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Romy Sunny, Unitec’s events and communications business partner, is the mastermind behind this year’s Open Day, slated to be one of Unitec’s most successful ever.

Unitec attracted record numbers to its recent Open Day, with nearly a thousand people touring its Mt Albert and Waitākere campuses.

Four Unitec students have received recognition for achieving A+ results in their Master’s programmes.

A group of students from Unitec partner institution Hebei University of Engineering (HUE) have learnt how to create their own pounamu, cook boil up and fry bread and make and perform poi after a week-long cultural exchange at Unitec recently.

The recent WestConnect event held at Unitec’s Waitākere campus provided a compelling platform for nearly 30 Auckland-based organisations to connect with ākonga from Bachelor of Social Practice and New Zealand Certificate in Health and Wellbeing programmes, along with kaimahi from the School of Healthcare and Social Practice.

Not all forms of learning are purely academic. And just as importantly, not everyone wants to learn only through the study of historical precedent.

Four Unitec acting ākonga from Unitec’s School of Creative Industries have returned from China after attending a three-week summer intensive at the Shanghai Theatre Academy(STA) in June, a longstanding partner of Unitec. 

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Courtney Willan has been a trailblazer since embarking on her first carpentry course in 2020, starting with a woodworking night class at a local high school. She then advanced to a Level 3 pre-trade carpentry course at Unitec and is currently pursuing a Level 4 certificate in carpentry through an apprenticeship with Edgecity Builders.

Beijing Polytechnic College and Unitec celebrated ten years of successful partnership with the renewal of their Memorandum of Understanding last week.

Jeron Gwaite’e was the first member of his family to go on to tertiary study after leaving school, and he credits the Manaaki scholarship programme with helping him secure a life-changing opportunity.

Please be aware that this story addresses personal experiences related to grief, depression, and suicidal ideation.

In the Aotea Centre auditorium, new architects step into the future. Among them is Adam Collett, a Unitec graduate with a Master in Architecture, whose academic accomplishments demonstrate extraordinary perseverance.

An advanced energy technology programme is training technicians for the electric, cryogenic and superconducting trucks, ships, trains and planes of the near future

 

A recent visit by key executives from Hebei Bureau of Education and key local universities in Hebei Province in China has strengthened Unitec’s relationship with the region.

A new art exhibition opening celebrates the success of current and past students of Pacific heritage from Unitec’s School of Creative Industries in Auckland.

Genevieve Sang-Yum, embodying hope in the face of New Zealand’s family violence statistics, educates future social workers at Unitec’s Waitakere campus, bridging theory with real-world practice to inspire impactful change.

The Whaikaha/Supported Learning team threw open the doors to their brand-new, purpose-built learning facility during an Open Day celebration at Te Puna, welcoming friends and whānau. It’s been a long journey for the team, as they navigated their growth and evolution across the Mt Albert campus over the years.

 

As young adults, many of us dream of independence and the opportunity to carve out our own paths. For Renée Cox from HAN University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands, this dream took the shape of a semester abroad at Unitec in New Zealand.

International student Thanh An Le is nearing the end of his Master’s in Applied Technologies (Computing). With a degree in electrical engineering from the University of Technology in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Thanh says the best part of studying at Unitec is improving his skills beyond traditional lecture halls. Recently, he proved that by taking out third place at the Smart Sustainable Development (SSD) 2024 alongside Unitec’s Dr Masoud Shakiba and Dr Iman Ardekani.

The finalists for the 38th annual Dulux Colour Awards have been announced by this year’s judging panel. A stunning 83 projects were chosen from a record 527 entries, as judged by five design industry professionals from New Zealand and Australia, and two Unitec Bachelor of Architecture students, Henry Newberry, Abigail Spence are among the New Zealand finalists.

Graduation week at Unitec – Te Whare Wānanga o Wairaka has been alive with activities and celebrations that brought together our community in meaningful ways. Firstly, the Pacific celebration, then Kahurangi, followed by the Autumn 2024 Graduation ceremony at the Aotea Centre where 786 proud ākonga crossed the stage, with a total of 1,517 graduating overall.

Over three decades ago, John Pepere completed his plumbing apprenticeship at Unitec. After 20 years working overseas, he came back to where it all started – to share his knowledge with the next generation.

Chris Metcalfe is lead designer at PLN Group, a family of furniture brands whose research, design and innovation create seating and working solutions designed to enhance life. A Unitec graduate, Chris completed a Bachelor of Product Design in 2006.

Corren Awheto says it was the support she received as a teenage mum that inspired her to pursue nursing and her determination to work with other young mums. 

The ASB Polyfest 2024, a celebration of New Zealand's diverse cultures and youth performance, took place with great success, showcasing traditional music, dance, costume, and cultural speech competitions.  

At the end of 2023, Dr Matthew Bradbury spent four months at the Politecnico de Milano, working on a research project in Agro Pontino – a vast reclaimed wetland south of Rome. The focus? To investigate and address future flooding and help develop innovative remediation strategies.

Unitec | Te Pūkenga bridging education courses are proving valuable in helping school leavers and career changers progress into tertiary education.

Unitec | Te Pūkenga welcomed representatives from the Beijing Dance Academy to the Mt Albert campus on Tuesday 12 March for their first visit since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Digital scanning technology developed by Unitec’s School of Architecture is helping to create a virtual record of threatened historical landmarks.

Recent Unitec graduate Alex de Vries has launched his career in many directions – and with groundbreaking results – following his Master of Creative Practice (MCP), which has seen him develop a passion for filmmaking.

Some of the country’s leading lights in screen arts and acting are behind a Unitec bridging education programme designed to support students into a pathway of learning.

Left to right: Naresh Singhal (Auckland Branch Committee Member); first place – Lechen Liu, Dylan Maurice (Unitec); David Brierley (Auckland Branch Chair).

Unitec engineering students were the winners of Engineering New Zealand’s Auckland Branch’s GT Murray Award for the best student member presentation on an engineering research or design project.

11 Jan 2024

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Emilio Bargiacchi decided to switch careers. He shares how Unitec | Te Pūkenga helped him trade farm life for cyber intelligence. And an internship with Spark was instrumental in securing a job – before graduation.

14 Dec 2023

John MacFarlane had only ridden a board a handful of times before he embarked on his five-year-long thesis on skateboarding. 

On December 8, Unitec hosted a delegation from Hebei University of Engineering (HUE), based in Handan, China, marking their first in-person New Zealand reception since the pandemic.

 

07 Dec 2023

This week, the Generation Kāinga team are co-designing and planning the build of an urban tiny home in Tamaki Makaurau, as well as holding wānanga to begin their research