Christian Camilo Lopez M.
Home country: Colombia
Programme: PhD in Mathematics Education
Scholarship: Colfuturo University of Auckland PhD Fees Bursary
What motivated you to choose the University of Auckland for your studies?
“The university is one of the most prestigious in New Zealand and the world. They provide outstanding teaching and research opportunities through their global networks and industry connections.”
What aspects of your programme do you enjoy most or value most?
“It is specific to mathematics education, and I can learn from great researchers in a field I love. I have also had the opportunity to meet other researchers from the statistics department who are always willing to discuss academic topics and my ideas.”
What can you say about your experience as an international student so far?
“In my programme, there are other international students from different countries, which allows me to learn about different cultures and perspectives on mathematics education in New Zealand and other countries.”
What do you enjoy most about living in Auckland?
“Living in Auckland is terrific – I feel at home. The people are friendly to foreigners, and the country is very inclusive.”
I am very grateful to the university, my supervisors, lecturers, and classmates for helping and supporting me in making my dreams come true.
What is something you tried for the first time since arriving?
“Living in Auckland, I have had the opportunity to explore Asian cuisine. I have tasted food from Malaysia, South Korea, Vietnam and other Asian countries. For now, my favourite is Korean.”
What has been the biggest change since you transitioned to study here?
"I have been studying English for many years but have never done university study in English. The transition has been a process."
Have you had any unique experiences at the University or New Zealand?
“Last year, I was invited to host a workshop for teachers on learning probability. This was a great experience because I could share and chat with teachers from different parts of New Zealand and learn about their experiences.
I have not met many Latin Americans living in Auckland, but this allowed me to meet people from other countries and learn about their cultures.”
Can you tell us briefly about the work you do.
“I worked with the Great Potentials Foundation as a tutor with year-13 students last year. It was so great to meet and interact with local students. It was a very enriching experience to learn a bit more about their culture and teach maths. Some of them were even interested in learning Spanish.”
Tell us what your research is about, and why you chose this field.
"My research aims to investigate probability learning at the university level. I am implementing a sequence of activities based on paradoxes in probability, such as Monty Hall and Bertrand’s box paradoxes, to examine how students’ discourses on conditional probability and Bayes’ theorem develop when working on paradox-based activities in a technologically rich environment."
What are your plans for your career or further study and how do you think can your degree help take you there?
“I envision myself contributing to different projects or being a postdoctoral researcher. I also want to work as a teacher. It would be ideal to contribute to improving the quality of education in statistics and probability, and contribute to the community of mathematics educators in my country, NZ, and elsewhere in the world."
How important was your scholarship in helping you achieve your dreams?
“The scholarship was one of the most crucial aspects to study at the University of Auckland. I could not have done it without the support of the university, my supervisors, and Colfuturo.”