On Tuesday 28 August 2012, the University Postgraduate Centre hosted its 6th annual Postgraduate Symposium in the AUT Conference Centre.
Professor Richard Bedford, Pro Vice Chancellor (Research) opened the Symposium inviting participants to engage in the scope and quality of postgraduate research presentations before welcoming keynote speaker, Professor Welby Ings, award winning designer, film maker and playwrighter to entertainingly explain a stimulating presentation of re-search and thought in postgraduate education.
The day was actively involved with postgraduate research students from various faculties presenting on their research and onlookers admiring the poster presentations set up outside the Conference room.
As the Symposium drew closer to the finale event of the Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition, the 11 doctoral and Master of Philosophy students representing their disciplinary area in engineering, sport and recreation, business and law, communication, computing and information sciences and public policy were ready to give the audience a short yet simple synopsis of their research in 3 minutes. Easy? – not sure! It would be good to get the contestants feedback of their experience!
The 3MT judges score cards, including the audience favourite vote, were unanimous in agreeing on the 3MT winner going to Jesse Pirini, doctoral candidate from the School of Communication Studies. His 3MT slide was titled Health, lifestyle and will-power. The runners up were Samuel Ekundayo PhD, Business & Law – The contributions of ICT to teaching and learning in the overcrowded classrooms of universities in developing countries and Kudakwashe Tuwe, MPhil, Institute of Public Policy – African Health Promotion Challenges in New Zealand. The 3MT prizes were kindly sponsored by AUT Enterprises Ltd, AUT Printsprint, AUT Fitness Centre and Cyclone Computers.
A big thank you to the other 3MT contestants: Chamila Ramanayaka, Frederik Schmidt, Josephine Chong, Jule Kunkel, Lewis Tennant, Ross Milne, Swati Nagar and Don Samarasinghe. Incidentally, Don Samarasinghe was also awarded the prize for best poster presentation – well done!
We will have video footage of Professor Welby Ings keynote presentation and the 3MT competition available soon on the AUT website, including photos taken on the day – so watch this space. If you attended the Symposium and would like to provide some feedback on the event, please let us know, we would love to hear from you!
Roll on 2013 Postgraduate Symposium!!!
Author: Annette Tiaiti, Symposium Organiser
University Postgraduate Centre
