Our programmes are delivered by academic and business experts at the forefront of their fields
With the guidance of our education team, when you graduate from AIC, you are ready to work and succeed in your chosen career. We are committed to building a safe, positive and inclusive higher learning environment that celebrates diversity, skills and cultural perspectives. Our lecturers and support staff come from a range of cultural backgrounds and countries themselves. Expect lots of discussion in class and learning through real-life experiences and reflection. Classes are taught in English however there are staff available who speak other languages should you need it.
Gagan has been associated with Future Skills since early 2007. As part of the senior leadership team, Gagan played a key role in managing and growing the institution over the last 13 years, with Category I status awarded by New Zealand Qualifications Authority.
In his current role as Deputy CEO at Otago Polytechnic Auckland International Campus, Gagan is responsible for driving business growth and monetising new opportunities by deploying cutting edge technology and marketing tools. Gagan is also currently leading a number of strategic projects including the development of an online portfolio platform, www.iamcapable.co.nz, for learner capability development and enhanced employability of graduates.
As the founder member of Auckland International Campus in 2012 , the international education arm of Future Skills established in partnership with Otago Polytechnic, Gagan was in charge of setting up the initial team and growing the business. The organisation witnessed exponential growth over the six year period since inception.
Prior to joining Future Skills, Gagan pursued his entrepreneurial journey as the Founder Director of a logistics company providing warehouse management solutions in India before which he had been involved in setting up and growing new business models with Aviva Life Insurance and Times Internet in India.
Leoni Schmidt
Professor and Director: Research & Postgraduate Studies
Leoni Schmidt is a Professor in the Dunedin School of Art, the Director: Research and Postgraduate Studies at Otago Polytechnic and the Deputy CEO: Academic for Otago Polytechnic's Auckland International Campus. Leoni's doctorate, a D Litt et Phil, is from the University of Johannesburg. She also has an MA (Fine Arts) from the University of the Witwatersrand and a BA (Fine Arts) from the University of South Africa, and a Graduate Certificate in Tertiary Learning and Teaching from Otago Polytechnic. Leoni has supervised many postgraduate students up to Master's level in the Dunedin School of Art and PhD candidates at other institutions, and assessed many postgraduate students for a wide range of universities and polytechnics. She also mentors candidates in Otago Polytechnic's Doctorate of Professional Practice programme. There are strands to Leoni's own research: contemporary drawing and its political agency, and the interface between trauma architecture and contemporary art. Leoni's alignment between her background in philosophy and art history and theory, and her knowledge of contemporary art practice and studio methods, help students to write about their own research practice. Her understanding of research methods and methodologies and of leadership in research supports staff at Otago Polytechnic and wider afield.
Sue Thompson
Te Kaihāpai
Sue is an experienced teacher, manager, leader and advocate for tertiary learners and for quality processes. She has been involved in adult learning and teaching for many years and for the last fifteen years has developed and overseen a range of organisation wide quality processes including policies, self-assessment , internal evaluation and curriculum development and approvals. Currently Sue reports directly to the Chief Executive and as the Te Kaihāpai has his delegation for resolving academic appeals, student complaints and student discipline not able to be resolved at a lower level. She is also the Privacy Officer and Executive Sponsor for the Public Records Act. Sue also provides advice on a range of quality matters and is the Otago Polytechnic lead for the next External Evaluation and Review. She has an enduring commitment to Māori, Pasifika and to healthcare and is the senior manager responsible for Student Health.
Sue was born in Dunedin and raised in Otago. After training and working as a psychiatric nurse she was employed by Otago Polytechnic 36 years ago as one of the inaugural School of Nursing tutors and held a number of roles in nursing including being the acting Head of School at various times.
In 2001 Sue became the Head of School of Community Studies and Maori and in 2003 this was expanded to Head of Department of Community Studies, Foundation Leaning, Maori and Languages until her appointment as Academic Manager early in 2004. She also spent time as the acting Dean of the Faculty of Health and Community.
In addition to being a registered psychiatric nurse, Sue has a Master of Arts (Applied) from Victoria University of Wellington.
Away from work Sue is a keen gardener, reader, wine taster and socialiser.
Qualifications:
Doctor of Philosophy (Environmental Science), University of Auckland, New Zealand, 2012.
Master of Management (Management), Massey University, New Zealand, 2015.
Master of Science (Environmental Management), University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka, 2001.
Bachelor of Science (Chemistry and Biology), University of Colombo, Sri Lanka, 1997.
Graduate Diploma in Tertiary Education, Otago Polytechnic, New Zealand, 2019
Diploma in Management, Open University of Sri Lanka, 1997.
National Certificate in Adult Education and Training, Southern Institute of Technology, New Zealand, 2015.
Certificate in Sustainable Practices, Otago Polytechnic, 2015.
Teaching/ Service areas:
Professional Project (Level 9) - Course Coordinator.
Managing for Sustainability, Capabilities for Managers, Project Management and Management.
Supervising Master's and Post Graduate Diploma students' professional projects.
Professional interest areas:
Sustainability, Project Management, Quantitative Techniques, Statistics, Green Computing, analytics, adult education and Environmental Management
Publications:
Sharma, S., Singh, S.M., & Kularatne, I., (2015), Harnessing latent sustainability: a postcolonial perspective. Sustainable Development. 1, 289 -300.
Rahman, N., Arora, J., & Kularatne, I., (2014), Social Media and Recruitment: Employers’ Perception. Proceedings of World Business and Economics Research Conference. Auckland, New Zealand.
Kularatne, K. I. A., & de Freitas, C. R., (2013), Epiphytic lichens as biomonitors of airborne heavy metal pollution. Environmental and Experimental Botany. 88, 24-32.
Kularatne, I., McAuslin, M. & Foster, K., (2011), The Future of the Environment in New Zealand as Perceived by International Tertiary Students: Some Empirical Evidence. World Business Institute, Australia.
Kularatne, K.I.A and de Freitas, C.R. (2010), Epiphytic lichens as biomonitors of airborne heavy metals in the Greater Auckland Region, New Zealand. In: Wuyts, K., Samson, R., De Maerschalck, B., Kardel, F., Janssen, S., and Engelen, M. (Eds.). Proceedings of the International Conference on Local Air Quality and its Interactions with Vegetation, January 21-22, 2010, CCC Elzenveld, Antwerp, Belgium.
Kularatne, K.I.A., Dissanayake, D.S., & Mahanama. K.R.R., (2003), Contribution of dissolved Sulphates and Sulphites in Hydrogen Sulphide emission from stagnant water bodies in Sri Lanka, Chemosphere, Elsevier Publications, Vol. 52, p 901-907.
Batagoda, B.M.S., Kularatne, K.I.A., Lokupitiya, E.Y.K., (1999), Analysis of the emission trading potential in Sri Lanka for the Global Greenhouse Gas Market under the Kyoto Protocol. Journal of Agricultural Economics, University of Peradeniya, Vol. 3, Sri Lanka.
Qualifications
Degree architectural technology: Bradford University 1989
Master’s degree in business administration: majoring in communication: Huddersfield University 1994
Postgraduate diploma in business: majoring in project management: Massey University 2012
Doctorate in philosophy: majoring in collaborative projects (final stages): Massey University
Teaching areas
Currently: Project Management, Leadership Decision Making, Industry Internship, Professional Project. Previously: Strategic Management, Operations Management, Management Information Systems, Events Management.
Professional interest areas
Collaboration, innovation, projects, and sustainability.
Publications
Project management institute NZ (PMI) paper 2011: The reluctant project manager
Project management institute NZ (PMI) paper: Scientific methodology is not just for scientists
Australasian Research Management Society (ARMS) paper: 2011 Sydney : An investigation of academic research project management frameworks and methodologies
Australasian Research Management Society (ARMS) paper: 2015 Singapore: The capitalisation of knowledge
Australasian Research Management Society (ARMS) paper: 2018 Hobart: Expectations management of multi sector collaborations: A project framework
Qualifications:
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) - University of Waikato - 2019
Masters of Quality Systems (M.Q.S) – Massey University – 2011
Masters of Social Science (M.Soc.Sc(Hons)) – University of Waikato – 2000
Postgraduate Diploma in Education (PG.Dip.Ed) – Massey University – 2006
Postgraduate Diploma in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (PG.Dip.C.B.T.) – Massey University – 2001
Bachelor of Social Science with Honours (B.Soc.Sc.Hons) – University of Waikato – 1999
Bachelor of Social Science (B.Soc.Sc) – University of Waikato – 1999
Teaching areas:
AM802002 Research and Enquiry
AM905001 Cross Cultural Management
AM906002 Corporate Governance
AM901001 Professional Project
Professional Interest Areas:
Ontology and Theory Development
Research Outputs 2019:
-Theoretical Physics-
Pace, B. (2019, May). The theoretical development of the pocket universe concept. Royal Astronomical Society of New Zealand Conference. New Plymouth, New Zealand.
Pace, B. (2019). The Cosmic Clock: The History of the Universe – Teaching Resource. Amazon.
Pace, B. (2019, April). The Measurement Problem in the Theoretical Development of the Pocket Universe Model. 2nd International Conference on Astronomy, Astrophysics & Astrobiology (4-6 April). Auckland, New Zealand.
Pace, B. (2019, April). The Business of Theoretical Physics: The Role of Theory in Applied Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship. ITP Conference, Napier: New Zealand.
-Cyber Security-
Pace, B. (2019). Human Factors and Psychological Strategies for the Defence Against Terrorism. Asia Pacific Security Innovation Summit. Rotorua, 17-18 April.
Pace, B. (2019). Assumption in Strategic Thinking in Innovation. Asia Pacific Security Innovation Summit. Rotorua 17-18 April.
-Teaching and Learning-
Kakh, S., & Pace, B. (2019). Students as Stakeholders: When Future Leaders become the Leaders of Now. 2nd International Conference of Engineering Education for the XXI Century. Bilbao, Spain.
Kakh, S., Pace, B., Voynov, A., & Andres, M. A. (2019). Guiding Postgraduate Students from Plagiarism vs Guiding Postgraduate Students toward Academic Integrity. Otago Polytechnic Auckland International Campus Research Forum (28 Feb). Auckland, New Zealand.
Pace, B., & Kakh, S. (2019). A cognitive-affective approach for the development of academic literacy skills in international students. ITP Conference, Napier: New Zealand.
Qualifications
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), 2012, Auckland University of Technology
(AACSB Accredited), New Zealand
Certificate in Tertiary Teaching, 1999, Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand
Bachelor of Law (Honours), 1997, University of Wolverhampton, United Kingdom
Diploma in Marketing, 1990, The Chartered Institute of Marketing, United Kingdom
Master of Science in Business Administration, 1986, University of Bath, United Kingdom
Bachelor of Applied Economics (Honours), 1981, University of Malaya, Malaysia
Teaching areas
Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Information for Managerial Use, Management Decision Process, Principle of Leadership.
Professional interest areas
Value Co-creation, CRM, Data Analytics, Strategy, Branding, Customer Service.
Qualification
BCom (University of Auckland) 2008
BCom (Hons) University of Auckland 2009
Certificate in Tertiary Teaching (Auckland University of Technology) 2011
Graduate Diploma in Tertiary Teaching (Auckland University of Technology) 2012
Teaching areas
Management, entrepreneurship, HRM, introduction to commercial law.
Professional interest areas
Business course writing and moderation, employment relations/dispute consultancy, international student consulting. Research interest in the areas of internationalisation of higher education, ethnic entrepreneurship, migrant worker experience and youth development.
Publications
Journal Articles
Anderson, D., Jamieson, S., and Naidu, K. (2012) Managed migration? The health and safety and human rights implications for student migrant labourers in the horticulture sector (research paper). Auckland/Sydney: AUT/Sydney University.
Anderson, D., Naidu, K. (2010) The Land of Milk and Honey? the Contemporary Working Lives of of Contingent Youth Labour New Zealand Journal of Employment Relations (Online) , Vol. 35, No. 3 , September 1, 2010
Qualifications:
Ph.D. Social Sciences and Public Policy [Migrants' Entrepreneurship Management] from AUT, Auckland, New Zealand (2016), Postgraduate Certificate in Social Research Design and Analysis (2013), Master of Business Administration (MBA) Management from Federal University of Technology, Akure, Nigeria, BSc. Economics Education (Hons) from Lagos State University, Ojo, Lagos, Nigeria.
Professional Affiliation:
Associate Institute of Management Consultant, New Zealand
Research Association of New Zealand
Institute of Managers and Leaders (Australia New Zealand)
Certified Pension Institute of Nigeria (ACPIN)
Institute of Chartered Economics of Nigeria (ACEN)
Academic Journal Membership:
Editorial board member of Journal of Immigrant and Refugee Entrepreneurship http://ijie.org.za/index.php/IJIE/about/editorialTeam
Editorial board member of International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business published by Inderscience Publishers. www.inderscience.com
Conference Committee Member and Editorial Board Member of Institute of Research, Learning & Development https://www.flelearning.ca/conference-committee-2/
Editorial board member of Science Journal of Business and Management. http://www.sciencepublishinggroup.com/journal/editorialboard?journalid=175
Teaching areas:
Applied Management and Business
Professional interest areas:
Academic Research and impacting knowledge
List of Publications
Omisakin, O. M, Chanaka, B., and Kularante, I. (2020). Designing Customer Feedback Service Channel through Artificial Intelligence to Improve Customer Satisfaction in the Supermarket Industry. Journal of Information & Knowledge Management Vol. 19, No. 3 (2020) 2050015 (34 pages). DOI: 10.1142/S021964922050015X
Omisakin, O. M., Nakhid, M. (2019). NEW ZEALAND FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENTS AND THEIR ECONOMIC AND SOCIETAL IMPACTS: A REVIEW. Journal of International Business Research Volume 18, Issue 1, 2019. 1544-0230-18-1-112
Kalawilapathirage, H., Omisakin, O. M., Zeidan, S. (2019). A Data Analytic Approach of Job Satisfaction: A Case Study on Airline Industry. Journal of Information & Knowledge Management Vol. 18, No.1 DOI: 10.1142/S0219649219500035
Omisakin, O. M (2018). New Zealand Trade Agreements and Their Economic and Societal Impacts: A Review. International Business and Management vol16, No. 2, pp. 38-48 DOI: 10.3968/10841
Omisakin, O. and Jyoti, R. (2018). Recycling of Beverage Containers in New Zealand: Critical Analysis of Existing Status and Proposed Best Practices. International Journal of Waste Resources, 8: 347. doi:10.4172/2252-5211.1000347
Chandeep, K, and Omisakin, O. M. (2018). Data Mining Methods to Improve Clinical Trials in Diabetic Patients. Annals of Clinical and Laboratory Research, Vol.6 No.4:266. ISSN 2386-5180. DOI: 10.21767/2386-5180.100266
Omisakin, O. M. (2018). Exploring the African migrants’ decisions to migrate to New Zealand. International Journal of Interdisciplinary Social Science Studies, Vol. 4, Is.1 ISBN: 978-1-911185-81-9 (Online) ISSN: 2397-6934 (Online)
Omisakin, O. M. (2017) Economic contributions and challenges of immigrant entrepreneurs to their host country – case of African immigrants in Auckland, New Zealand. Journal of Business Administration Research. www.Sciedupress.com/jbar Online Published: March 13, 2017 doi:10.5430/jbar. v6n1p25 URL: https://doi.org/jbar.v6n1p25
Omisakin, O. M. (2017) Motivational factors for African immigrants into small business activities in Auckland, New Zealand. Canadian International Journal of Social Science and Education Vol. 11 May 2017 Pgs. 70-89. http://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/b2629b_aa17e97d18124372b07357c3fd2a71e1.pdf
Omisakin, O. M. Nakhid, C. Littrell, R. Verbitsky, J (2016). Entrepreneurial Orientation among Migrants and Small and Medium Enterprises. Journal of Business Administration Research. www.Sciedupress.com/jbar Online Published: February 10, 2016, doi:10.5430/jbar.v5n1p7 URL:http://dx.doi.org/10.5430/jbar.v5n1p7
Omisakin, O. M. Nakhid, C. Littrell, R. Verbitsky, J (2015). Exploring the Migrant Experience in Small Business Activities in Auckland: A Case Study of African Migrants. Journal of Business Administration Research. www.Sciedupress.com/jbar Online Published: July 15, 2015 doi:10.5430/jbar.v4n2p9 URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.5430/jbar.v4n2p9
Conference Papers Presented
Omisakin, O. M (17-19 June 2019) New Zealand Foreign Direct Investments and Their Economic and Societal Impacts: A Review. Presented at 10th International Conference on Trade, Business, Economics and Law at the University of British Columbia, The Liu Institute, Vancouver, Canada.
Omisakin, O.M (16-18 July 2018). New Zealand trade agreements and its economic and societal impacts: A Review. Presented at the Academic International Conference on Business, Marketing and management (Keynote speaker) at Harvard University, Boston USA. www.flelearning.ca.
Omisakin, O. M. (2017) Exploring the African migrants’ decisions to migrate to New Zealand. Fourth Academic International Conference on Multidisciplinary Studies and Education. (Keynote speaker) Harvard University, Martin Conference Center, Harvard Boston USA (25-27 September 2017).www.flelearning.ca/aicmse.
Omisakin, O. M. (2017) Motivational factors for African immigrants into small business Literature, Economics and Education. University of Toronto University of St. Michael's College Toronto-Canada.
Omisakin, O. M. (2016) Economic contributions and challenges of immigrant entrepreneurs to their host country – case of African immigrants in Auckland, New Zealand. Oxford Symposium on Population, Migration, and the Environment http://www.oxford- population-and-environment-symposium.com/publications/.
Omisakin O. M. (2016) The PhD Journey: You Can Do It. AUT Ethnic Postgraduate Students Research and Writing Retreat 2016, Vaughan Park, Long Bay North Shore Auckland.
Omisakin, O. M. (2015) Exploring the Migrant Experience in Small Business Activities in Auckland: A Case Study of African Migrants. AUT Postgraduate Research Symposium.
Omisakin, O. M. (2015). Exploring the Migrant Experience in Small Business Activities in Auckland. Annual Waikato Management School Student Research Conference. University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand.
Omisakin, O. M. (2013). Entrepreneurial orientation among migrants and small and medium enterprises performance in New Zealand. Zealand Multicultural Council.
Qualifications:
Master in Business First Class Honours (Accounting)
National Certificate in Adult Education and Training
Teaching areas:
Accounting and management
Professional interest areas:
Accounting
Publications:
Master's dissertation
Awards:
2018 13th IAAER World Congress of Accounting Educators and Researchers: Bursaries to support emerging scholars
2011 Summer Studentship, Sustainability research project, AUT University.
2010 Graduate/Assistantship Awards Scholarship, AUT University
Industry accreditations:
Certified Accounting (Ministry of Finance, China)
Qualifications:
BSc Hons Applied Physics Brighton Polytechnic UK 1971
MBA Warwick University UK 1992
Undertaking PhD research into professional learning at Victoria University, Melbourne
IS0 9001 Quality Assessor 1992
Investors in People Advisor and Assessor UK 1992
Teaching areas:
Lead facilitator and academic advisor Master of Professional Practice programme at Auckland International Campus. Academic supervisor BAM and Grad Dip Industry Projects at Auckland International Campus.
Construction
Seema Chawla
Head of Department QSCM (AIC) and Academic Services Team Leader
Don is a highly enthusiastic research and education professional with a passion for developing and unleashing the potential of tertiary students. His key strengths include conducting construction industry based research, developing programmes of learning and delivering virtual and face to face Degree level classes on key construction management subjects. His qualifications include a PhD in Engineering (Construction Management), a First Class Honours Bachelor of Civil Engineering and a Graduate Diploma in Tertiary Education (GDTE). He has extensive experience in curriculum design, delivery, assessment and moderation in the New Zealand tertiary education sector. This includes developing qualifications such as a Bachelor of Construction, a Graduate Diploma and a Masters of Professional Practice in Construction/Engineering Management.
He is able to effectively engage with the industry by conducting construction site visits, participating in industry workshops and being part of NZIOB, ENZ, EBANZ, EBAA and NZGBC industry bodies. He has strong connections with graduates who are working in the construction sector as well as IPL learners (Capable NZ) who have significant work experience within the New Zealand construction sector. He has proven ability to perform academic administration duties in accordance with institutional policies (worked as Programme Manager at New Zealand Institute of Studies). Academic consultancy includes external moderation for tertiary education providers, external marking and course design. Currently working with Capable NZ to develop high quality scientific content to promote construction programmes. Examples include: Virtual Reality & Construction, Block chain Technology, 3D Printing, BIM and Offsite Construction.
As a high performing team member, Don contributed to developing the “OP Observer” tool and published two research papers with the experiential learning team. He also developed VR based sustainable building model together with IT and construction students and published two research papers. He is currently working on research projects with AUT and Massey University researchers. He is an active member of OPAIC research and ethics committee. His research interests lie between the areas of construction innovation, construction supply chain management and digitisation in construction.
Qualifications
PhD in Construction Management – Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand (2014)
Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering (First Class Honours) – University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka (2009)
Graduate Diploma in Tertiary Education (GDTE): Level 7 – Otago Polytechnic, New Zealand (2019)
Teaching Areas
Construction Technology, Construction Research Project, Construction Programming, Construction Innovation, Value Management, Construction Research Project, Quality Assurance and Site Safety.
Research Interests (https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Don_Amila_Sajeevan_Samarasinghe)
Construction Innovation, Construction Supply Chain Management, Digitisation in Construction and Construction Education (Experiential Learning and Reflective Practice)
Research Review Work
Research paper reviewer for International Journal of Construction Supply Chain Management (IJCSCM)
Research paper reviewer for International Structural Engineering and Construction Society (ISEC)
Research paper reviewer for IEEE EDUCON – Global Engineering Education 2019
Research paper reviewer for SCOPE Journal
Recent Publications
Samarasinghe, D. A. S., Baghaei, N., & Stemmet, L., (2020). Persuasive Virtual Reality: Promoting Earth Buildings in New Zealand. Paper presented at the 15th International Conference on Persuasive Technologies, Aalborg, Denmark.
Samarasinghe, D. A. S. (2020). Development of framework for building materials-related decisions: A case study. Paper presented at the Fifth Australasia and South-East Asia Structural Engineering and Construction Conference (ASEA SEC 5), Christchurch, New Zealand.
Samarasinghe, D. A. S. (2020). Addressing the Housing Crisis: A Comparative Analysis of Housing Affordability Policies in Australia and New Zealand. International Journal of Construction Supply Chain Management, 10 (2).
Li, H., & Samarasinghe, D. A. S. (2020). Analysis of factors affecting design Buildability in New Zealand construction Projects. Paper presented at the New Zealand Built Environment Research Symposium, Auckland, New Zealand.
Samarasinghe, D. A. S., Huang, C., Hou, W. (2020). Analysis of affordable housing policies: Understanding why kiwi build failed. Paper presented at the New Zealand Built Environment Research Symposium, Auckland, New Zealand.
Sinyakova, L., & Samarasinghe, D. A. S. (2020). Analysis of Papercrete as a way of reducing heat loss in New Zealand timber-framed Paper presented at the New Zealand Built Environment Research Symposium, Auckland, New Zealand.
Chen, H., & Samarasinghe, D. A. S. (2020). The factors constraining the adoption of prefabrication in New Zealand residential construction sector. Paper presented at the New Zealand Built Environment Research Symposium, Auckland, New Zealand.
Samarasinghe, D. A. S. (2019). A reflection of an effective assessment practice in the bachelor of construction programme: An experiential learning case study in New Zealand. Scope: Contemporary Research Topics (Flexible Learning), 1(4).
Samarasinghe, D. A. S., Abd-Latif, S., & Baghaei, N. (2019). Virtual reality models for promoting learner engagement in construction studies. Paper presented at the IEEE EDUCON - Global Engineering Education, Dubai, UAE.
Samarasinghe, D. A. S., & Nistor, V. M. (2019). OP Observer: A class observation tool for measuring the effectiveness of teaching practice. Paper presented at the 11th Asian Conference on Education (ACE2019), Tokyo, Japan.
Nistor, V. M., & Samarasinghe, D. A. S. (2019). Assessment of staff performance on experiential leaning and reflective practice. IAFOR Journal of Education.
Samarasinghe, D. A. S. (2019). My transformational and reflective journey through GDTE. Paper presented at the Professional Practice Symposium, Dunedin, New Zealand.
Zhou, Y., & Samarasinghe, D. A. S. (2019). How to be work ready: A guideline for quantity surveying graduates in New Zealand. Paper presented at the Professional Practice Symposium, Dunedin, New Zealand.
Samarasinghe, D. A. S. (2014). Building materials supply chains: An evaluative study of the New Zealand residential construction. Construction Management. Auckland, AUT University, New Zealand. PhD.
Samarasinghe, D. A. S., Tookey, J. E., & Rotimi, J. O. B. (2013). Supply chain collaboration in the new zealand house construction. In T. W. Yiu & V. Gonzalez (Eds.), 38th Annual Conference of the Australasian Universities Building Educators Association (AUBEA), Auckland, New Zealand.
Samarasinghe, D. A. S., Tookey, J. E., Rotimi, J. O. B., Windapo, A. O., & Thiruchelvam, S. (2012). Examining construction materials purchasing practices. In I. Kamardeen, S. Newton, B. Lim, & M. Loosemore (Eds.), 37th Annual Conference of Australasian Universities Building Education Association. (AUBEA) (565−574). Sydney, Australia.
Qualifications
Bachelor of Architecture (University of Mumbai, India)
Master of Construction Management (Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand)
PhD Construction Management (Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand)
Teaching area
I teach courses related to Construction Management and Quantity Surveying. Some of the courses that I teach are; Construction Technology, Building Services, Programming, Social and Legislative Environment, Building Law.
Professional interest areas
Teaching and research in the areas of Construction Technology, Construction Contracts and Sustainable construction.
Publications
Raina, P., & Tookey, J. E. (2012, 28-30 June). The Purpose of Retentions: A Review of the Existing Literature. Paper presented at CIOB world construction conference “Global Challenges in Construction Industry”, Colombo, Srilanka.
• Raina, P., & Tookey, J. E. (2011, 16-18 Feb). Construction defects and monetary retentions in construction projects:A review of case law. Paper presented at the 4th International Conference of Construction Engineering and Project Management (ICCEPM – 2011), Sydney, Australia.
• Abeysekera, V., Raina, P., & Neitzert, T. (2009, May 20-22). Building Theory on Monetary Retention Regimes. Paper presented at the meeting of the Fifth International Conference on Construction in the 21st Century (CITC-V) "Collaboration and Integration in Engineering, Management and Technology", Istanbul, Turkey.
• Raina, P., & Tookey, J. (2013, 20-22 November). The perceptions of retentions as held by clients, contractors and subcontractors. In T.W. Yiu & V. Gonzalez (Eds), 38th Annual Conference of the Australasian Universities Building Educators Association (AUBEA), Auckland, New Zealand.
• Raina, P., & Tookey, J. (2014). Perceptions of the retention system in the construction industry. Paper presented at the 2nd ASEA-SEC Conference “Sustainable solutions in Structural Engineering and Construction”, Bangkok, Thailand.
Awards
Awarded scholarship by BRANZ for PhD studies for three years.
Awarded graduate teaching assistantship at AUT for three consecutive years 2009 – 2012 which included a tuition fee waiver and part time employment as an hourly paid teaching and research assistant.
Qualifications
University of Auckland, New Zealand
Doctoral Candidate in Civil Engineering (2016 - 2020)
University of Engineering & Technology Lahore, Pakistan
(www.uet.edu.pk)
M.Sc. Civil Engineering (75.8%) 2012-2014
University of Engineering & Technology Lahore, Pakistan
(www.uet.edu.pk)
B.S c. Civil Engineering (3.393/4) 2006-2010
Teaching areas
Estimating, programming, services, quality assurance, site management, introduction to legislative and social environment.
Research Areas
Construction management, geotechnical earthquake engineering.
Awards
Had the honor to be on the Dean’s Honor List for securing a distinction in 4th & 7th semester of B.Sc.
Badge of Excellence in Academics in high School F.Sc (part-II)
Awarded merit scholarship in B.Sc. Civil Engineering (HEC Pakistan)
External Funding Details
Liquefaction Hazard mapping for Auckland region – Research Project funded by Auckland Council
Publications
Journal Publications:
Altaf et al., (2016). Study of the effects of specimen shape and remoulding on shear strength characteristics of fine alluvial sand in direct shear test. Science International, 28(2).
Ul Rehman et al., (2016). Estimation of California Bearing Ratio (CBR) from index properties and compaction characteristics of coarse-grained soil. Science International, 27(6)
Orense et al., (2017) ground performance in Wellington waterfront area following the 2016 kaikōura earthquake. Bulletin of the New Zealand Society for Earthquake Engineering, Vol. 50, No. 2, June 2017
Conference Papers
Altaf, O., ul Rehman. (2015). Effects of sample shape and remolding on Shear strength parameters of granular soil. Proceedings of the 1st International Multi-Disciplinary Conference (IMDC), The University of Lahore, Gujrat Campus, PK, 23-24 November 2015
Altaf O. et al. (2018). "Development of liquefaction-induced ground damage maps for Auckland region", NZSEE Annual Conference, Auckland, New Zealand
Qualifications:
Ph.D (Construction Materials) Anna University, Tamilnadu, India, 2020
Masters in Construction Management, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand, 2019
M.Tech, Masters in Transportation Engineering and Management, National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli, India. 2004
B.E, Bachelors in Civil Engineering, Madurai Kamaraj University, Tamilnadu, India. 2001
Teaching Areas:
Construction Technology, Contract Administration, Measurement, Procurement and Tendering and Property Investment
Research Areas:
Urban Traffic Planning, Supply Chain Management, Stakeholder Management, Logistics Management, Construction Economics, Transportation Management, Construction Materials, Geopolymer, Project Management
Publications:
Srividya. D and Nagan.S “Flyash – Based Geopolymer coating on coarse aggregates for bituminous application”, The Asian International Journal of Life Sciences, Vol 27, 2018, pp 87-107
Srividya. D and Nagan.S, “Effect of Flyash Based Geopolymer coated Aggregates in Bituminous Concrete” Gradevinar, Journal of Croatian Association of Civil Engineers, Vol 70, Issue No 3, 2018, pp 187-199
Srividya, D, Nagan, S & Vaishnavi Devi, S 2017, ‘Microstructure study on flyash based geopolymer paste’, Proceedings of National Conference on Research Innovations in Materials, Construction Techniques and Sustainable Development RIMTSD – 2017
T. Karthigaipriya and D. Srividya, “Road Asset Management System for Madurai CBD”, International Journal of Innovations in Scientific and Engineering Research, Vol 1 Issue 11 Dec 2014, P- 18 - 23
G. Sathya, R. Velkennedy and D. Srividya, “Prioritization of Urban Transport system for Madurai City”, International Journal of Innovative Research in Advanced Engineering (IJIRAE) 1, Vol.2, Jan 2015, pp 318-322
D. Srividya and U. Yoganandhan, “Analysis of Possibilities and Proposals of ITS Implementation in Madurai City, International Journal of Engineering Research and Technology, Vol 3. Issue 29, 2015
Farhad has completed his BSc, MSc, and PhD in computer science. He was a post-doctorate researcher working in the area of high-performance and low-power computing systems in Kyushu University, Japan between 2007 and 2010. From August 2010, he was an Associate Professor in the Kyushu University, where he participated in several joint projects with industry in Japan, and supervised/co-supervised many Master and PhD students.
He joined Tech Futures Lab at Auckland as a Data Science and IoT Specialist in May 2016. Later in 2017 he joined Unisys as a senior consultant and data scientist. He has been with OPAIC since January this year, and alongside his current academic placement as a senior lecturer, he has also founded STEM Fern, a start up in Auckland developing AI and robotics technologies and content for primary aged STEM education.
Farhad has a broad experience both in industry and academia across three different countries and has initiated and led several interdisciplinary R&D projects particularly on AI, robotics, and IoT-enabled smart systems. He is a senior member of IEEE.
Qualifications:
Post-doctorate: High-performance and Low-power computing systems (Kyushu University)
PhD, Computer Science (Amirkabir University of Technology & Kyushu University)
MSc, Computer Systems Architecture (Amirkabir University of Technology).
BSc, Computer Engineering (Sharif University of Technology).
Specialisation in Data Science, 2014 (Coursera - Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health).
NZ Cert in Adult & Tertiary Teaching, Open Polytechnic (ongoing)
Teaching areas:
Data Science, Internet-of-Things, Cloud Computing, AI, Databases
Professional interest areas:
AI and Robotics for STEM Education, Business Intelligence.
Book Chapters:
1. Farhad Mehdipour, Bahman Javadi, Aniket Mahanti, Guillermo Ramirez-Prado, Fog Computing Realization for Big Data Analytics, Fog and Edge Computing: Principles and Paradigms, Wiley, 2018.
2. Farhad Mehdipour, M. F. Rahman, K. Murakami, Intelligent wireless sensor networks in cyber-physical systems, The Institution of Engineering and Technology, ISBN-10: 1849198241, Mar. 2016.
3. Farhad Mehdipour, Hamid Noori, Bahman Javadi, Energy-Efficient Big Data Analytics in Data Centers, Energy Efficiency in Data-Centers, Elsevier’s Book Series on Advances in Computers, Feb. 2016.
Recent Journal Publications:
1. S. Rastegar Moghaddam Mansouri, H. Gholamhosseini, A. Lowe, Farhad Mehdipour, M. Lindén, Estimating Systolic Blood Pressure Using Convolutional Neural Networks, pHealth, 2019.
2. Kalpana Nand, Nilufar Baghaei, John Casey, Bashar Barmada, Farhad Mehdipour, Engaging Children with Educational Content via Gaming, Smart Learning Environments, Smart Learning Environments 6 (1), 6, 2019.
3. N. Rahmanikiaa, A. Amiri, H. Noori, Farhad Mehdipour, Performance evaluation metrics for ring-oscillator-based temperature sensors on FPGAs: A quality factor, Integration, the VLSI Journal, Vol. 57, pp. 81-100, Mar. 2017.
4. Karen Baker, Richard Rowley, Farhad Mehdipour, Collaborative teams: The investigation of how collaborative processes and team dynamics impact on collaborative teaching in a New Zealand context. Core Education uLearn16, Rotorua, New Zealand, 2016.
5. A. Medhat, A. Shalaby, M. Sayed, M. El-Sabrouty, Farhad Mehdipour, Adaptive Reduced Comlexity Algorithms for Motion Estimation Unit in HEVC Encoder, IET Image Processing, Feb. 2016.
Recent Conference Papers:
1. Bahman A. Sassani (Sarrafpour), Rosario D. S. Choque, Blake M. Paul, Farhad Mehdipour, Commercial Security Scanning: Point-on-Sale (POS) Vulnerability and Mitigation Techniques, The 4th IEEE Cyber Science and Technology Congress, Fukuoka , Japan, 2019.
2. Bahman Sassani, Andrew David, Xiaosong Li, Farhad Mehdipour, AgentPi: An IoT Enabled Motion CCTV Surveillance System, The 4th IEEE Cyber Science and Technology Congress, Fukuoka , Japan, 2019.
3. Farhad Mehdipour, Mohsen Pashna, Aniket Mahanti, A 3-Tier AI-Based Solution for Facilitating STEM Education, Submitted to Sixth International Conference on Learning and Teaching in Computing and Engineering (LATICE), 2018.
4. Bahman Sarrafpour, C Abbaro, Ivan Pitton, Craig Young, Farhad Mehdipour, PST 2016 : 14th International Conference on Privacy, Security and Trust, Auckland, New Zealand, Dec. 2016.
5. M. F. Rahman, Farhad Mehdipour, H. Furukawa, Modeling the Impact of Clustering with Random Event Arrival on the Lifetime of WSN, ICNCC '16 Proceedings of the Fifth International Conference on Network, Communication and Computing, Pages 292-296, Tokyo, Japan, 2016.
6. B. A. Sassani, C. Abbaro, I. Pitton, C. Young, and Farhad Mehdipour, Analysis of NTP DRDoS Attacks' Performance Effects and Mitigation Techniques, Cybersecurity considerations, Privacy, Cybersecurity, and Trust Conference, Auckland, New Zealand, Dec. 2016.
7. Farhad Mehdipour, Bahman Javadi, Aniket Mahnati, FOG-Engine: FOG-engine: Towards Big Data Analytics in the Fog, The 2nd IEEE International Conference on Big Data Intelligence and Computing, Auckland, New Zealand, August 8-12, 2016.
Qualifications:
Master of Counselling Degree (MCouns) at the University of Waikato
Bachelor of Social Science Degree (BSocSc); major-Human Development and Japanese at the University of Waikato
Service areas:
Counselling
Awards:
The University of Waikato-Dean’s List of Academic Excellence-2013
The University of Waikato- Golden Key International Honour Society-2011
Sonny graduated from Otago Polytechnic Dunedin in 2008 with a Bachelor of Information Technology. He started working full-time in the Information Systems and Services Department following his graduation, then had a short spell away from Otago Polytechnic when he moved home to Auckland. Sonny eventually returned to Otago Polytechnic as Service Desk Engineer at the Auckland International Campus in March 2013. He's now the ICT and Facilities Manager here.
My role as Content and Communications Specialist involves writing success stories about students and graduates, covering news and events, and producing regular digital newsletters for staff, students, and agents. I also manage OPAIC's social media platforms, keep the website up to date, and develop content for print resources.
I've been part of the Digital Marketing and Communications Team here at OPAIC since the beginning of 2018. Prior to that I worked for daily newspapers throughout the country for five years. I specialised as a court and police reporter for much of that time.
I have bachelor's degrees in arts and science, a diploma in journalism and a master's degree in creative writing. I've completed shorter courses in photography, videography and social media.
My fiction and poetry have appeared in literary journals in New Zealand and overseas and I've placed in a number of writing competitions. My first book of poems - I kind of thought the alpacas were a metaphor until we got there - is out now.
Qualifications:
Master of Creative Writing, Massey University, 2017
National Diploma in Journalism, Waikato Institute of Technology, 2011
Bachelor of Arts (English), Massey University, 2009
Bachelor of Science (Ecology), Massey University, 2009
Sue Thompson
Te Kaihāpai
Sue is an experienced teacher, manager, leader and advocate for tertiary learners and for quality processes. She has been involved in adult learning and teaching for many years and for the last fifteen years has developed and overseen a range of organisation wide quality processes including policies, self-assessment , internal evaluation and curriculum development and approvals. Currently Sue reports directly to the Chief Executive and as the Te Kaihāpai has his delegation for resolving academic appeals, student complaints and student discipline not able to be resolved at a lower level. She is also the Privacy Officer and Executive Sponsor for the Public Records Act. Sue also provides advice on a range of quality matters and is the Otago Polytechnic lead for the next External Evaluation and Review. She has an enduring commitment to Māori, Pasifika and to healthcare and is the senior manager responsible for Student Health.
Sue was born in Dunedin and raised in Otago. After training and working as a psychiatric nurse she was employed by Otago Polytechnic 36 years ago as one of the inaugural School of Nursing tutors and held a number of roles in nursing including being the acting Head of School at various times.
In 2001 Sue became the Head of School of Community Studies and Maori and in 2003 this was expanded to Head of Department of Community Studies, Foundation Leaning, Maori and Languages until her appointment as Academic Manager early in 2004. She also spent time as the acting Dean of the Faculty of Health and Community.
In addition to being a registered psychiatric nurse, Sue has a Master of Arts (Applied) from Victoria University of Wellington.
Away from work Sue is a keen gardener, reader, wine taster and socialiser.