Innovation, creativity, and community came together at the Capstone Showcase and Whānau Day Celebration for the graduating cohorts of the Bachelor of Computing Systems and New Zealand Diploma Information Systems in B183 on Thursday.
They were joined by their families, lecturers and kaimahi from the wider Unitec whānau who came to celebrate the hard work and achievements of our graduating students..
Close to forty ākonga split into eleven teams presented the projects they’ve developed this semester — spanning cybersecurity, web development, AI, automation and database systems.
Families, visitors and kaimahi got the chance to explore a variety of cutting-edge student projects. They were then asked to vote for their favourite capstone and diploma projects. The winners of the public vote were announced at the end of the event.
Team School Hive App won the best Capstone Project award for the website marketplace they developed and coded for the south Auckland-based Community Builders NZ Trust.
St Albert’s Hospital were the winning team for the Level 5 Diploma.
Students also grabbed the chance to network with sponsors and industry professionals.
Capstone Coordinator and Senior Lecturer Masoud Shakiba says the purpose of Whānau Day is to promote the students’ capabilities and showcase their skills.
Computing, Electrical and Applied Technology Head of School Susan Bennett says “it’s such a wonderful event. To be able to share what they’ve done with their whānau, and friends is a great way to celebrate and acknowledge what they’ve achieved.”
“For the degree students, this is the final piece of work for them and they’ll go out and use it as a showcase for employment. For the diploma students, it’s also their final piece and if they continue into the degree, it’s an opportunity for them to see what the degree students have been working on as well.”
Reflecting on a successful year full of student and staff achievements, Ms Bennett says she is very proud of her school.
“Seeing the work that our team does, being innovative, and increasing opportunities for our learners, we have had a wonderful year.”
“Our school is totally student-centred. What sits behind all the success is really good work. We have constant contact with industry, particularly with the capstone projects. Our students get to work in the industry and with communities. It’s getting them out and mixing and creating networks which sets them up for the future.
Four of the Computing Capstone Project teams will be representing Unitec at the Disrupt Go Bear – Vibe: Coding, Startup & Tech Opportunities being held at GridAKL/John Lysaght in Auckland CBD on Friday, 21 November.
These are Team ADH Sandbox (Aditya Wadhwa, Daiwik Sanil, Himani Walia), Team Omega (Harinder Singh, Param Singh), QAK 404 (Quinton Gillanders, Arishay Reddy, Krijesh Karki) and Capstone Impossible (Daksh Karki, Khushal Navle).
This industry networking event is a Capstone Showcase also featuring students from AUT and University of Auckland.
