 Ega mana, ega reo, ega hou e fa, tena koutu, tena koutu, tena koutu katoa. Pro-Chancellor, Vice-Chancellor, special guests, graduands, whanauan supporters. As Chancellor of the University of Auckland, I extend a warm welcome to you all on behalf of council members and staff of the university. This is a meeting of the Council of the University of Auckland at which the Vice-Chancellor and I will award diplomas and confer degrees in the Faculty of Business and Economics. Graduation is a time for celebrating success. Today, you will experience the pomp and tradition of this ancient ceremony and the recognition befitting your success on your well-deserved day of celebration. Like your family and friends gathered here, we are very proud of all your achievements and look forward to your lifelong involvement as members of the University of Auckland family. Of course, graduation represents more than just the day of celebration. Your qualification from this university will have a lifetime impact on you, on your family and the community at large. We know that, compared to those whose formal education ends in high school, graduates have lower unemployment rates, higher salaries, better career prospects and better health outcomes. Universities New Zealand has estimated that the lifetime benefits of earning a degree are valued at between $1 million and $4 million. Your university experience and the qualifications gained at university will thus add real value to your lives and to the lives of those around you. The fact that our university can add value in these ways reflects the abilities and achievements of our staff and students. In the Faculty of Business and Economics, we have seen several notable achievements in the last year. The Jeff Witcher was named one of only 18 recipients globally of the inaugural 2016 Rhodes Trust Inspirational Educator Award. Professor Prasanna Guy was awarded a member of the Advisory Scientific Committee of the Systemic Risk Board of the European Community. The board itself comprises the central bank governors of Europe and the UK. Professor Kevin Lowe was awarded the Decade Award by the Journal of International Business for the most influential research article published by the Journal in the previous 10 years. He was also named a Fellow of the Southern Management Association of the United States of America. And accounting and finance, information systems and operations management, economics, commercial law and management and international business were the highest ranked subjects in their respective fields in New Zealand in the 2016 QS subject rankings. We can rightfully be proud of these achievements. In my view, to ensure that we can continue to achieve successes like these and to enhance our contribution to future generations of graduates and to our nation, the university must do three things. First, we need to attract students of high academic potential and give them an outstanding academic and extracurricular experience. In this respect, I believe we're doing very well. The proportion of students entering the university with a high grade point average is growing each year and we produce outstanding graduates just like you. Second, we need to attract, develop and retain outstanding staff. This we are doing is illustrated by the achievements I've just read to you. Many of our staff are world leaders in their fields and you will have been privileged to learn from and work with them. So it's no coincidence that in the QS world ranking of university subjects, the University of Auckland came top in 35 of the 40 ranked subjects and we don't even teach two of them. And third, we need to create the kind of academic environment and facilities that support and encourage excellence. To this end, the university has been investing heavily in its campus renewal programme so as to ensure that we do provide facilities of genuine international quality. Many of you will graduate today with the first qualification and you will be rightly proud of this achievement. However, I also want you to reflect on the ongoing learning opportunities and the wide range of postgraduate options available to you at this university. You must never rest on your laurels in a challenging and ever-changing world, but rather be prepared to embrace change and new technology and make the most of the opportunities presented to you. Although it may seem a daunting prospect right now, further study and learning is inevitable for us all as the world changes around us at an ever-accelerating pace. Whatever path you follow, I urge you as the alumni of New Zealand's leading university to never forget your alma mater, your university. We rely on our graduates for support, moral, political and financial. But today is your day with the focus firmly on your achievement. At this ceremony, we honour your success along with the support of your family, whanau and others who have sustained you through your studies. I congratulate you and trust that you will long cherish the memories of your graduation today. It's my privilege to introduce our opening speaker, Peter Cullenane, the founder and chief executive of Lewis Road Creamery, one of the fastest growing food businesses in New Zealand. In alumnus of our business school, Peter has combined his business acumen with his strong desire to eat top quality New Zealand-made butter and dairy products and has come up with a winning formula. Lewis Road Creamery Silverfoil Wrapped Butter and Flavoured Milk is now a feature in many supermarkets and food specialty stores. And there's no stopping the very successful company which Peter started making butter at his kitchen bench. Peter holds Master's Degrees in Business Administration and Management and is a member of both the New Zealand Advertising and Marketing Halls of Fame. His previous business experience includes his role as Sachi and Sachi's Worldwide Chief Operating Officer. Upon his return to New Zealand, he founded the Assignment Group, which has developed some of the country's most iconic brands. Among his many activities, Peter is the Director of the Marketing Communications Services Group, WPP AU NZ Limited, and the media companies APN News and Media Ltd and NZMe Ltd. He's also a trustee for the charity Kiwis for Kiwi. It's my pleasure, Peter, to welcome you here today to address us. Chancellor, Vice-Chancellor, members of the council, members of the university, families and friends of the graduands, and most especially you, the graduands. I know that this is a moment you've been waiting for, not actually this moment, but the moment after this moment. I was asked to provide some brief words of wisdom to you today. That necessarily means that the speech will be pretty short. Today is a momentous day. Your degree is solid proof of your intelligence and some indicator at least of your diligence. It confers a well-deserved status because you've earned it from one of the great universities. It's a wonderful and valuable start to your working life. But don't take that as mean that you have to throw away the lessons of youth. Quite the opposite. You should treasure them. Today hasn't made you suddenly older or more responsible. You've got all the time in the world for that. Protect your youthful enthusiasm, your optimism, and your inquiring mind. Stay youthful in mind and body until you begin to slow down, maybe in your 80s. You know, from here on in, it's your diligence and persistence that will set you apart. Allow me to quote US President Calvin Coolidge on the subject. It's a great quote, I think. Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not. Nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not. Unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not. The world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan press on has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race. And perhaps I might quote my rather simpler motto, which is this, where there's a will, there's a way. It's how I judge my actions and my excuses, and it's how I judge others. Put it another way. There's nothing stopping you. Because truly, if you can imagine it, you can do it. It's just a matter of how much you want it. So get ready to work hard and to work smart. You have to believe in yourself. Not in a sort of a vain way, but with an inner strength of belief and a depth of purpose. Remain a realistic optimist. In all my years, I've never met a successful cynic. So I suggest you avoid them. Surround yourself instead with people who will help lift your head up and look to the future. And yes, you'll occasionally stumble, make a mistake that seems insurmountable, unforgivable, career-ending at the time. Winston Churchill, to my mind perhaps, the most fascinating human being ever to walk the halls of power, said, when you're going through hell, keep going. Frankly, if you're not making mistakes, you're just not trying hard enough. I really do believe that judgement is critical, knowing what is right and what is wrong, what can be fixed and what is best left alone. And judgement can be learnt. Make sure you do learn it. Your future career path will be like never before. My father left straight from the farm here and flew Lancaster Bomber aircraft in World War II across the skies of Germany. He came back and flew for Air New Zealand for the rest of his career. So one job, one company. Thankfully, he loved his work. A generation later, I spend almost the entirety of my career in advertising and made a huge switch to starting a brand of goods company just four years ago. For you, however, it's going to be an entirely different story. It's estimated that today's graduates are likely to have 25 jobs in five different industries. So learn to embrace change. Welcome it. Never let yourself get stuck in a rut. Each to their own, I suppose, but be careful not to trade off the excitement of challenge for the dullness of security. And it's so important that you do what's right for you. Like most of us, you probably grew up wanting to please others. You might even have done a degree that was expected of you rather than one that you might have chosen for yourself. See your graduation, I think, is a beginning, not an end. Now it's your time. Choose to work at things that really excite you. As I read recently, think about your work as not things you've got to do, but things you get to do. The future is so exciting if you have a mix of brains, imagination and diligence. The old rule books no longer apply and the new ones are out of date before they're written. Businesses no longer built on bricks and mortar or stainless steel. We've got enough of that already, I think. The opportunity is to build and be part of imaginative processes that are created from scratch in the digital world. Here the barriers to entry are low, not just for tech firms, for any new business, be it clothing, food, medicine, anything. Because they can be established in the blink of an eye and with a handful of dollars. And because it is a digital world, you as digital natives have a head start. You know how to operate in this world. And what will make it work is hard work. Because while it's easy for you to create something new, it's just as easy for the person standing to the left and the right of you. So hard work is the thing that will separate you. What does success look like? Well, I guess to many of you given your degrees, money can be assumed to be a major yardstick of your success. Both how you judge yourself and others judge you. But comparison is the thief of joy. There will always be people both more and less successful than you when judged on material possessions. I really believe that you should run your own race and I suggest that the best definition of success is a life led to the fall. A life in which you've made most of the opportunities and talents in front of you. Financial perhaps, but also friends, families, sports interests and generosity of spirit. And call me old fashioned, conducted with good manners. The oil that keeps the social machine lubricated. Keep your life multi-dimensional. Be able to look at yourself in the mirror and think, I've made the most of what I've got. I wonder if this speech will be short on my accumulated wisdom, but let me finish with this. Today of all days is a hugely well earned recognition of what you've done and what those around you, your family, friends and your educators have helped you achieve. Celebrate to the max, be thankful for and acknowledge the help and support you've received. Be joyous and confident as you leave here today, knowing that there's a wonderful future out there waiting for you. Just grab it in both arms and make the most of it. To finish with Sir Winston Churchill again, live dangerously, take things as they come. Dreadnought all will be well. So, all the very best to you. We're really proud of you. Begin as you mean to continue and go out and make great things happen. But right now, celebrate. So again, congratulations and all the very best. Thank you, Peter, for a most insightful and challenging speech. Would you please join with me in thanking Peter once again? This is a meeting of council in Convocation of the University at which the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Stuart McCutcheon and I will be conferring degrees and awarding diplomas. I invite the Vice-Chancellor to award the diplomas and confer the degrees in the first half of this ceremony. By the authority vested in me by a resolution of the University of Auckland Council, I, Stuart McCutcheon, Vice-Chancellor, award the diplomas and confer the degrees stated upon those who, within the faculty of business and economics, have satisfied the requirements of this university. I call upon the Associate Dean of Academic Programs, Mrs Sue Lawrenceon, to present graduands in that faculty. Chancellor, as Associate Dean, I have the honour of presenting to you the students qualified for the award of a diploma or conferment of a degree in the Faculty of Business and Economics. Graduates Diploma in Commerce. Ji Hyun Lee. To the degree of Bachelor of Business in Information Management. Simon Batula. Nikil Kumar. Janita Mahesh Sena-Niyaki. To the degree of Bachelor of Commerce. Pablo Renhan Akunia Chandia. Mahamad Razik Asfar-Zada. Gloria Arlen. Mary James Alcock. Isa Alcuderi. Debika Amrita Lingam. Blake Rodney Anderson. Vas Posveta Vinson Eofia. Yvani Apana. John Anthony Asteriadas. Daniela Albelinda Hernandez. Steven Peersbeck. Aratana Benjamin. Ruth Manish Kumar Bhatt. Kamal Shreem Vadisi. Jessica Maxwell Bertwistle. Stephanie Melissa Blucha. Jurara Tbunparasat. Mitchell Vincent Kenneth Boga. Jamie Michelle Bowman. Georgia Kay Boyle. James David Boyle. Jeremy Terence Brosnan. Cameron Wayne Brown. Philippa Clare Harkness Brown. Caitlin Elizabeth Rose Butcher. Anna Katrina Pangilinan-Kalugi. Katoa Kao. Zeb Wachan. Nikita Kumari Chan. Vanita Chandra. Katrina Lindley-Charlston. Jin Yu Chen. Jin Ying Chen. Hong Wang Chen. Samuel Ting. Ethan Chai. Kit Chiu. Hai Ren Chou. Rebecca Letisha Chan. Ze Ling Tracey Chua. Dalin Howen Konsecio. Nicholas Andrew Cornwall. Callum Hugh Courtney. Samuel John Crookes. William Thomas Cullen. Daniel Evan Culpin. Charlotte Rose Currick. Joshua Andrew Davies. Chloe Mikayla Davie. Luca Ding. Mumu Ding. Fong Dangdol. Isabel Ria Duncan. Corey Patrick Anthony Edie. Gloria Monique Beverly-Eston. Diana Elisiva. Nishma Emill. Heewon Yun. Courtney Rachel Evans. Chan Jiang-Fang. Georgia Tui Faram. Trikanao Petatotatil Faiz-Fahan. Sipili Nyu Kojana-Miniya-Leffo-Fo-Moina. Elizabeth Kenusi-Winona-Lei-Foot. Veronica Jane Franklin. Chey Kwangan. Leu-Jingan. Jay Debregadna. Benjamin Yanjko. Nen Gong. Siyu Gong. Himani Guma. Suraj Vipo Govan. Bansri Govan. Lucinda Jane Grief. Hailongu. Paola Jorell Mehos Gorantono. Michael James Gush. Ji-Wong Hang. Ji-Yao Hang. Yu-Chin Hang. Harry Bray Hanham. Mamoko Harada. Rai-Tai Bahavia. Bryce Douglas Hare. Ja-Wen Ho. Rai-Roa Nairi Heather. Neil David Herron. Logan Sean Heslop. Matthew Bryce Hicks. Dominique Philadelphia Hills. Jacqueline Wing-Tung Ho. Allison Florence Hobbs. Benchman James Horn. Gawing Huang. Yi Huang. Yong-Jun Huang. Ji-Min Huang. Jessica Winona Hudson. Yo-Jun Huang. Dana Ibrahim. Esha Kelwood Ingram. Neil Akash Jadav. Yu-Ji. Wang-Ji. Ji-Kun Jiang. Mu-Ji Jiang. Jessica Ann Jones. Gerald Edward Jones. Nathan Stephen Carpac. Sean Rick Core. Lorena Sirithon Kennedy. Priscilla Khan. Vishal Khanna. Eugene Jingu Koo. Linda Koo. Grace Kim. Michelle Minjian Kim. Minji Kim. Su Yong Kim. Hannah Louise Kitching. Ye-Kong. Dong-Kiun Koo. Lina Mozo-Krisil. Ji-Yun Koo. Mai-Ashna Kuma. Kwan-Ci Sing. Nina Luck. Alexandria Tzera Li. Jin-Wu Li. Du-Yong Li. Ji-Ho Wei Lin. Rachel Wei Li. Wu-Jai Li. Yan-Wa Li. Yang-Rong Li. Yan-Tung Kerry Li. Yu-Ni Li. Wei-Min Liang. Tarina Jane So-Wau Blidgard. Ran-Chen Yu-Lien. Li-Chuan Lin. Lin Xiaotong. Shi-Wan Lin. Ran-Cha-Si-O-O-C Lin-Borg. Shan-Juan Liu. Hoa Lu. Jason Liu. Ja-Win Liu. Liu-Dian Liu. Liu-Dia-Chung. Yi-Jai Liu. Yi-Juan Liu. Yu-Jin-Ka-Sing Liu. Hao Liu. Lo-Lien-Giao. Sophie Lai. Chai Ma. Ji Ma. Annalise Mary McKenzie. Shamal Krish Maharaj. Rupesh Mangawai. Matthew Phillip Minyan. Olivia Ann McLean. Jack Samuel McGuire. Shandola Malaka-Medagogda. Tanya Mukulov. Kieran Alexander Merriman. Na Miao. Chin-Chem Miao. Evan James Mitchell. Mohamed Zulfika Mohamed Alias. Anse Halika Muisiva. Logan Thomas Moore. Sarah Abigail Mullins. Harry Quentin Munrow. Ashlyn Ashika Nair. Nagas Nazif. Chi Kei Ng. Roosevelt Ng May Wu. Xin Jia Ng. Claire Haig Jin Nya. Wulum Nogroho. Xiong Jiu O. Chi Hiro Okamoto. Elliot P. Olson. King Yu Joshua Ong. Tessa Dennis O'Reilly. Wai Chi Wu. Senwom Park. Hester Parkes. Rene Rancana-Pama. Jignesh Jagdish Patel. Pranesh Dhillon Patel. Pritesh Patel. Rochika Ben Patel. Aidan Andrew Patterson. Alvaro Ondre Pesca Gomez. Andrew Phillip Patterson. Jiang Tupam. Rebecca Louise Phillips. Roman Proskuriakov. Pranesh Prasad. Navek Braža. Vishant Kashi Ram. Lina Rana. Robert James Ratrae. Siki Ren. Gareth Noel Rimwick. Luke John Ravel. James Alexander Ringwood. Paul Neville Rook. Javier Rook. Ruben Perry Rusco. Shoki Saga. Erika Vansheska. Vasque Salvador. Tara Kate Sargent. Genevieve Hueso. Meredith Lee Scandrett. Suman Segal. Miliama Seneca. Ji Yong Su. Frenjo Anthony Soreo. Riley Elizabeth Sewell. Nazreen Banu Sheik. Dipali Shama. Riti Shama. Alastair James Sheard. Kate Elizabeth Sherwood. Joshua Wei Unchong. Joshua Wei Shu. Zanghi Sim. Carissa Delicia Simon. Matthew James Simpson. Setanjali Shivdita Singh. Vishal Vijay Singh. John Foster Skelton. Matthew Terry Skelton Price. Hazel Melanie Smith. Rachel Reed Smith. Visi Henry Jamison Soakai. Aki Masa Sogabi. Matthew Raymond Keria Sokolic. Freyane Sopari. Max Spence Aspires. Alexander Richard Luke Alan Stancliffe. Shelton Stanley. James Hemnry Stepping. Matthew Anthony Toslin Streaton. Yun Sun. Keita Joshua Suzuki. Anna Sveridova. Vincent Wasing Tai. Setafano Kod Talamai. Vail Masters. Chi-Un Ta. Dimun Tan. Dimun Tan. Shayna Tan. Harrison David Taylor. Kacin Te. Xiong Tiang. Tamara Lorraine. Rene Tielo. Thank you, Vice-Chancellor, for conferring the degrees and awarding the diplomas in the first half of the ceremony. One of the great pleasures of graduation is the opportunity to hear performances by students from our acclaimed School of Music. Manasai Latu on Vocal, accompanied by Clare Corble on Piano, will now perform Venomon Mabiena Mi by Eduardo Lado. I've left the stage but I'll say thank you anyway. Thank you, Manasai and Clare for that delightful performance. By the authority vested in me by resolution of the University of Auckland Council, I, Ian Parton, Chancellor, award the diplomas and confer the degrees stated upon those who, within the Faculty of Business and Economics, have satisfied the requirements of this university. I now call upon the Dean of the Faculty of Business and Economics, Professor Greg Wittred, to present further graduands in the Faculty. To the degree of Bachelor of Commerce, Roma Laetitia-Timpson, Hadley Nathan Tunicliffe, Michael Glenn Turner, Natalie Elizabeth Turton, Ryan James Turton, John Luke Tynan, Hung Nam Mary Won, Andrew Xi Ming Won, Bi Ying Won, Jia Meng Won, Jing Yi Won, Xing Chen Won, Yao Won, Yi Tao Won, Yi Yun Won, Zi Yi Tong Won, Chao Wei, Chiu Chun Wei, Ting An Wei, Wen Kai Wei, Ada Fanua Yeita Witzel, and Rose Whittington, Rebecca Jane Willcox, Charlotte Rose Wills, Jesse Tumuah Wilson, Yvonne Lamuah Wilson, Cameron Michael Weinfeld, Kevin Wong, Lisa Hao Min Wu, Ji Hang Wu, Tian Yu Xiang, Kevin Xu, Tian Yi Yan, Hao Ting Yang, Shi Yu Yao, Wan Wan Yao, Yong Bik Ting, Sao Man Yu, Xin Zhao Li, Hanyu Zhang, Yin Nan Zhao, Zhang Lin, Lu Zhao, Xiao Di Zhao, Jiaxing Jing, Jing Xiaozhu, Pung Chiang Zhou, Xu Ying Zhou, Ping Da Zhu, to the degree of Bachelor of Property, Edmund Zien Boon, Shui Dan Feng, Yu Han Pan, Liam John Fibbs, Shi Qing Shen, Matthew Sean Topham, Saskia Christina Williams, to the degree of Bachelor of Commerce Conjoint, Kazna Marie Anderson, and a Bachelor of Arts, Kendall Charlotte Blanch-Espin, and a Bachelor of Arts, Michael Adam Bezwick, and a Bachelor of Arts, Sir Griekashika Chand, Peter Sunjai Chang, and a Bachelor of Arts, G.J. Chen, and a Bachelor of Science, Yu Jun Chen, and a Bachelor of Arts, Abraham Elwyn Corbyn, and a Bachelor of Arts, Sophie Jasmine Day, and a Bachelor of Arts, Maria Liza Bereigadela Cruz, and a Bachelor of Science, Denise De Sa, and a Bachelor of Science, Ian Samuel Hattrick-Smith, and a Bachelor of Science, Thomas James Lomas Hill, and a Bachelor of Arts, Chu Nan Hu, and a Bachelor of Engineering Honours with Second Class Honours Second Division in Mechatronics Engineering, Ji Cheng Huang, and a Bachelor of Science, Julian Terence Iosea, and a Bachelor of Science, Kate Moira Johnston, and a Bachelor of Arts, and a Bachelor of Property, Cassandra Juist, and a Bachelor of Arts, Supreet Khur, and a Bachelor of Arts, Liam Peter Kelly, and a Bachelor of Property, Katerina Elizabeth Kettle, and a Bachelor of Science, Rachel Courtney King, and a Bachelor of Arts, Abhay Lamber, and a Bachelor of Arts, Frankie Jia Yu Li, and a Bachelor of Arts, Joe Ying Liang, and a Bachelor of Arts, just in case you missed that, Joe Ying Liang, and a Bachelor of Arts, Anna Lim, and a Bachelor of Science, Michael Jonathan Lovegrove, and a Bachelor of Science, Holly Kathleen Matheson, and a Bachelor of Arts, Stephanie Lucy Duncan McCallum, and a Bachelor of Property, Benjamin Irwin Newmayer, and a Bachelor of Arts, Chen Kwong Ong, and a Bachelor of Science, Kiran Grahamon Almrodd, and a Bachelor of Arts, Ha Young Park, and a Bachelor of Arts, Callum James Phillips, and a Bachelor of Science, Anastasia Lucy Ramsey, and a Bachelor of Science, Andrew Paul Renford, and a Bachelor of Science, Sarah Courtney Stensnes Rutledge, and a Bachelor of Laws, Rian Shikashama, and a Bachelor of Arts, Sarah Musgan Sirazi, and a Bachelor of Arts, Lisa Sume, and a Bachelor of Arts, Kevin Tanzil, and a Bachelor of Arts, Jennifer Leah Tate, and a Bachelor of Arts, Lisa Marie Tate, and a Bachelor of Science, Stephanie Kate Tiplady, Stephanie Mae Nguyen Tau, and a Bachelor of Arts, Natasha Marie Vink, and a Bachelor of Science, Ryan David Waddingham, and a Bachelor of Health Sciences, Stephanie Delise White, and a Bachelor of Arts, Scott Andrew Kwok Jun Wong, and a Bachelor of Arts, Scott James Ryan Wong, and a Bachelor of Science, Iliana Lin Yi Xu, and a Bachelor of Arts, Shindi Jung, and a Bachelor of Science, Christina Danling Zhu, and a Bachelor of Arts, Yelena Zidof, and a Bachelor of Arts, to the degree of Bachelor of Property Conjoint, Ashley Rosina Baird, and a Bachelor of Commerce, Monica Baggerath, and a Bachelor of Commerce, Thomas Henry Bishop, and a Bachelor of Commerce, Michael Elliott Harmon, and a Bachelor of Commerce, Janice Wing Nam Leung, and a Bachelor of Commerce, James Panu John Rarier, and a Bachelor of Commerce, Daniel Richard Taylor, and a Bachelor of Commerce, James Samuel McLean Wallace, and a Bachelor of Commerce, Ming Chenyu, and a Bachelor of Commerce, Postgraduate Diploma in Business, Sarah Elizabeth Bulkley, in Administration, Rebecca Ann Collier-York, in Administration, Richard John Donaldson, in Administration, Jacqueline Louise Downey, in Administration, Steele Gibson, in Administration, Brett Philip Hampson, in Administration, Cameron Burdett Harvey, in Administration, Sean Michael Hickey, in Administration, Maura Bernadette Lennehan, in Administration, Ronald Lumentana, in Administration, Catherine Ann Marinass, in Administration, Amy Chloe Munro, in Health Management, Rush D. Newe, in Administration, Gregory Ian Parker, in Administration, Maximil Shatovic Sid-Dukov, in Administration, and a Bachelor of Commerce, Honours, with First Class Honours, Jordan Michael Aitkins, in Information Systems, Emma Catherine Beecham, in International Business, Murong Sui, in Accounting, Zach Wood, Kyle Ryan London in Accounting, to the Degree of Bachelor of Commerce, Honours, with Second Class Honours, First Division, Susan Shu-Ming Chan in Marketing, James Robert George Helford, in Management, and a Bachelor of Commerce Conjoint, with Bachelor of Arts, Jia Ming Hao in Finance, Solon Lim in Economics, and a Bachelor of Commerce. Solon Lim in Economics, and a Bachelor of Commerce, Elaine Victoria Soakai in International Business, and a Bachelor of Commerce, to the Degree of Bachelor of Commerce, Honours, with Second Class Honours, Second Division, Kriya Shadadi in Information Systems, to the Degree of Master of Commerce, with First Class Honours, Yi He in Operations and Supply Chain Management, Yi Chen Li in Information Systems, Zhen Li in Information Systems, Savendra Michael in Economics, Lu Yang in Operations and Supply Chain Management, to the Degree of Master of Commerce, with Second Class Honours, First Division, Nicholas Joe Fong in Management, Zachary David Howell in Information Systems, Bing Koon Dhu in Operations and Supply Chain Management, to the Degree of Master of Commerce, with Second Class Honours, Second Division, Chao Luo in Management, Sarah Mae Malcolm in Management, to the Degree of Master of Commercialisation and Entrepreneurship, Aaron Maurice Croft, to the Degree of Master of International Business and Run, Mikhail Mikhailovic Holov, Nguyen Thi Noc Duyun, Rufinda Ezna Putri, Yu Yan Zhong, to the Degree of Master of Management, Yi Ping Chen, Akshay Abhay Deshpand, Yun Song Fang, Akshay Gay, Jihe Huan Ho, Zi Mu Hu, Yuan Zhou Huang, Lina Jaffa, Kin Ho Leong, Ji Hong Li, Jing Li, Wen Zi Li, Lu Heng Lin, Qing Liu, Ying Liu, Yu Zhen Liu, Wei Pang, Onjira Pranakorn, Zi Xuanchu, Shi Nan Tang, Shi Ying Wang, Jian Yang, Xiao Lu Yao, Bavan Rajaraman, Jing Yi Jiang, Shi Hui Jiang, Ji Jiang, to the Degree of Master of Professional Accounting, Kevin Jonathan Ciputra, Alexandra Jiojiva, Kalola Justin Halfano, Zhou Yi Kok, Jeffrey Chia Lin, Liu Chuan Kui, Xiao Lu Ma, So Narita, Lisa Wungun Ng, Pan Jia Li, Pham Mai Nguyen, Jeremiah Samuel Slade, Vinnie Stephanie, Yu Chen Su, Xiao Chen Sun, Dara Thria Aung Si Touch, Cheng Wang, Wang Xinting, Yu Huan Xu, Yan Shi, Shui Ru Zhao. I look upon the Vice-Chancellor to present the doctoral graduands. Chancellor, I have the honour of presenting to you, the doctoral graduands. To the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy, Faisal Abdul-Mozan, a al-qahanti in finance. Faisal investigated whether Islamic banks outperformed conventional banks during economic shocks. He found that while Islamic banks performed better in the early stages of the global financial crisis, they performed worse in later stages with the real economic downturn. Thus, while Islamic banks may have avoided the consequences of more volatile financial instruments, they were not immune in the face of a major economic shock. Faisal. Leila Itaati in Information Systems. Leila designed and implemented adaptive tourist recommendation models, conceptual frameworks, system frameworks, architecture and application to address the key needs of travellers. The proposed artefacts are integrated, collaborative, holistic and adaptive to travel information, contexts, processes and perspectives. University Doctoral Scholar Marko Oegster in finance. Marko conducted three studies examining investment decision-making processes. The first study investigated factors influencing the decision by New Zealand households to participate in the stock market. The second study examined how social interaction is related to risk-taking by retail investors. And the third analysed the trading decisions of short-sellers before important announcements in the drug development process. Eli Sanay, Manu, Evadne, Catrion, Quintella, Sancia, Fafida in marketing. Eli Sanay examined the role of self-construal resistance to tobacco smoking of Tongan and New Zealand European female nonsmokers and how their resistance was maintained over time. Her findings contribute to public policy makers, marketing practitioners and academics understandings of ways to prevent smoking initiation and contributes to the New Zealand Government's efforts to reduce smoking prevalence to less than 5% by 2025. G. Yuan, Lau and Accounting. G investigated whether firms in Japan with higher audit quality and lower accounting flexibility are more likely to report fewer negative earnings surprises arising from their forecasts. He found that firms with higher audit quality and lower accounting flexibility are indeed more likely to report fewer negative earnings surprises by adjusting their earnings expectations downwards. University Doctoral Scholar Jamie Ashton Youth in Management. Jamie's research empirically and theoretically explored how innovation happens in social entrepreneurship including the constraining and enabling influences of context. It was based on a long-term ethnographic investigation of an international non-governmental organisation. The research is relevant to entrepreneurs, policymakers, academics and other stakeholders who have an interest in innovative approaches to addressing today's social and environmental problems. Jamie. Cecikula Palutaya Cecifa in Management. Cecikula examined the project management practices used in development projects implemented in Tonga. She looked at projects governed by donor agencies such as NZ aid and the Asian Development Bank and found that management practices must be informed by the cultural values and traditions of the social context to produce effective development outcomes for Pacific Island economies. University Doctoral Scholar Yuki Eric Tong in Economics. Eric's thesis shows how US monetary policy is the critical force influencing both the default risk of banks in other countries and so-called distressed fire sales by asset managers. The ensuring deterioration of financial collateral held on the balance sheets of banks and financial market participants has had a profound impact on the high unemployment experienced by many advanced economies since the global financial crisis. Alan Richard Toy in Accounting. Alan investigated privacy auditing through interviews with auditors, analysis of audit reports and analysis of information privacy laws and policy documents. His thesis has contributed to policy regarding privacy auditing criteria and the regulation of auditing as changes to technology pose greater challenges to the information privacy rights of citizens. Sokka Toy in Marketing. Sokka examined the nature of awkward service experiences in particular identifying how these encounters emerged. The psychological processes consumers went through and the subsequent negative impacts on service firms. Using samples from both New Zealand and the United States, her research not only offers novel insights about this phenomenon but further clarifies its relationship to embarrassment. University Doctoral Scholar Tuan Zhou in Operations and Supply Chain Management. Tuan looked at the exploration problem in the National Medical Reserve held for an emergency response and focused on two alternatives to rotate the reserve products to operational use and to donate to underdeveloped areas using dynamic programming, simulation and game theoretical approaches. And in absentia, all those other persons named in the official record qualified for the confirmant of a degree or the award of a diploma. Teaching Excellence Awards. The university places considerable significance on excellence in teaching. It recognises this by making awards each year to teachers who have demonstrated excellence in aspects of teaching. These awards are contestable across the university and signify a truly superior achievement. An award for Innovation and Teaching has been made to Dr Smith in the Department of Management and International Business within the Faculty of Business and Economics. I call upon a student of that faculty, Jessica Crue Brown, to read the citation for Dr Smith. Today I am thrilled to present to you, Peter Smith, to acknowledge his commitment to teaching excellence. In a variety of courses which Peter facilitates, he commits himself to delivering quality by bridging the gap between academic theory and traditional reality. The courses which he teaches stand out as being some of the most stimulating and useful subjects as they facilitate real-world experiences. In these simulated real-world environments, Peter creates opportunities for students to think and inquire as they make their way through uncertainty and complexity. Courses with the greatest learnings come from those with the greatest challenges but we only often realise this with retrospection, perhaps for the future to nurtures. The majority of his courses are self-directed learnings as in what you put in is what you get out. He teaches in a way that makes you participate not because you have to but because you want to by bringing fun and competition to the classroom. In a number of classes, colleagues of Peter have commented on his excellence in what he does for both the university and the community. This speaks volumes to who Peter is as a person. Bringing out the best in his students and teaching capabilities, Peter propels his students to excellence. When a teacher believes in the ability of his students, the ability becomes a reality. We start achieving because we realise our true potential. Peter is always smiling and his positivity is contagious. His doors always open and you can always count on him for conversation and guidance provided he is not out having a run. So I speak for both past and present students when I say, Peter, keep doing what you're doing and teaching what you teach because I believe you exemplify teaching excellence. We are now nearing the end of this graduation ceremony. On behalf of the university, I invite all today's graduates to stand and receive the congratulations of us all. And while you are standing, this would be a great opportunity for the graduates to show their appreciation to the boarders and the staff of the university who have helped them as they achieve their qualifications. Thank you. This concludes this meeting of council in Convocation of the University for the Confirmative Degrees and the Award of Diplomas. I now invite you all to sing the first verse of God Defend New Zealand in Māori, then in English. The words are printed on the reverse of your programme.