Hawwa Wifsha

Research Portfolio Lead, University of Auckland
Master of Applied Finance

She is incredibly proud of what she achieved during her time at AUT, says Hawwa Wifsha who came to AUT as an international student from the Maldives to study a Master of Applied Finance.

“I had already spent several years working across different areas of finance before moving to New Zealand, and I think I had reached a point where I wanted to invest in myself again. Moving here with my husband and our two young children was a huge new chapter for all of us. We were building a completely new life together, and for me, it also felt like the right time to think about what I wanted the next stage of my career to look like. The Master of Applied Finance at AUT stood out to me because of what I would actually be learning. It wasn't just about getting a master's qualification. I wanted to spend that year learning something I was genuinely interested in, push myself beyond what I already knew, and come out of it having grown both personally and professionally. Looking back now, that is exactly what the experience gave me.

“I’m proud of what I achieved at AUT. Academically, I received first in course awards in five of the ten courses and placed in the top five in two others. It was especially meaningful to me because I went into the programme simply wanting to do the very best I could, and the results ended up exceeding anything I had expected of myself. One of my proudest achievements was representing AUT in the 2025 McGill International Portfolio Challenge as part of our team, Aurora Capital. We reached the global top 5, competing against teams from 83 universities around the world. Getting that far on an international stage was an incredible experience and something I’ll always be proud of. I was also fortunate to receive an INFINZ Conference Scholarship in 2025, which gave me the opportunity to attend the conference and connect with people across New Zealand's finance industry.”

Another aspect she particularly enjoyed about her studies was being encouraged to apply what she learned, rather than just understanding the theory.

“Many of our assessments were based on real companies and real financial information, where there wasn't necessarily one clear-cut answer. My applied finance project was a great example of this. I completed a full valuation of an NZX-listed company, which meant understanding the business and its industry, analysing its performance, forecasting, building the financial model and ultimately forming my own view of what the company was worth. We also had guest lecturers from different areas of the finance industry throughout the programme. Hearing people talk about their own work, the decisions they make and what is actually happening in the industry helped connect what we were learning to the real world. I think the biggest thing I gained from all of this was confidence in my own judgement.”

Supporting researchers
After graduating from AUT in 2026, Wifsha now enjoys her role as a research portfolio lead for the University of Auckland.

“I get to work on large and complex research programmes, some involving researchers and partners across different countries, so there’s always something happening and no two projects are quite the same. A big part of my work is around the financial side, reporting, compliance and risk management, and I really enjoy having to understand how everything fits together. I like looking ahead, spotting where there could be an issue or a risk, and figuring out what we can do about it early rather than waiting for it to become a problem.”

She enjoys being able to apply what she learned through her studies in her role now.

“I love that I’m using so much of what I learned during my Master of Applied Finance at AUT. Things like analysing financial information, assessing risk, questioning assumptions and making decisions based on the information available are all things I now find myself doing in my day-to-day work. It’s quite nice to look back at things I was learning in class and realise how naturally they’ve become part of the way I work now. And then there’s the process improvement side, which I genuinely love. I’m always looking at how we do things and thinking, ‘There must be an easier way to do this’. I really enjoy taking something complicated or very manual, finding a better way of doing it and then seeing that change actually make someone's work easier.”

Advice for other students
Wifsha’s advice for other students is simple: make the most of your time at university.

“Work hard and take your studies seriously, but also put yourself out there. Apply for the competition, go to the industry event, talk to your lecturers, ask questions and take opportunities even when you're not completely sure you're ready for them. Some of the best things that happened during my time at AUT came simply because I said yes and gave something a go. And don't underestimate yourself. I started my master's degree with no idea of everything that year would eventually bring. I just kept working hard, staying curious and taking the next opportunity that came along. You have such a short time at university, so really make it count.

“I’d also say, find your people. Having the right people around you can make such a difference, not only to what you achieve but to how much you enjoy the journey. Very early on, I found a little group of girls who I ended up spending pretty much the entire year with. We were all ambitious, focused and genuinely wanted to do well, so we naturally pushed and motivated each other. Somewhere between all the assignments and deadlines, they became some of my closest friends.”

She wouldn’t hesitate to recommend AUT to other students.

“My time at AUT gave me much more than I expected when I first enrolled. What made the biggest difference for me was being in an environment where I felt encouraged to aim higher. I had lecturers who didn't just teach me, but recognised my strengths, challenged me and opened doors to opportunities I may not have otherwise considered. If you’re curious, willing to work hard and open to opportunities, there’s so much there for you to make of your experience.”