21 Mar 2022
Auckland-based Dr Ashkan Hashemi CMEngNZ CPEng IntPE(NZ) lifts the lid on his role as a Lecturer in Structural and Earthquake Engineering.
Role: Lecturer in Structural and Earthquake Engineering, the University of Auckland; Structural Engineer
Education: Bachelor of Engineering (Hons), Azad University, South Tehran Branch, 2006; Master of Engineering (Structural), University of Tehran, 2009; PhD in Civil Engineering, University of Auckland, 2017
Dr Ashkan Hashemi
I describe my role to non-engineers as…
Someone who tries saving lives, protecting assets, and minimising impact and damage from the next big earthquake.
The part of my job that always surprises people is…
How much a tiny bit of thinking outside of the box can help protect our communities against earthquakes.
The best thing I’ve introduced in my role is…
Developing design tools and methods to help engineers use and adopt resilient seismic solutions that are developed as research. This is called bridging research to practice and is one thing that the academic world lacks. There are always plenty of brilliant ideas developed by researchers but only a few are actually being implemented. My specialty is to make innovative ideas work in real life and I won the prestigious Earthquake Commission (EQC) and the New Zealand Society for Earthquake Engineering Incorporated (NZSEE) Ivan Skinner Award in 2021 in recognition of my research to practice efforts.
In my role, I always challenge…
Myself, my colleagues and my students about the common practice in structural engineering. We as engineers should not be afraid of thinking outside of the box just because others do not.
At work, I’ve never been afraid to…
Challenge, argue and confront when I know something is not right. I always try to be myself even if I am not fitting into the working environment.
In the past year, I’ve pushed boundaries by…
Demonstrating that innovative resilient seismic solutions actually work well and are easy to implement.
I admire engineers who…
Are not afraid to speak up when something is wrong.
At school, teachers always described me as…
Tall, shy guy at the back of the class!
My luckiest break was…
Getting established as a respected engineer.
The bravest thing I’ve done to get where I am today…
To migrate to another country to study for my PhD after a decade of working as a structural engineer.
Best career advice I’ve received…
Be more vocal and always speak up about your ideas. Push boundaries and do not be afraid of mind blocks.
I’d advise other people interested in my type of role to…
Never let anyone define who you are. Never be afraid of not fitting into an environment. Never be afraid or disappointed if you are isolated by your peers. Always reach out to people who you think they can help you. Trust in yourself and pick the right career mentor.
3 things I love about my job:
- Learning new things all the time. Earthquake engineering is a vast field – it’s nearly impossible to run out of things to learn.
- Making it happen. It is nice to see how innovative ideas come to life.
- Teamwork. It Is always nice to be able to work alongside a committed team.
2 reasons why I chose to study engineering:
- My passion for creation. I always intended to make a meaningful contribution to the world.
- To take care of my loved ones and the community.
1 thing I wouldn’t change about my workday:
- Having the opportunity to challenge myself and push the boundaries of engineering and science.
