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Postgraduate study offers the skills, expertise and industry contacts to significantly boost graduates' career journeys. We talked to two University of Auckland students currently undertaking postgraduate study, and a postgraduate supervisor to give us some insight into what a typical day looks like for them.

Fang Ou: Doctor of Philosophy student

What inspired you to undertake postgraduate study?

"I decided to pursue a PhD at the end of my Honours degree [BTech, majoring in Medical Physics and Imaging Technology]. I saw it as an opportunity for enormous personal growth. In a PhD, we learn about our research area but in the process we gain other experience in areas like teamwork and project management."

What would a typical day look like for you?

"I know it's a cliché but there wasn't really a typical day in my PhD. My project is about developing a fast way to measure bacteria. So in a typical six-month period there would be days where I would be testing optical instruments in a Med-School microbiology lab; days where I'm in the physics building analysing data; days where I would be writing about my research for journal articles; days filled with research planning meetings; and even days where I'm at local or international research conferences. Currently, while waiting to receive reviewer feedback for my PhD thesis, I'm interning at the office of the Prime Minister's Chief Science Advisor. There I'm assessing the impact of AI and augmented and virtual reality technologies on learning, teaching and education in Aotearoa New Zealand."

Ou says her supervisors have played an important role in her PhD, "answering research queries, teaching the ways of academia and keeping an eye out for opportunities which might benefit the students."  One of those supervisors was Associate Professor Frederique Vanholsbeeck.

​Frederique Vanholsbeeck:  Associate Professor, Associate Dean – Diversity and Inclusion

Where has your postgraduate journey taken you after completing your Lic. Sc. Phys at the Université Libre de Bruxelles in 1999?

"In 2004, I commenced a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Auckland. In 2005 I was appointed to the position of lecturer in the Department of Physics and in 2008 I was promoted to senior lecturer."

Tell us about your recent appointment as Associate Dean – Diversity and Inclusion

"I have always been a strong advocate for equity and inclusivity. I'm currently supervising several students from around the world, including Poland, India, Nigeria and Ukraine, as well as a few Kiwi students. Working with a diverse team helps to find better solutions to problems. This has been proven by many studies. We have a three-year plan to increase the recruitment and retention of women and gender diverse staff, fostering a sense of belonging for the students and supporting the Māori and Pasifika leadership of my colleagues, the Kaiārahi and the Associate Dean Pacific."

Riripeti Haretuku: Doctor of Education student

What made you decide to embark on postgraduate study?

"I became involved in Māori sudden and unexpected infant deaths (SUDI) around 1992 and this has since led me into the much bigger kaupapa of Māori public health and education. The decision to pursue the PhD was motivated by the need to address the absence of a whānau Māori voice in the New Zealand cot death discourse. That's an important contribution I can make to reducing the high rates of Māori sudden and unexpected death and improving Māori health."  

And what does a typical day look like for you? 

"I've significantly reduced my Māori health consultancy work while I'm doing my PhD. It's necessary to commit the necessary time to do the writing justice and to ensure it reflects an authentic Māori whānau voice. A typical day would find me on my own, focusing on the work I'm writing about and becoming much more knowledgeable. I need to make sure my audiences hear the messages in a language they can relate to. That has meant learning a new academic language and ensuring my research is current and accurate. I look forward to completing and submitting the thesis, at which stage I will look forward to engaging in discussions around the issues I have raised in my thesis."

For more information about postgraduate study with the University of Auckland, visit www.auckland.ac.nz.