Dr Mark Billinghurst

Dr Mark Billinghurst, director of the Human Interface Technology Laboratory New Zealand (HIT Lab NZ) based at Canterbury University, has been recognised as a world class New Zealander.

Dr Billinghurst was one of seven high-achieving Kiwis recognised at The World Class New Zealand Awards in Auckland last night. Dr Billinghurst won the award for information and communications technology.

The WCNZ Awards were established by New Zealand Trade and Enterprise in 2003 to recognise successful world-class New Zealanders who generously give their time, knowledge and skills to help New Zealand companies and industries succeed internationally.

Dr Billinghurst said the credit for the award should go to the staff and students of the HIT Lab NZ “who are the world class New Zealanders of tomorrow”.

"It is a great honour to be chosen for this award. I would like to accept it on behalf of the staff and students of the HIT Lab NZ. Achieving great things is easy when you are surrounded by great people and I'm lucky to have some truly exceptional people working together. I'm looking forward to seeing how this great group of people will transform New Zealand in the future."

Also honoured was Canterbury alumnus Brent Hanson, former chief executive officer of MTV Europe. Mr Hanson won the creative industries award.

The Supreme Award was won by Professor Alan MacDiarmid of the University of Pennsylvania. Professor MacDiarmid is New Zealand 's only living Nobel Prize laureate and a leading researcher in the electrical conductivity of plastics.

Other category winners were; Ken Stevens, CEO Glidepath (Manufacturing); Simon Moroney, CEO MorphoSys AG (Biotechnology); Peter Gluckman, Founding Director of the Liggins Institute, University of Auckland (Research, Science, Technology and Academia); and Chris Liddell, CFO, Microsoft (Finance, Investment & Business Services).

Each winner was presented with a bronze “Tall Poppy” award designed by Richard Taylor and made in the Weta workshop in Wellington. The award depicts a stem-like human figure reaching up to carry the weight of a blossoming poppy.

For further information please contact:
Jeanette Colman
Communications Manager
University of Canterbury
Tel: +64-3-364 2260
Fax: +64-3-364 2679
jeanette.colman@canterbury.ac.nz