Alumni Business Scholarships

31 March, 2021

These scholarships will support the recipients to develop a more comprehensive commercial skillset to wrap around their existing scientific capabilities, with the aim of enhancing New Zealand’s deep tech commercial portfolio over time.

Four scholarships have been awarded for study in 2021.

Anna Farquhar

Anna Farquhar completed her PhD at the University of Canterbury and now works as a Senior Scientist in the R&D team at Aeroqual in Auckland as an electrochemist, focusing on electrochemical gas sensors, and ensuring their reliability in monitoring air pollution.

Anna will be starting a Master of Business Development at the University of Auckland in March. She intends to gain skills in business, product management and leadership to help develop New Zealand’s reputation in the global air quality industry.

 
Stephen Lo

Prior to completing his PhD in Chemistry at the University of Auckland, Stephen Lo had partially completed a Postgraduate Diploma of Bioscience Enterprise. The MacDiarmid Institute Business Scholarship will allow him to complete this programme, which had always been a goal of his.

After the Postgraduate Diploma at the University of Auckland, Stephen intends to go further and also complete the Master of Bioscience Enterprise. Stephen is really looking forward to developing the knowledge and skills required to bring valuable products from scientific research towards the commercial space, an area of work that is particularly exciting to Stephen.

 Udbhav Ojha

After completing his PhD in condensed matter and materials physics at Victoria University of Wellington, Udbhav Ojha joined the financial technology services provider firm FNZ where he currently work as a senior analyst developer in the software development team.

The MacDiarmid Institute Business scholarship will enable Udbhav to undertake a Postgraduate Certificate in Business Administration, at Victoria University of Wellington to develop skills in business accounting and finance that he plans to incorporate in his work from a fintech product development standpoint.

Davoud Zare

Davoud Zare completed his PhD at Victoria University of Wellington. He is currently working as a research scientist/engineer at Fonterra research and development centre in Palmerston North. The need for innovation in today’s business environment and his ambition to commercialize academic knowledge motivated him to apply for this scholarship.

Davoud will be undertaking a Postgraduate Certificate in Business Administration with a specialisation in Technology Commercialisation at the University of Auckland to further develop his managerial abilities and business acumen and unify it with his existing scientific skillset.