Deborah Kakis

Deborah, from the beautiful country of Papua New Guinea, is studying towards a Master of Science in Statistics.

“It is an honour to be a recipient of the New Zealand Scholarship and I feel truly blessed. I am a mathematics educator and wanted to do postgraduate study in an applied maths discipline. High international tuition fees had always been a barrier for me to access quality higher education outside of my country, but the scholarship has enabled me to overcome that barrier to achieve my academic and career goals.

“The teaching staff at the University of Auckland are world class and some of the best in their fields of expertise. I feel so lucky to have studied under them. The next time I see a book on the shelf with one of my lecturer’s name on it, I will proudly say, ‘I have met and learnt from this great mind’. The quality of learning materials, the lecturers, the assistance and support we have available at the University are second to none.”

The teaching staff at the University of Auckland are world class and some of the best in their fields of expertise. I feel so lucky to have studied under them. The quality of learning materials, the lecturers, the assistance and support we have available at the University are second to none.

“In 2018 I took part in the Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship’s Idea Bootcamp, where our group’s venture idea made it into the top five. It was an incredible experience to work with like-minded, highly innovative people. I learned a lot about entrepreneurship and start-ups in those two weeks.

“My research, under the guidance of my wonderful supervisor Dr Claudia Rivera-Rodriguez, looks at developing a novel statistical model that can be used to estimate the impact of intervention programmes on combatting antimicrobial resistance. This is useful for regions with limited funding to estimate the outcome of an intervention programme, which can help inform policy and planning for large-scale initiatives.

“I have a burning desire to pursue a PhD after this in biostatistics, medical statistics and health research. I see the huge potential a statistician can bring to the table to inform good quality health research. Being able to see how my research could contribute to improving health and epidemiological research in the future excites me.

“This scholarship will change your life in so many ways, you will not regret it. Research well what you’d like to pursue in your studies and just go for it.”