UC Engineering

𝗟𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲? UC Mechanical Engineering students are ready to tackle real-world challenges through hands-on projects in 2025. You provide the idea—we provide the team, tools, and expertise to make it happen. 💡 From February to November, teams of four students will dedicate up to 1,200 hours to solving your problem. 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲𝗱?    • Access cutting-edge tools and facilities    • Gain high-value project outcomes (equivalent to $40k–$100k)    • Retain full IP ownership and confidentiality 👉 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲: https://lnkd.in/gRTPTB2K UC Engineering | Digby Symons

🔋 Hydrogen in the Energy Mix – UC’s Role in the Transition How do we cut emissions, transform energy systems, and build a more sustainable future? Hydrogen might be the key 🔑 From using renewable hydrogen to clean up the steel industry to predicting how hydrogen behaves at the molecular level, UC researchers are breaking new ground in renewable energy: 🚀 Matthew Watson & Josh McArdle – Investigating how renewable hydrogen can reduce steel industry emissions 🧪Jinjiang Liu – Using computer models to predict interactions in hydrogen mixtures at the molecular level ⚡ Rafaella Canessa – Creating a framework to model energy systems tailored to New Zealand’s needs 🔋 Hadi Vatankhah Ghadim – Examining green hydrogen’s potential role in New Zealand’s energy sector 🌱 Kelsey McKenzie – Studying microbes in Taranaki gas fields to enhance hydrogen production 💡 UC’s expertise will take the stage at the 2025 New Zealand Hydrogen Symposium (NZHS), bringing together global leaders to explore hydrogen’s potential in a sustainable, resilient energy future. Among them is keynote speaker Professor Rangan Banerjee, Director of Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, who has been at the forefront of pioneering research and international collaboration. With backing from New Zealand’s Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, Germany’s Federal Ministry of Education and Research, Germany and Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - German Research Foundation, and partnerships across industry and academia, UC is driving real-world hydrogen solutions. 📅 NZHS 2025 kicks off on 3 February at the University of Canterbury. Don’t miss the chance to connect with global experts and be part of the conversation shaping the future of energy. #Hydrogen #Shapingthefuture #SustainableFutures #UCResearch #NZHS2025 Saurabh Sinha Jannik Haas

🌟 Celebrating Excellence: Congratulations to Kennie Tsui! 🌟 We're thrilled to celebrate Kennie Tsui, who has been awarded the Companion of the Order of Merit in the 2025 New Year Honours list for her outstanding contributions to the environment and governance. Kennie is an alumnus of the University of Canterbury, where she graduated with a BE (Hons) in Chemical and Process Engineering. Over her impressive career, she has become a global authority on greenhouse gas inventory and climate initiatives. She currently serves as CEO of New Zealand Geothermal Association (NZGA). Since 2022, UC's Department of Chemical and Process Engineering has been privileged to have Kennie as part of its Advisory Group. Kennie has deep industry knowledge and a strong network which is not only contributing to the growth of the NZ geothermal sector but also helps inspire our engineering students to explore pathways into the industry. Kennie's influence extends far beyond New Zealand. She serves as the New Zealand International Expert for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, is a Global Board Member of the USA Geothermal Resources Council (since 2021) and Chair of the International Partnership of Geothermal Technologies, connecting geothermal leaders globally. She has also broken barriers as the first Asian woman on the Board of Engineering New Zealand in its 110-year history, where she currently serves as Deputy President. Kennie’s unwavering dedication to environmental progress is truly inspiring. She is a wonderful example of a wahine engineering leader driving positive change. 👏 Congratulations once again, Kennie, on this well-deserved honour! #UCEngineering #ClimateAction #GeothermalEnergy #UCAlumni #WomenInEngineering #EngineeringExcellence Daniel Holland, Garrick Thorn, Saurabh Sinha

The countdown begins! 🌏 Join us at the QS India Summit in Goa, 27-29 January, where we’ll explore global challenges and innovative solutions for the future of education.       🔹 Our Vice-Chancellor Professor Cheryl de la Rey will be participating in a panel discussion—Addressing Global Uncertainties: Building Resilient Educational Institutions. Exploring how institutions can build resilience to future challenges through innovative policies, technological strategies, and structural approaches to ensure continuity in higher education.      🔹 Professor @Rajesh Dakal will lead the masterclass—University-industry partnerships across borders. This masterclass will bring together industry and academic leaders with international experience to share strategies for fostering successful collaborations in multinational R&D environments.         Saurabh Sinha Brett Berquist Graham Wise   UC Civil and Natural Resources Engineering   QS Quacquarelli Symonds Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi SYMBIOSIS INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY   La Trobe University  The University of Edinburgh  University of Sussex #shapingthefuture #Highered  

👏 WiE CAN 2025 – it’s a wrap!👏 This week the Faculty of Engineering had the absolute pleasure of hosting 60 high-school students from around NZ to participate in WiE CAN 2025 – UC’s five-day residential Woman in Engineering programme. In its sixth year, the programme features interactive workshops, inspiring presentations, and fun social activities that aim to introduce girls to the exciting world of engineering. Workshops are delivered by staff and current UC students across our Faculty's academic departments and schools. The girls were tasked with building & launching rockets, assembling and racing electric cars, coding their way out of an escape room, and designing and building earthquake resilient structures, to name a few. This programme would not be possible without an amazing team of dedicated Residential Assistants who are with the girls throughout the camp keeping energy high, ensuring everyone is safe and of course – having fun. Many of these RAs have participated in WiE CAN before coming to UC to study Engineering. A monumental amount of preparation and organisation goes into this event each year and we’d like to acknowledge Jordan Hill (Lead RA), Daniel Morris (WiE CAN Academic Lead) and Lucy Jenkins (Marketing & Outreach Partner) for their leadership and passion to bring this programme to life – thank you for your amazing mahi! Last but certainly not least we wish to thank Tait Communications and the Tait Foundation who make this programme possible. Thank you for your continuing commitment and sharing our mission to inspiring more girls to consider engineering. We look forward to seeing the incredible things our WiE Can 2025 cohort will achieve in the years ahead! #wiecan25 #ucengineering #womeninengineering #womenintech #engineeringexcellence University of Canterbury, Tait Communications, UC Centre for Entrepreneurship, UC Mechanical Engineering, UC Civil and Natural Resources Engineering , UC Aerospace - University of Canterbury, UC Chemical and Process Engineering, University of Canterbury Computer Science & Software Engineering (UCCSSE), UC Electrical and Computer Engineering, New New Zealand School of Forestry

Celebrating Excellence and Teamwork at Formula SAE Australasia! With yesterday marking the end of an incredible competition, we are thrilled to recap the achievements of our talented UCM - University of Canterbury Motorsport Team: 🏆 1st place in the Efficiency event – a testament to precision engineering and strategic execution. 🏆 Harry Watson Award – recognizing our distinct contribution to the competition. ✨ Best-designed monocoque and inverter housing – a true highlight of innovation and design excellence. A heartfelt congratulations to the entire team for their tireless efforts, perseverance, and remarkable achievements. Special recognition goes to Isha Patel, the incredible Team Principal, for her outstanding leadership, as well as to Bruce Robertson, Faculty Advisor, whose guidance has been instrumental in ensuring the team’s success. We also thank the staff team, technical staff, and academic staff who provided crucial support, and of course, all the students whose hard work and passion brought this project to life. At the University of Canterbury | UC Mechanical Engineering | UC Engineering, we are not surprised that programs like Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering, and others that interface with this vehicle, continue to thrive. Initiatives like this foster a “learning by doing” philosophy, enabling students to think critically while building essential skills in team collaboration, sponsor engagement, 🤔 stress management, project timelines, and much more. Beyond the competition, they also provide opportunities to learn from and collaborate with other teams, furthering student experience. Congratulations once again to everyone involved – you’ve made Canterbury and Christchurch proud! #UCLeaders #UCEngExcellence #UCM #FSAE #FormulaStudent #fsaea #fsaeaustralasia #motorsport #FormulaStudent2024 #Teamwork #Innovation | Andrew Lamb | Mathieu Sellier | Stefanie Gutschmidt

We are delighted to celebrate the UCM - University of Canterbury Motorsport 2024 team's outstanding performance at FSAE-A (Formula Society of Automotive Engineers Australasia) in December. The team achieved 1st place in the Efficiency category and 6th overall and received the Harry Watson Award, which recognised their hard work, attention to detail, and significant contribution to the competition.   The event also provided a valuable opportunity for sponsors and volunteers to closely observe the team's simple, reliable, and lightweight (157kg) race car while engaging with the team. The UCM24 car received numerous compliments for the high level of engineering on display, and the team was praised for their professionalism and support of other teams.   This achievement highlights team members' dedication, teamwork, and relentless effort. The experience gained from the 2024 FSAE-A competition will be invaluable for their future careers, providing them with practical engineering skills, real-world problem-solving abilities, and a strong foundation for continued success in the industry. Congratulations to the team for this remarkable accomplishment and for representing UCM with excellence and pride!👏👏👏 UC Engineering | University of Canterbury

Celebrating Mathieu Sellier's Leadership as Head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Canterbury, New Zealand As the year draws to a close, we recognise the exceptional leadership of Professor Mathieu Sellier, whose five-year term as Head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Canterbury concludes just before Christmas. Under Mathieu’s stewardship, the department has thrived, with significant growth in Mechanical and Mechatronics programmes, successful reaccreditation, and a strengthened reputation. Notably, the department has climbed an impressive 43 places in the QS World University Rankings for Mechanical Engineering, another testament to its enhanced global standing. Student clubs, such as the UC Aerospace - University of Canterbury and UC Motorsport, have flourished, excelling in competitions and fostering innovation. Recently, Mathieu was elected President of the Australasian Fluid Mechanics Society (AFMS), becoming the first New Zealand-based president in its history. He was also awarded AFMS Fellow for his contributions to “Interfaces and Inverse Problems.” In his own words, as shared in the past, these achievements are “testament to the hard work and dedication of the team.” Merci, Mathieu, pour votre engagement! In addition to his many contributions, we are especially grateful that Mathieu willingly served as Acting Executive Dean during my recent travel. His leadership, both within the department and across the faculty, has been invaluable. We thank Mathieu for his outstanding contributions and wish him the very best as he returns to his substantive academic role. We also look forward to welcoming Professor Stefanie Gutschmidt as the next Head of Department. #UCEngExcellence #UCLeaders | UC Engineering | UC Mechanical Engineering | University of Canterbury | Nina Lamb

Exciting Leadership Transition in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Canterbury As some of you may know, Professor Mathieu Sellier will be concluding his term as Head of Department, Mechanical Engineering at the end of December. Firstly, a heartfelt thank you to Mathieu for his dedicated leadership, fostering a positive and collaborative culture for our students, alumni, staff, community, and industry partners. We are grateful for his steady guidance, and we wish him all the best as he returns to his substantive role within the department at the end of his term. I would like to take this opportunity to provide an update and introduce our new incoming Head of Department. After a thorough selection process, supported by a panel with department academic, general, and Kaiārahi representatives, we are thrilled to announce Professor Stefanie Gutschmidt as the new Tumuaki Tari - Head of Department, Mechanical Engineering, starting 24th December 2024, for a five-year term. Stefanie holds a PhD in Applied Mechanics from Technische Universität Darmstadt, Germany, and has a wealth of experience, having worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the Technion - Israel Institute of Technology and the University of Liège before joining UC as a lecturer in 2009. She has since earned an international reputation as a researcher, particularly in the fields of nonlinear coupled oscillators and arrays. Her groundbreaking work on nonlinear active MEMS sensors has important applications in atomic force microscopes, biosensors, and future cochlear implants. Stefanie shares her leadership philosophy: "My way of leading is to serve my team and our people so that we are a lasting blessing and a source that impacts our world and creates a future worth living." Please join me in congratulating and welcoming Stefanie as our next Head of Department. We look forward to continuing the department's journey under her capable leadership. == Geoff Chase, Stefanie Gutschmidt and I enjoyed the label of her name being upside down! Just before, during a walking meeting, we were talking about anti-gravity!! == #UCEngExcellence #UCLeaders | UC Engineering | UC Mechanical Engineering | University of Canterbury | Nina Lamb

🌟 Leadership Update: Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering, University of Canterbury 🌟 As some of you know, Dr Andrew Bainbridge-Smith will conclude his term as Tumuaki Tari | Acting Head of Department for Te Tari Pūhanga Pūmanawa Rorohiko | Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering on 2nd February 2025. I want to take a moment to provide an update and warmly welcome our new incoming Head of Department. First, a heartfelt thank you to Andrew for stepping into the role of Acting HoD and for his steadfast leadership. His dedication has fostered a positive and collaborative environment for our students, alumni, staff, community, and industry partners. We extend our best wishes to Andrew for the remainder of his time in this role and for his return to his substantive position within the department from 3rd February 2025. Following a robust and inclusive selection process with an appropriately constituted panel—including department academics, general and Kaiārahi representatives—we are delighted to announce Professor Tanja Mitrović as the new Tumuaki Tari | Head of Department, effective 3rd February 2025, for a term of 5 years. Tanja brings a wealth of experience and a legacy of leadership to this role. Having joined UC 30 years ago, she established the Intelligent Computer Tutoring Group (ICTG) and has been a global leader in the field of Artificial Intelligence in Education. Her innovative research has focused on intelligent tutoring systems, learning analytics, and student modelling, resulting in over 300 impactful publications. Tanja has also been a driving force in the academic community, serving as President of the International Artificial Intelligence in Education Society (IAIED) and the Asia-Pacific Society for Computers in Education. Her contributions have been recognised with the prestigious Distinguished Researcher Award from the Asia-Pacific Society for Computers in Education. With her extensive leadership experience, including as Associate Dean (Postgraduate), Tanja’s vision and expertise will undoubtedly guide the department to new heights of success and innovation. Congratulations Tanja! We are excited to see her lead the Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering into an inspiring and impactful future. #Leadership #AIinEducation #ComputerScience #SoftwareEngineering #UniversityOfCanterbury #UCEngExcellence #UCLeaders | UC Engineering | University of Canterbury | UC Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering | Yolande Lawrence