AI master’s student named as finalist in prestigious international pitch competition

Master of Applied Technologies (Computing) student Manochitra Loganathan has been named as a finalist in Falling Walls Lab Aotearoa, an international pitch competition that challenges students and early-career professionals to present their breakthrough ideas in just three minutes.

Manochitra is one of 22 finalists who will take part in the national Falling Labs final staged by the Royal Society Te Apārangi in Wellington in early August. The event is also supported by the German Embassy in Wellington, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) and EURAXESS Australia & New Zealand.

In a three-minute presentation, participants from a range of disciplines, including agriculture, medicine, economics, engineering, social science and the humanities — will present their research, business model or innovative idea, showcasing a breakthrough that creates a positive impact on science and society.

Manochitra will discuss Breaking the Wall of Bias in AI: A Culturally Aligned Framework for Fairness, an idea developed through her master’s research on improving fairness in AI systems. Her work explores how to make AI more equitable in critical areas like healthcare and employment, while respecting the cultural values of communities in Aotearoa New Zealand. She worked with Stats NZ to ground her project in real-world data.

She will present a paper based on the early findings from her thesis at an IEEE international technology conference in Christchurch in mid-July.

“I’m honoured and excited to share my idea on this national stage,” says Manochitra. “This is more than just a research project; it’s a call to build AI systems that are not only smart but also fair, inclusive, and grounded in the values of our communities.

“I’m deeply grateful to my supervisor, Dr. Hamid Sharifzadeh, for his unwavering guidance, to Stats NZ for granting access to real-world data, and to all those who have supported me on this journey,” she says.

“I’m proud to represent Unitec as a student, sharing work that reflects both what I’ve learned and also what matters to our communities.”

Unitec last had a student in the national final in 2018, when computer science lecturer and doctoral student Maryam Erfanian presented her work on helping improve patients’ communication after a laryngectomy. She was the only finalist from an institute of technology or polytechnic, and although she wasn’t named as a global finalist, her work attracted widespread interest and praise.

Dr Hamid Sharifzadeh, who has supervised both students, says, “Being named as a finalist in such a prestigious competition is an excellent achievement, and a reflection of the calibre of applied research undertaken by our master’s and doctoral students.

“Manochitra’s work on fairness in AI systems highlights the relevance and societal value of the projects our students are tackling. It is fantastic to see her ideas recognised at this level, and it brings well-deserved kudos to both her and Unitec.”

The winner of the national competition will go on to represent Aotearoa New Zealand and the Pacific Island Forum Nations at the Falling Walls Lab Global Finale in Berlin in November. As well as presenting their pitch to the jury, global finalists will have the opportunity to take part in the prestigious Falling Walls Science Summit, where leaders from science, industry, and policy meet and discuss which walls will be the next to fall in science and society.

Falling Walls, set up in 2009, was inspired by the world-changing event of the fall of the Berlin Wall which took place on 9 November, 1989.

For more information on the Master of Applied Technologies (Computing) programme, see here