Shanaka Dilshan Delgoda Liyanage
Project Engineer, PowerCore Electrical & Control Engineers
Master of Engineering with Honours (First Class)
Building a complete benchtop pH regulation system as part of his research was a highlight for him, says Shanaka Dilshan Delgoda Liyanage who came to AUT as an international student from Sri Lanka.
“The most substantial practical element of my time at AUT was my research project; designing and building a benchtop pH regulation system to implement and test advanced control theory on a nonlinear process. pH is a notoriously difficult process to control because it behaves nonlinearly across its range, and the research was directly relevant to real industrial applications, particularly in water treatment and waste recycling. That real-world relevance made it more than just an academic exercise – I was solving a problem that actually exists in industry.
“The practical depth of the project was significant. I wasn't just running simulations; I designed custom PCB hardware, fabricated the physical structure using the faculty lab, and integrated the system with MATLAB and Simulink for real-time data acquisition and hardware-in-the-loop testing. Going through that full cycle from theory through circuit design, fabrication, programming and live testing gave me a much stronger understanding of how control theory translates into real hardware behaviour, which is something you can't get from textbooks alone.”
He says this practical experience was exactly why he chose to come to AUT for postgraduate study.
“I had strong practical experience, but I wanted to understand the engineering principles at a deeper level, particularly in control theory and system modelling. The master's degree gave me the chance to do that. I chose AUT specifically because it felt like the right fit for someone coming from industry. And honestly, Auckland made sense as a base to establish myself in New Zealand, build local connections and begin transitioning into the New Zealand engineering industry. Being back in an academic environment gave me access to professors and industry experts who think about control engineering at a level I hadn't been exposed to before. Those conversations pushed my thinking beyond what I could have developed on my own.”
A rewarding engineering career
Since graduating from AUT in mid-2025, Shanaka now works as a project engineer for Auckland-based PowerCore Electrical & Control Engineers and is a member of Engineering New Zealand.
“We provide end-to-end electrical, automation and control services for residential, commercial and industrial clients across Auckland. In my role, I’m responsible for programming control systems for HVAC applications.”
He says his studies prepared him well for his career now.
“AUT prepared me for the unpredictable reality of commissioning and troubleshooting systems on site. In the classroom, equations are clean, but in real-world HVAC control applications, environmental variables and hardware constraints complicate things. AUT's hands-on lab structures trained me not just to follow a formula, but to approach complex logic problems methodically, isolate variables and systematically find engineering solutions.”
Advice for other students
Shanaka – who is proud of receiving a Dean’s Award for Excellence in Postgraduate Study – has some great advice for other students who are only at the start of their own university journey.
“My advice is to choose postgraduate study that aligns directly with your professional field and then commit to mastering it, not just completing it.”
He also shares some insights related to a career in engineering.
“BMS and control systems in the construction industry are a growing and fast-developing area of the New Zealand economy, and job opportunities in this space are increasing steadily. Beyond construction, control engineers have strong prospects across a wide range of industries such as automation, manufacturing, water infrastructure, food and beverage, and more. It’s a field worth investing in.”
