Takahuri Sustainability Seminar Series

PhD candidates and Master's by Research students whose research aligns with the SDGs can showcase their work to foster discussions and build connections.

The Sustainability Office and the Faculty of Graduate Research co-host the Takahuri Sustainability Seminar Series where PhD and Master's by Research students from across the University can present their sustainability-focused research. Researchers whose studies align with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) can use this opportunity to showcase their work, network and receive feedback.  A clear relation to the SDGs will help us decide which applications are accepted. Presentations will be 15 minutes long with 10 minutes at the end for Q&A. There will be two separate presenters at each session as per the structure below. Presentations will be recorded and uploaded to the University’s website. Each presenter will be awarded a $50 Woolworth's voucher.

Session dates for 2026

Session structure

Application process

All presentation applications must be submitted to the Sustainability Team by completing the Takahuri Sustainability Seminar Series Presentation Application Form.  Please email the Sustainability Team to let us know once you complete and submit the form. In the form, the researcher must highlight which SDG/s their research engages with and how their work is linked to sustainability. Check the application deadline in the table above to ensure you apply in time for your desired session. The Sustainability Team reserves the right to make a final decision on presenter choice based on the research’s perceived alignment with sustainability and the SDGs.

Presentation minimum requirements

A presentation should include the key components outlined below:

1. The presentation should be based on the presenter's PhD or Master's by research work conducted at Te Herenga Waka
2. It should be formal and include a PowerPoint comprising at least four slides.
3. The presenter should be willing to consider and respond to questions at the end of their presentation.
4. Through their presentation, the presenter should make a clear link between their research, sustainability, and the particular SDG/s that their research pertains to.
5. Presenters should accept that their presentations will be recorded and uploaded on to the University website for future reference.

Please email sustainability@vuw.ac.nz if you have any questions regarding presenting for the Sustainability Seminar Series.

Watch past presentations from the Takahuri Sustainability Seminar Series

7 October 2025— Yanxin Liu (Architecture) and Vladislav Ilin (Computer Science)
Yanxin Liu— Investigating the role of urban agriculture in post-disaster food security in Wellington
Vladislav Ilin—Transformation in education (Sustainability in education in the 21st century

4 August 2025— Richard Littauer and Aimmy (Xiyuan) Jiang
Richard Littauer—Open Source Sustainability
Aimmy (Xiyuan) Jiang—Identifying sustainable consumer practices in the metaverse

3 June 2025—Warren Fitzgerald and Imogen Bunting
Warren Fitzgerald—A Systems Analysis of Solid Waste Generation in New Zealand
Imogen Bunting—Rimurimu in hot water: Impacts of marine heatwaves on giant kelp in Aotearoa New Zealand

8 April 2025—Mohammad Zarar Rasheed and Chavakorn Techakesari
Mohammad Zarar Rasheed—A step towards a hydrogen economy: Direct synthesis of titanium-iron alloys for solid-state hydrogen storage from natural ilmenite sand
Chavakorn Techakesari—The shadow arises: When mainstream education cannot fulfill needs

23 October 2024—Bevan Richard Connell
Bevan Richard Connell—Sustaining Safe Spaces: Integrating Bullying Prevention into the Framework of School Sustainability

17 September 2024—Xiaohan Christal Guo and Thidaporn Jumpakate
Xiaohan Christal Guo—Learners’ Motivations and Expectations in Undertaking Interpreter Training in NZ Context and Their Perceived Learning Challenges
Thidaporn Jumpakate—How do tertiary lecturers and multilingual students manage various discourses within Thai English Medium Instruction (EMI) Engineering courses?

16 July 2024—Zuhaib Tayar Mirza and Fernando Solís Fernández
Zuhaib Tayar Mirza—Renewable Energy Development and Sustainability
Fernando Solís Fernández—Optical Sensing in Tokamak Fusion Reactors

14 May 2024—Asmae Rashidi Mohammadi and Cansu Inal Kaynar
Asmae Rashidi Mohammadi—Timber's 'Unsustainable' Life Cycle 
Cansu Inal Kaynar—Adaptive Reuse and Sustainability of Heritage Buildings