Annisa Hasanah
Hailing from Indonesia, Annisa was motivated to choose the University of Auckland for the tailored programmes that combine multidisciplinary learning with industry needs. She is completing a PhD in Civil Engineering with financial support from the Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment's Resilience to Nature's Challenge Scholarship.
“The university offers world-class facilities for research and a supportive environment for international students." Annisa values her engineering programme for its strong quantitative aspects. "But what I value the most from that is how the courses strongly encourage us to communicate numbers in a simpler manner to reach a broader audience and communities without compromising accuracy."
She appreciates the open and welcoming nature of lecturers, who are always ready to discuss both research and non-research topics, and the supportive staff. "I am supervised by someone who’s more like a lifetime mentor for me in my career, study, and life, so it boosts my academic experience and journey."
Annisa's research focuses on the challenges faced by ageing horizontal infrastructure, such as road networks, water, and power networks, amidst climate change and natural hazards. "We have to be adaptive and think smartly to come up with investment solutions to maintain our infrastructure in its good condition while also ensuring the resilience of the infrastructure system."
"I become the best version of me, so far, after experience life in New Zealand. I feel like I am in a place where I truly belong, both as an aspiring academic and a person living her best life." Annisa also describes O-Week as vibrant and festive, filled with activities and opportunities to meet new people. "There are many freebies too and it's a good event to meet people!"