Kia ora and welcome to the March edition of We are OPAIC 

In this month’s issue, we recap last week’s successful Smart Sustainable Development conference, tell you about two visiting professors, and highlight a lecturer’s work for her community. We also celebrate student success and show how the Employability Centre is preparing students for the world of work.

Talk of the Campus

Innovation meets sustainability at international conference

Innovators, academics, and industry experts came together for our third International Conference on Smart Sustainable Development last week. The event included more than 30 research article and project presentations, as well as some insightful keynote and invited speeches over two days. 

Visiting professors share global insights on education

Two visiting professors joined us for an insightful panel discussion about international perspectives on education, applied research, and industry collaboration this week. Our guests were Dr Jürgen Jung from the Business Information Systems and Enterprise Architecture Management department of Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences in Germany and Dr Ari Aharari from the Department of Computer and Information Sciences at Sojo University in Japan.

Lecturer supports Special Olympics athletes through art exhibition

One of our academics is busy giving back to the community and helping athletes with intellectual disabilities achieve their dreams. Principal Lecturer Lorraine Skelton has organised an art exhibition and auction to raise funds for athletes to compete in the Special Olympics National Games in Christchurch this December. 

Celebrating our Student Ambassadors

Last week, the Student Success team had the opportunity to celebrate our best Student Ambassadors of 2024. It was a great night filled with fun, food, games and lots of laughter. Thank you to all the Student Ambassadors who volunteer their time to support students and create a vibrant, dynamic community on campus. 

Students enjoy AIC Fun Day

Students had a great time coming together at our AIC Fun Day. It was a good chance to meet people from different cultures and programmes and make the most of the space and equipment on Level 1. From VR and video games to table tennis and board games, it was the perfect way to unwind between classes.

Celebrating our top achievers 

Congratulations to the students who received Excellent Scholars awards at last week’s ceremony. We celebrated their achievements with an awards ceremony and lunch on campus. Te Kaihapai Sean Bell highlighted that their success is about more than just assessment results. It also reflects their attitude and approach to their work. Students had the opportunity to speak about their achievements yesterday. Their family members also joined the celebration.

Factory visit for construction students 

We arranged for our OPAIC and Future Skills students to visit the Atlas Concrete facility in Silverdale recently. The trip gave students valuable insights into how the construction industry is advancing towards sustainable practices. They observed the entire process of recycling waste concrete and producing recycled aggregate. The students also toured the ready-mix concrete production unit, gaining a better understanding of how ready-mix concrete is manufactured and transported to construction sites. Additionally, they enjoyed an impressive tour of the precast tilt-up panel manufacturing process. Dave Russell and his team of experts were incredibly generous with their time, offering detailed explanations of the process. Well done to the students who participated in this trip and engaged in insightful discussions with the Atlas Concrete team.

Lantern Festival brings students together

We celebrated the Lantern Festival on Level 1 of the campus last month. The event marked the end of the Lunar New Year with decorations, a talk and video about the festival’s significance, traditional Chinese games, and delicious food. Students took part in activities such as writing Chinese characters, making decorations, and a chopstick challenge with ping pong balls. Thank you to the Chinese Student Community for organising this event for us.

Upcoming Events

Get involved in student talks and activities

We’d love to see you at our weekly sports night and board game night. These are great opportunities to have fun and meet new people. Plus, Construction students can look forward to three exciting events coming up soon. 

Employability Centre

Future leaders gain insights at Westpac Forum

A group of students visited the Westpac Bank Headquarters last week to take part in the Westpac Insights Forum. The event included an engaging series of talks and a hands-on Managing Your Money workshop covering topics ranging from customer experience and AI in banking to financial management and job application strategies. 

Students test networking skills at Migrants in Tech

Our students took a significant step towards building their careers by attending the Migrants in Tech Auckland Meet-Up. It was a chance to put their networking skills into action and connect with industry professionals. 

Alumni Coffee Connect kicks 2025 off with a bang

The Employability Centre held its first Alumni Coffee Connect event of 2025, bringing students brand new to Aotearoa together with alumni mentors for an insightful networking session. 

Students gain project management insights from industry expert

A group of students had the opportunity to gain firsthand insights into the world of project management recently. Project management expert Matt Salehzadeh was on campus sharing industry insights on career pathways, essential skills, and job market trends.