Program Overview

Master of Engineering by Thesis

The Master of Engineering by thesis at PaihauRobinson Research Institute is a one-year degree where students develop a range of key industry-ready engineering skills while pursuing their own individually tailored research project.

Program Overview

A Master's project at PaihauRobinson Research Institute prepares students for industry with practical skills in cutting-edge research areas. The program is designed for students who hold an undergraduate Honours degree in Physics, Materials Science, or Engineering and are keen to develop practical engineering skills for a career in a high-value manufacturing industry.

Project Areas

Each Master's project is set within one of the core research areas, including:

• Electrifying large-scale transport with superconducting magnets
• Superconducting magnets for space applications
• High-temperature materials processing
• Magnetic materials for sensors

Projects could include modelling and experimental testing of prototype ultra-high temperature furnaces, novel designs for high-current superconducting bus-bars, and testing of space propulsion thrusters.

Research Areas

The Robinson Research Institute has several research areas, including:

• Superconductivity
  • Freeing machines from friction
  • Using magnet excitation to supply current
  • Superconductor Roebel cable
  • Made-to-measure magnets
  • Protecting superconductor magnets
  • Superconductors in space
• Electromagnetics
  • Making MRI more accessible
  • The SuperCurrent machine
  • Testing superconductor wires
  • High-field magnets
• Material science
  • Room-temperature superconductors
  • Electron microscopy
  • Magnetic fields for fault detection
  • Spectroscopy
  • Magnetic composites
  • Growing single crystals
  • Spintronic devices
  • Tailor made magnetic sensors
  • Zero-CO metals
• Space research
  • Applications and projects
    • Heki Mission
    • Applications
  • Space facilities
  • Team
• Quantum technologies
  • Cryogenic memory
  • Projects
  • Quantum Technologies Aotearoa
  • Team
• Robotics
  • Projects
    • Navigating the future
    • Tip-over stability
  • Robotics @ Robinson
  • Our team
• Case studies
  • MRI for the rest of the world
  • The SuperCurrent machine
  • A superconducting transformer
  • Electrifying the aviation sector

Facilities and Services

The institute offers various facilities and services, including:

• Testing superconductor wires
• Electron microscopy
  • Hitachi SU7000
  • Hitachi SU3800
  • Portable TM4000Plus
• Growing single crystals
• Supercurrent facility

Students

The program has a range of students, including:

• PhD students
  • Anne-Helene Puichaud
  • Max Fisser
  • Ratu Mataira
• Master of Engineering by thesis students
  • Dylan Guja
  • Martin Markwitz
• Project interns
  • Lachlan Clelland
  • Avinash Rao
• International students
  • Hae-Jin Sung
  • Sebastian Hellmann
  • Wenjuan Song
• Summer research assistants
  • Logan Morgan Ward
  • Sophie Banks

Scholarships

The institute offers several scholarships, including:

• 3D fluorescent optical memory for long-term data storage
  • Supervisor: Dr Shen Chong
• Comprehensive analysis of transformer-HTS interaction for precise flux pump design
  • Supervisor: Dr Adam Francis
• ME by thesis fees scholarship
  • Available twice yearly for February and July cohorts
  • Some projects may have an additional stipend scholarship available