Tin Nguyen

Why did you decide to come to UC?

I was a teacher in Vietnam and wanted to continue my career in academics in New Zealand. I found UC to be very strong in research. My supervisors, Professor Ekant Veer and Professor Paul Ballantine, are world-leading experts in their fields. UC’s Human Interface Technology Lab and new Digital Screen campus are quite related to my research topic, so I saw great opportunity for collaboration across departments.

What do you like about your academic programme at UC? 

What stands out most to me is the self-study aspect. There’s no course we’re required to attend, so provides a lot of flexibility and autonomy, but at the same time you must be self-disciplined and self-motivated. The ability to self-learn is the first quality a researcher needs, and this environment is training you to be an independent scholar.

Are there any support services that you found particularly helpful? 

The Academic Skills Centre has a service that will review your thesis and provide feedback and suggestions to help you improve. They highlighted things I didn’t realise were problems before, but now I will never make that mistake again. And the inter-loan support in the library is great. I need to access lots of documents and research, and they can get me any request in a timely manner. It’s incredibly helpful.

How do you find life at UC?   

I feel very included as an international student. People at UC are very kind, and they’re patient with me as a non-native English speaker. The UCSA and other clubs organise lots of events, which are great opportunities to network and meet new friends. It pulls me out of my little research bubble.

I love the international days, they’re the most interesting events with dancing, singing, food, and more.

What benefits does having a part-time job provide? 

I’m working at the Assistive Technology team at UC, supporting students with apps that can transcribe lectures and take notes to help them be better self-learners. It aligns with my research and career direction, so it’s really building on what I want to do.

I went to one of the sessions as a student and found it really helpful for me personally, so I asked if there was an opportunity to help them out. It lets me give back to the University in the way that it helped me.

Would you recommend UC to other international students? 

Yes, I would. Life at UC, in Christchurch, and in New Zealand in general will cater to all your needs. If you love to travel and enjoy nature, it’s the best place to do that. If you want to experience culture – both Kiwi culture and international cultures – all in one place, you can do that here. If you want to make strong connections and participate in community activities, UC is a great place to be.