ICT Graduate School - University of Auckland

Visit the YouTube links below for the Gibbons 2026 lecture series "Augmenting Scientific Discovery with AI."

Thanks to all our presenters and to Gill Dobbie for organising the series.

Dr Jörg Wicker
"AI as a Driver of Science: Making Sense of the Environmental Fate of Chemicals"
https://www.youtube.com/live/t59vWi1oiCw?si=uayaE6U-tKI23Tep

Dr Matthew Egbert
"How does Artificial Intelligence Differ from Natural Intelligence?"
https://www.youtube.com/live/vWNXoe6wDNM?si=KadpQLoupTp7IysI

Professor Steven Mills, School of Computing, University of Otago
"Computing, Culture, and Choices: Why do we do what we do?"
https://www.youtube.com/live/DOBFvWkD55A?si=F3PHaiCDe-k3kY8W

Dr. Jonathan Swain
DIY AI: Open-source AI for Drug Discovery
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GM0GGudiSxs&list=PLrn9cK8YU6v9ROOboJ_HcEjHX_7RnmXl7&index=4

Don't forget to subscribe to our channel!
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtWofk7RuHbwcDWewsVgzbA

University of Otago Faculty of Science, University of Auckland University of Auckland - Waipapa Taumata Rau

Introducing James Lam, an Auckland ICT Graduate School Graduate School alumni profiled in our ten-year anniversary celebration series.

James is currently a software engineer in Fivetran:

“Things have changed since 2017. I was originally in biomedical sciences research, sifting through data and routine statistical analysis. There was nothing fancy but the deeper I dove, the more dependent on computers and programs I became.

The ICT PGCertInfoTech program was the first avenue I tried to get into computing myself. This program quickly broke down the interaction with technology into fundamental building blocks and compositions. This fascination led me to MInfoTech and the specialised fields of AI and data.

A worthy mention is that the PGCertInfoTech course provided me with the fundamentals to comprehend one of my favourite courses - “Interactive cognitive systems.” I was not only educated in AI but the core principles emphasised being situated, embodied and the dynamics of time towards cognitive systems breeding more complex AI.

My studies led to an internship for a research lab on creating an AI system, where the project aims to lower the hurdle by automating AI model training. From there, I landed roles such as Data / Software Engineer, for an intensive data processing company and have been employed everywhere from startups to global enterprise-sized companies. A highlight has been creating a complete end-to-end automated data processing to warehouse system with lineage and governance.

I greatly appreciate how the ICT Graduate School's continuous improvement and evolution in response to the industry’s demand helped me.”

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Join us for the final Gibbons lectures in the series:

On Tuesday 2 June 2026 the talk “DIY AI: Open-source AI for Drug Discovery” will be presented by Dr. Jonathan Swain.

Visit the link for more information and to register:
https://www.eventbrite.co.nz/e/augmenting-scientific-discovery-with-ai-tickets-1984099954374

Livestream link:
https://www.youtube.com/live/GM0GGudiSxs

Join us for the next Gibbons lectures in the series.

On Tuesday 26 May 2026 “Computing, Culture, and Choices: Why do we do what we do?” will be presented by Professor Steven Mills, School of Computing, University of Otago.

Visit the link for more information and to register
https://www.eventbrite.co.nz/e/augmenting-scientific-discovery-with-ai-tickets-1984099954374

Livestream
youtube.com/live/DOBFvWkD55A?feature=share

If you haven't already registered - join us for the Gibbons 2026 series!

Next week on 19 May 2025 the talk “How does Artificial Intelligence Differ from Natural Intelligence?” will be presented by Dr Matthew Egbert, School of Computer Science, University of Auckland

Visit the link for more information and to register:

https://www.eventbrite.co.nz/e/augmenting-scientific-discovery-with-ai-tickets-1984099954374

Live stream link:
https://youtube.com/live/vWNXoe6wDNM?feature=share

Last Wednesday, 29 April 2026, it was awesome to host our MInfoTech Industry Speed Networking event!

A big thanks to all our industry collaborators!

Both company representatives and our students had a great time and it was an excellent opportunity to make connections - for students seeking internships and companies offering them.

If you are looking for interns at your company this summer but weren't able to attend, please email [email protected].

We would be happy to add you to our database to see all our wonderful students' CVs and video profiles. or if you would like to attend one of our speed networking events in the future.

🎉✨Ka mau te wehi!

Congratulations to all our graduates who celebrated with your whānau this week! We're proud of you and wish you all the best in your future endeavours. 🎉✨

If you haven't already registered, join us for the first Gibbons lecture in the series "Augmenting Scientific Discovery with AI" next week on Tuesday 12 May 2026.

Visit the link to register
https://www.eventbrite.co.nz/e/augmenting-scientific-discovery-with-ai-tickets-1984099954374

Live stream link
https://www.youtube.com/live/t59vWi1oiCw

University of Auckland - Waipapa Taumata Rau Faculty of Science, University of Auckland

Introducing Nicole Bladen, an ICT Graduate School alumni profiled in our ten-year anniversary celebration series:

“I completed my Master of Information Technology in 2025, finishing with an internship at Altis Consulting.

I have two favourite courses from my program for quite different reasons. First was the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Cloud Computing because everything is incredibly relevant to any IT-related position. It was a foundational to my understanding of modern IT infrastructure and has helped me in my career and strategic conversations continuously.

Second was Modelling Minds, in part because Matthew is a fantastic and engaging lecturer, but also because the content was incredibly thought-provoking. In an increasingly AI-driven world, this class posed some tough philosophical questions that I’m still thinking about today – and some of the best prescribed readings!

With Altis I undertook a requirement gathering project for a major utilities’ client, with a business requirements document being the final deliverable. This was Phase One of an ongoing project which I am now continuing with after being offered a permanent consulting role with Altis.

On completion, we will migrate the client’s key data pipelines and reports from Excel and legacy systems to a modern, dimensionally modelled data platform using Snowflake and Power BI for automated, reliable financial reporting.

I am incredibly grateful to both Altis and the Auckland ICT Graduate School for all the mentorship and guidance over the past two years, I highly recommend getting involved with the speed networking night that led me to where I am today.”

Shane Davis, Client Executive at Altis Consulting comments:
Nicole caught our attention because she went out of her way to secure time with us during the industry meet and greet. She also had some industry experience that aligned with the type of work that Altis do.

During her internship, Nicole was placed in a challenging environment where a lot of self direction and self management was required. More than we ideally would have liked.

The feedback from our client was glowing despite these challenges. This is largely due to Nicole’s focus on delivering value no matter what. She sought out and received good support from within Altis. This was absolutely the right thing to do.

Nicole is a great example of the quality of graduates that the ICT Grad School produces. As long time veterans in the industry, we are nothing short of astounded by the calibre and quality of student projects.

It’s for this reason that Altis is happy to invest by way of mentoring, to ensure that the ICT Grad School is successful in their mission. This ultimately benefits industry and the country as a whole, as these highly competent graduates become available to the market.

University of Auckland - Waipapa Taumata Rau Faculty of Science, University of Auckland

Join us for the first of the 2026 Gibbons lecture series on Tuesday 12 May 2026, Dr Jörg Wicker of the School of Computer Science - University of Auckland will present “AI as a Driver of Science: Making Sense of the Environmental Fate of Chemicals.”

Visit the link for more information and to register
https://www.eventbrite.co.nz/e/augmenting-scientific-discovery-with-ai-tickets-1984099954374