories centred on student and staff success. These include student internship success stories, academic research in action, positive student voice feedback, and employability partnerships and events connecting students with industry.
A MESSAGE FROM THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE
Dear AIC students,
It’s great to connect with you as we reach the midpoint of Block 1. I hope the year has started well and that you are well settled into your studies.
For those continuing your journey with us, congratulations on your 2025 results. Your hard work, resilience, and dedication were clearly reflected in your achievements, and we are very proud of what you have accomplished.
To our new students, welcome to AIC. We are delighted to have you join our community and hope your first study block has been a positive start to your time here.
As we enter the final weeks of Block 1, I wish you every success with your upcoming assessments. Remember that you are not alone in this journey—please make use of the support available to you, including your lecturers and the Learning Support team.
I would also like to acknowledge the What’s Up AIC team. I have really enjoyed watching and listening to your podcasts—fantastic work. I encourage all students to tune in and stay connected with what’s happening around campus.
With the recess and Easter break approaching, I hope you take some time to rest and recharge. If you are thinking about placements, career planning, or professional development, our Employability team remains available throughout the break and would be happy to connect with you.
Finally, as autumn arrives, please remember to look after your health and wellbeing. Taking care of yourself is essential to achieving your goals.
I look forward to seeing all that you accomplish in the blocks ahead.
Kind regards, Amin Soleimani
TALK OF
THE CAMPUS
NEW RESEARCH EXPLORES AI TO DETECT FAKE NEWS
A Senior Lecturer at the Auckland International Campus is investigating how artificial intelligence can help detect fake news. Applied Management Senior Lecturer Jimmy Sun collaborated with researchers from Wuhan University, Wuhan Textile University, RMIT University, and the University of North Florida. Their article, A Novel Responsible AI Model for Fusion Fake News Detection, has been published in the highly ranked Journal of Database Management.
Celebrating Lunar New Year
We celebrated the Lunar New Year on campus with games, activities and delicious food. Many students and staff dressed in red, coming together to learn, connect and enjoy the festivities as one campus community.
AIC Fun Day
Our students took some time out between classes to socialise, relax and get a bit competitive at AIC Fun Day on Level 1. The event, facilitated by our Student Ambassadors and Student Success team, was a good chance to spend time with friends outside the classroom.
Podcast team marks International Women’s Day with panel
We filmed a special International Women’s Day episode of our student-led podcast What’s Up AIC. We recorded in front of a live audience last week with an inspiring panel of women sharing their experiences and insights. A big thank you to everyone who came along and supported the event, and to our amazing panellists.
Ramadhan in 2026
What makes Ramadhan 2026 especially meaningful? It arrives during an extraordinary week of spiritual significance across multiple traditions in Aotearoa and around the world! Principal Lecturer Hymie Abd-Latif reflects on this year’s event in the piece below.
Special evening for Student Ambassadors
The Student Ambassadors attended a special evening hosted at Miss Lucy last week to celebrate their participation and contribution throughout the year. The event recognised the important work our ambassadors do for the school, with awards presented and appreciation shared for their dedication and leadership.
IT students work on robotics projects
AIC has made a strong start in the field of Automation and Robotics, an area that works closely with Artificial Intelligence to develop the next generation of intelligent machines. Students are highly engaged in this subject through a predominantly experiential learning approach.
USING THE LEVEL 1 MICRO MARKET
We hope you’re enjoying the new Micro Market on Level 1. The poster above gives good guidance on how to purchase items. Please note that several cameras that cover the entire market, so if anything were to go missing, the footage could be reviewed.
STAYING WELL ON CAMPUS
Maintaining healthy practices on campus supports attendance and wellbeing across our AIC community. We would like to remind everyone of easy things we can do to stay well on campus.
SUCCESS
STORIES
INTERNSHIP BECOMES JOB OPPORTUNITY
A master’s student with a civil engineering background has turned her internship in the property management sector into a job. Leamarie Vega joined Harcourts Reforma as a Property Manager Intern and now has a part-time job with the company in Asset & Field Services.
Leamarie Vega received an email from Future Skills saying Harcourts Reforma was looking for a Property Manager Intern. She decided to have a go and landed the position with help from the Employability Team. After just two weeks, they offered Leamarie a part-time casual job as Asset & Field Services Support.
MASTER'S STUDENT LANDS FINANCE TECH INTERNSHIP
A master’s student with a background as a Chartered Management Accountant has secured a paid internship with Kiwi finance tech company MyRepsoft.
MyRepsoft is an Auckland-based company specialising in innovative finance and accounting software solutions. Their co-founder recently visited campus and interviewed five of our top applicants for an internship with MyRepsoft, sponsored by Callaghan Innovation. Charith Nimalchandra was selected for the Audit and Compliance Lead position because he demonstrated strong technical skills, confidence, and clear communication that the role demands.
STUDENT
VOICE
POSITIVE RESULTS IN ĀKONGA OPINION SURVEY
In December, we invited all students who studied at the Auckland International Campus in 2025 to complete our Annual Ākonga Opinion Survey.
The survey helps us to understand how our students feel about their learning experience at AIC. It also gives us some valuable feedback to help us develop plans and set priorities for the coming year. The results of the most recent survey are in, and we are pleased to see that most of our students are satisfied with their experience here.
A MESSAGE FOR CONSTRUCTION STUDENTS
Your feedback means a lot to us. Thank you to all learners for sharing your valuable feedback across courses.
Your comments help us strengthen our teaching practices and enhance your learning experience. Below are our responses to the key themes that emerged.
EMPLOYABILITY
CENTRE
INDUSTRY PARTNERSHIP DELIVERS JOB OPPORTUNITIES AND CURRICULUM BOOST
AIC’s growing partnership with SkillsVR is already delivering real outcomes for students, including a graduate hire and new curriculum opportunities aligned to industry demand.
The relationship began through early conversations with SkillsVR’s leadership team and a connection made at the Auckland International Campus’s Careers Expo, where the two organisations identified shared goals around employability and building stronger pathways from study into work.
Careers, confidence, and employability
In this episode of What’s Up AIC, host Sangya Sapkota sits down with Dani Mao, Employability Manager at Auckland International Campus (AIC), to explore confidence, career direction, and what employability really means beyond grades and job titles.
Students build industry connections with alumni
Our Industry Connect event in February brought five alumni from a range of industries together on campus with 20 current students. Auckland International Campus alumni and students chatted about past and current study journeys, current career updates, and long-term plans and pathways.
Careers don’t begin and end with qualifications
In this episode of What’s Up AIC, we unpack what employability really means beyond grades and certificates. Host Sangya Sapkota sits down with Anna Freeman (Industry Relations Partner) and Nicki Trueman (Employability Specialist and Future Leader Award recipient) to explore what real-world readiness looks like in today’s evolving job market.
Students attend tech industry event
Students connected with industry leaders at the Migrants in Tech Auckland #20 event hosted by Auckland Council at GridAKL. Employability Specialist Nicki Trueman accompanied a group of students to the event, where they heard from guest speakers and connected with professionals across the tech sector. A strong theme throughout the evening was the importance of backing yourself and recognising your value.