our objective
About US
The centre’s primary goal is to advance fundamental knowledge in machine learning and data analytics to address the most challenging and pressing health, environmental, and societal problems for the benefit of our society. We understand that machine learning (ML) can help, but it’s not a silver bullet: tackling these questions requires a concerted transdisciplinary effort across all sectors of society from the onset of a project.
ML has shown its potential, but machine learning needs to advance to tackle the breadth and scope of these large-scale problems. The centre will be a catalyst for new collaborations and feed into university and faculty level centres, non-profit, government, non-governmental organisations, and our community to allow them to leverage ML expertise specific to Aotearoa context. This requires a deep understanding of current state-of-the-art ML algorithms, their limitations, and their applicability in different domains, particularly with respect to ethical and cultural safety.
The Centre will create impact in several ways:
Developing new high-quality research
affecting social change, including changing policies and processes.
What we Do
Research Engagement Process
The nature of transdisciplinary collaboration leads to the continued navigation of shared challenges around ethics, safety, infrastructure, competing priorities, leadership, and capability. The way the challenges are addressed is paramount to the research and societal uptake, benefit, and success of the projects this centre undertakes.
Our Approach
To produce socially relevant knowledge and hence pursue transdisciplinary research, it is desirable for researchers and scientists to decide together with the iwi, community, and the general public on what kind of research should be carried out and the interactions involved. We believe that a genuine, authentic partnership between researchers and stakeholders is a force-multiplier for solutions to real-world problems.
Who we are
Our People
Directors
Prof. Yun Sing Koh
Computer Science
Prof. Gillian Dobbie
Computer Science
Dr. Daniel Wilson
Computer Science
Faculty MEMBERS
- Dr. Jingfeng zhang (Computer Science)
- Dr. Danielle Lottridge (Computer Science)
- Prof. Sarah Cullum (Medical Psychological Medicine
- Dr. Vanessa Selak (Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics)
- Prof. Susan Morton (Social and Community Health)
- Prof. Jim Warren (Computer Science)
- Dr. Caroline Walker (Medical and Health Science)
- Dr. Miao Qiao (Computer Science)
- Prof. Roberto Armellin (Mechanical Engineering)
- Dr. Diana Benavides Prado (Computer Sciences)
- Dr. Ivana Sequeira (Biological Sciences)
- Prof. Naresh Singhal (Civil and Environmental Engineering)
- Dr. Katarzyna Sila-Nowicka (School of Environment)
The Advisory Group
- Dr. Todd Nicholson (Chair of the Advisory Group). Todd is a Data Scientist and Founder of Nicholson Consulting. He specializes in developing operational algorithms for automated decision making in the government and private sector. He developed more operational algorithms currently in use by the New Zealand government than any other individual.
- Prof. Vipin Kumar (Regents Professor at the University of Minnesota, where he holds the William Norris Endowed Chair in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, US). Kumar served as the Lead PI of a 5-year, $10 Million project, “Understanding Climate Change – A Data Driven Approach”, funded by the NSF’s Expeditions in Computing program that is aimed at pushing the boundaries of computer science research.
- Dr. Aparna Taneja (Google Research). Taneja has been with Google since 2015. She is a researcher with the AI for social good team in Google Research India. Her current research focus is to drive innovation in AI to achieve real world social impact. Her team collaborates with NGOs in public health, conservation and agriculture. One of our ongoing collaborations is with the NGO called ARMMAN with the mission to improve maternal and child health outcomes in underserved communities of India.
- Mr. Luke Spencer. (Strategic growth of digital technologies for UniServices) Luke is an experienced Embedded System Engineer with a demonstrated history of working in the industrial automation industry. Skilled in Embedded Systems, and Industrial Mobile Applications, and project management. Strong engineering professional with a Bachelor of Engineering(Hons) focused in Electronics and Computer Systems Engineering from University of Auckland.
- Dan Te Whenua Walker (Ngāti Ruanui). Dan is the Global Co-Chair of Indigenous at Microsoft, Deputy Chair of NZ Māori Tourism, Pou Tuarā of Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Ruanui, Director of the Centre for Social Impact, and Chair of Whānau Mārama Parenting Charity and a variety of community trustee roles around Auckland, New Zealand.
Project Manager
- Olivier Graffeuille
Media Manager
- Bowen Chen