Wasseela Verachia

When Wasseela Verachia applied for the Commonwealth Scholarship to complete her PhD abroad, the choice to come to the University of Otago was an easy one, she says. As a microbiology graduate specialising in food science, she knew that Otago offered New Zealand’s only fully autonomous Food Science department, and one with international renown as a research environment.

“The experience has been fantastic,” she says. “When I came over I didn’t know anyone here, but the University has been really supportive of me as an international student, from giving answers to any questions I’ve had, to putting on social events which have helped me to meet other students.”

And her work is likely to be very useful for New Zealand. For her doctoral thesis, Wasseela is working with a team of Otago scientists studying New Zealand’s native kina. Kina is an endemic species of sea urchin that has long been prized as a food source by Mäori, and Wasseela believes it has the potential to become a commercial force to be reckoned with.

“We are working to improve the properties of the local kina to bring them up to export standard,” she explains. “There is a lot of money to be made in the US market, for example. We are also looking at ways to harvest them more sustainably, so that they aren’t being fished all year round.”

It has been a rewarding experience, she says. “What I’m really excited about is doing research which can make a difference in the real world. A lot of scientific research is not applied and can end up being just another book on the shelf. What we’re doing directly affects the fishing industry. It’s great to think that people can take our research and implement its findings and make it work for them.”

It is also an experience she recommends to other prospective international students. “Some people are afraid of coming to a new country. They are afraid they might not fit in or that the culture shock will be too much. What I can say is that I’ve found it to be a very positive experience and I’d definitely recommend to other people that they give it a try.”