AIC Career Expo 2026 brings students, graduates and industry together

AIC Career Expo 2026 brought together 32 companies and industry partners and around 300 Auckland International Campus (AIC) students and graduates at the Aotea Centre on Thursday 8 October. Students and graduates met employers, recruiters and industry professionals face-to-face.

Employability Specialist Nicki Trueman welcomed exhibitors and AIC colleagues and acknowledged the effort that went into bringing the event together. After a karakia and health and safety briefing, Deputy Chief Executive, Operations Mitchell Grant officially opened the Expo. He thanked the participating organisations for giving their time to students and graduates and congratulated the Employability team on delivering the event.

Deputy Chief Executive, Academic Delivery and Research Farhad Mehdipour introduced AIC ThinkLab, AIC’s applied innovation and R&D platform, and spoke about its role in project-based learning and collaboration between academics, students and industry. Through ThinkLab, AIC aims to move beyond one-off collaborations towards ongoing industry partnerships, where the skills and talent in the AIC community help businesses explore and address real-world challenges.

When the doors opened to students and graduates, Employability Manager Dani Mao welcomed attendees and encouraged them to make the most of having so many organisations gathered in one place.

From there, the room came to life. Students moved between exhibitors, introduced themselves, asked about different industries and career pathways, and learned what employers look for in graduates entering the workforce. For some, it was a chance to explore options they had not considered. For others, it was a chance to practise networking and make direct contact with people working in their field.

AIC colleagues and academic staff joined throughout the afternoon, supporting students and talking with industry representatives about future collaboration. Chief Executive Amin Soleimani and Group Chief Operating Officer Sam Alvi also attended and commended the Employability team on the scale of the event and the engagement throughout the afternoon.

Sixty student volunteers and ambassadors supported exhibitors and attendees throughout the event, and industry partners gave positive feedback on their professionalism and support.

Thank you to the AIC Employability team, our participating industry partners, students, graduates, volunteers and colleagues who made the Expo a successful day for the AIC community.