Irmine Kabimbi Ngoy
Doctor of Philosophy candidate
Bachelor of Business (Honours) in Marketing
Bachelor of Business in Management & Marketing, Advertising, Retailing and Sales
Certificate in Business
She has always dreamt of a career in business, says Irmine Kabimbi Ngoy who is currently completing a PhD in marketing.
“Since I was a kid, I always wanted to be a businesswoman as I knew that studying business would open many career opportunities for me. I'm now doing my PhD, so I might eventually become a researcher in marketing.”
For her doctoral research, Irmine is exploring the impacts of the kidfluencer industry on child content creators and their welfare.
“The kidfluencer industry is booming but yet there isn't enough marketing research or policies in place on a lucrative system where children are on platforms are teaming up with brands. It’s an interesting topic and it’s much needed, so I wanted to investigate it from a deeper perspective from my honours dissertation.”
Her research is supervised by Dr Crystal Yap, Professor Ben Wooliscroft and Dr Katharine Jones, and she was recently awarded the Beta Gamma Sigma New Zealand Alumni Committee scholarship to support her studies.
Experiencing Asia
One of the many highlights Irmine has had during her time at AUT was the opportunity to participate in the SEACAPE programme; designed to connect New Zealanders with Southeast Asian Nations.
“My friend was a part of the SEACAPE Tertiary Market Immersion Programme last year and told me that I should apply to learn about New Zealand’s relationship with Southeast Asia. I applied and was chosen to experience Jakarta in Indonesia, Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia as well as Singapore alongside 15 other students from universities across New Zealand.
“We interacted with New Zealand and local business and government agencies in three different countries to understand how New Zealanders can emerge themselves in Southeast Asia.”
Irmine also got to spend two days as an intern for Storiiu Sdn Bhd; a highpoint of the programme for her.
“They’re a premium food and beverage distributor, focusing on products that are high in quality and have a great story to tell. Two of the products Storiiu Sdn distributes throughout Malaysia are New Zealand products; Comvita Manuka Honey and SHOTT concentrated fruit syrups. It was great to have the hands-on work experience and witness New Zealand brands integrating into the Malaysian market.”
Advice for other students
Irmine has some great advice for other students.
“AUT allows you to create your own destiny; therefore, as you study, be curious, be flexible and step out of your comfort zone. Learning is power, the more you feed into it the more powerful you become.”
AUT’s overall vibe stands out from other universities, she says.
“I like the approach this university takes to the business programmes; the innovations and the forward-thinking.”
