Welcome from the Head of Department

Electrical and Computer Engineering involves a very wide range of engineering systems, from the smallest ofelectronic circuits made in the world of nanotechnology, to electric power systems and communications networks spanning nations and continents.  Electrical and Computer Engineering is also at the heart oftherecent computer and communications revolutions that have swept the world.

Electrical and computer engineers are involved in developing faster and cheaper ways of sending information from country to country, or ways to manufacture electrical devices on the nanoscopic scale, or methods to design faster and faster computers, or more precise non-invasive medical instruments, or robots that can enter burning buildings and fight fires, or new ways of generating power from renewable energy sources such as the wind, sea or sun. There is no limit to what can be achieved by the right combination of innovative people and resources. The engine that drives orcontrols almost all of these new technologies is the computer. Computers were originally designed by electrical and computer engineers and remain their major tool today. It is what computers are used for that determines their real value to society.

An electrical and computer engineering degree is highly valued by companies in NZ and overseas, and allows you to travel with an internationally recognized qualification. The degree gives you the credentials, flexibility and expertise to move into almost any technical field imaginable. Electrical and computer engineering is a very rewarding career both financially and in terms of overall job satisfaction. Electrical and computer engineers create the new technologies that can revolutionise society and are capable of making life better for people. A number of our former graduates lead major technology companies, combining their excellence in technology with management skills.

The department has specific research and teaching interests that range from digital communications in the air to sonar scanning underwater, to electromagnetic waves in the soil, to imaging of medical and astronomical bodies, to power systems and high voltage arcs, to nanostructures and materials deposition, to computer hardware and embedded systems, to software development and electronic design, to electric cars and rocket systems control.

The key to the success of this diversity in the Department is the cohesiveness of its people. Our academic staff undertake international cutting edge research and provide informed teaching of courses to our students. As a group we are publicly recognized as the best of our kind in the country and one of the star departments of this university.  The academic staff are ably supported by the computing, technical and administrative staff.

We have a computer systems team that operate and maintain our network of up-to-date computing resources, allowing staff and students unparalleled opportunity to advance their knowledge and learning. Our technical team steadfastly runs what many recognise as one of the best organised and equipped laboratory wings of its kind in the world. We have thousands and thousands of pieces of gear that these people look after, make work and have available for our students and academic staff to use. They plan, design, purchase, and make things, as well as participate in research and teaching. They all spend a lot of time helping others do what they need to do. Our administrative team provides all the departmental administrative support. They coordinate undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, organise events and generally remind the rest of us what we need to do when. They look after the MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology and the Electric Power Engineering Centre (EPECentre).

Add to this a number of part-time staff from industry and visitors from overseas and you have a department with an even grander performance. Electrical and Computer Engineering affects your lives every minute of every day. We are very serious about our place in the world and the responsibility that goes with it. The accumulated wisdom and experience and culture in our department underpins the success we have.

You are invited to join us and participate in this success. At any one time, nearly 300 undergrads and up to 100 postgraduates have made that commitment and joined a fraternity that envelops the world. It feels great to be part of the knowledge revolution and to make a difference. Who knows? You might be the one who designs the next big technological phenomenon.

Professor Phil Bones

Head of Department