Imran Abdul Careem

Imran Abdul Careem has lived a truly international life. A Singapore citizen of Sri Lankan descent, Imran spent his childhood in Dubai, before exploring undergraduate studies in the UK.

After a decade in the workforce in Singapore, he was keen to build on skills already acquired throughout his tech career and gain some new interdisciplinary skills.

After “a lot of research”, choosing to pursue postgraduate studies at the University of Waikato was a no-brainer. Imran says, “The Master of Information Technology at Waikato clearly stood out from the rest”.

At Waikato, he was able to complement his core studies with papers in management and urban spatial analysis.

“I wanted to understand the thinking behind things so I could create more thoughtful solutions and use my time and resources more efficiently,” he explains.

My combination of papers wasn’t part of the usual offering, but the University was supportive of my goals.

Studying in one of New Zealand’s fastest-growing tech hubs provided additional opportunities to broaden his skills and build industry connections.

“There’s so much potential in the tech sector here,” he says, though he notes that success in the New Zealand industry requires adaptability.

“You can’t say that you’re strictly going to do one thing,” he explains. “You’ve got to be ready for whatever gets thrown your way.”

Now part of the workforce in his “dream role” as a Senior Platform Specialist at Mercury Energy, Imran is optimistic about what lies ahead.

“As cultural immigrants, we’d like to set our roots somewhere. I want to make Hamilton a home for me and my family.”