The unexpected opportunities of going back to study

One of the unexpected outcomes of the pandemic was an opportunity to reassess goals.?

It gave people the room to think and ask themselves where they wanted to take their career. Naturally, some looked for ways to set themselves apart from their peers – while others looked at a complete career change.?

Regardless of mindset, we all wanted to keep moving forward. We realised that as the world changes, standing still carries with it a risk of falling behind. And we've all seen how jobs can shapeshift overnight as industries evolve with the times.?

Postgraduate study has always been set up to provide solutions for a changing world. Every student is looking to change the course of their future by expanding the way they think -?embracing diverse perspectives, while at the same time discovering new passions. So let's meet some of our Business School alumni who decided to make the change.?

From property to transport

After more than eight years in the property industry, and part-way through his term as an elected local board member in Auckland, Graeme Gunthorp was looking to make a change.

"The reason I did the MBA was because I wanted to explore a career change. The property industry’s been wonderful, I’ve always enjoyed it. However I would hate to get to my deathbed having done only one thing for my entire life. There was always this little thought in the back of my head: how am I going to keep advancing?"

The MBA programme helped Graeme make a significant career shift and follow his passion for transport and urban design.

That leap forward in Graeme's career took the shape of a brand-new role as Programme Director at Auckland Transport, where Graeme works with multiple council agencies to deliver results in the city centre.

With no previous experience in the transport industry, Graeme says it was the combination of his MBA studies and his time as an elected member of a local board in Auckland that clinched the role for him.

Building a research-based tikanga Māori business

As a child, Kiri Dell spent time on her ancestral whenua in Ruatōria, a small Ngāti Porou town in the Gisborne region. Kānuka was everywhere - a hardy, scrubby tree, it was mostly used for firewood, so while it didn’t have much monetary value, Dell has always associated it with warmth, cooking and food.?

Dell is now a senior lecturer in management and international business at the University. Along with Saeid Baroutian, an associate professor of chemical and materials engineering, they are working to transform kānuka from Ruatōria into high-value products and tangible benefits for the community.

“Māori landowners have typically been the last ones to be valued in the supply chain. We wanted to come up with a model that would return value to landowners and also reward entrepreneurs,” says Dell.

Following lots of kōrero with the community and some legal advice from UniServices, the solution was to establish an organisational structure composed of a charitable trust, a company holding the intellectual property, and Māori land entities.?

Today, Nuka Charitable Trust is a not-for-profit trust with the overarching mandate to deliver benefits to the community. “The business will eventually employ about 15 people, which is significant in a community of less than 800 where much of the working-age population leaves town,” says Dell.?

Although Nuka is still in the relatively early stages of starting up, the seeds of the project were sown back in 2015, when Dell was doing her PhD. That’s when she and Baroutian met at a research ideas event at the University.

One of Nuka's first products is liquid smoke, which can be added to foods ranging from cheese to mussels. “It has a unique, pleasant aroma and flavour,” says Baroutian. “It can also protect food products against degradation and enhance shelf life.”

Traditional smoking involves burning wood in the presence of oxygen, which creates toxic and carcinogenic compounds. Nuka’s process involves burning kānuka wood chips at high temperatures, in the absence of oxygen, which prevents the formation of these toxic compounds. The smoke is converted into a liquid product with an aroma that reminds Dell of hāngī.

To help get the project up and running, the pair secured seed funding from the University of Auckland Inventors’ Fund, as well as from their respective faculties, which enabled them to develop and fine tune ideas.?

The future is technology

As the world evolves, technology evolves. What is considered an 'emerging technology' now will very quickly become the norm. That's why, in partnership with One NZ, the Business School established Te Ahi Hangarau Technology Hub, an innovative learning space to provide students with access to cutting-edge technology for education and research purposes.

The hub will prepare graduates for the future of business and everyday life by providing a unique learning experience not offered by any other Business School in New Zealand.?

Utilising 5G, the hub will initially feature technologies including AR/VR, IoT, and 3D printing, which will be incorporated into both extra-curricular and curricular programming. Opportunities to get hands-on with this tech will be open to all students and staff of the University of Auckland, no matter their faculty.?

“My vision is to have a space where staff, as well as students, can freely explore and experiment with emerging tech. I think it’s important to have a dedicated space for that because it doesn’t just happen magically", says Andrew Eberhard, Business School’s Associate Dean Technology.

A postgraduate degree opens new opportunities

Business is forever evolving. It demands time, dedication and the foresight and willingness to invest in new skills. That's why our postgraduate study is designed to be flexible. You can study on campus or online, in your own time, and advance your career on your terms with our full support at every step of your journey.?It's yet another example of how, at New Zealand’s #1 Business School, we’re committed to seeing opportunities where others don't.