Global rankings are beginning to reflect what Wellington’s science and tech sector has been building for years. With Victoria University of Wellington now ranked in the top 50 universities for Artificial Intelligence globally, Dragonfly Data Science is already seeing how that academic strength is translating into real-world capability.
Victoria University’s rise into the global top 50 for AI as according to Shanghai Ranking marks a significant leap for the institution, which typically sits in the 400–500 band in overall global university rankings. By comparison, the University of Auckland ranks between 200–300 for AI.
For Dragonfly Director Dr Finlay Thompson, the impact is tangible.
“Graduates coming out of VUW’s Centre for Data Science and AI are some of the most work-ready we’ve ever seen,” Finlay says.
“We’re always willing to invest in those entering the workforce for the first time, but students are now stepping into these specialist industry roles and contributing at a high level from day one.”
From global rankings to real-world impact
This Shanghai Ranking places Wellington alongside leading AI education centres in Singapore, China, the United States and the United Kingdom, and the effect is already being felt within the capital’s science and technology sector.
Dragonfly recently hired Dr Zoey Sun, a graduate of VUW’s Centre for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence, who is now contributing to the company’s MBIE-funded collaboration with NASA, a three-year programme developing advanced tools to model New Zealand’s forest canopy structure using satellite, airborne, and AI-driven data.
Having moved from Shandong, China to Wellington specifically for her PhD, Zoey was drawn to the capital’s applied and practical approach to artificial intelligence.
“A large factor in choosing Wellington as a place to study - and the place I want to build my career - came down to the wide range of opportunities in real-world industrial applications of AI,” she says.
“At Dragonfly, I’m developing deep-learning models for forestry - predicting canopy height, tree segmentation, and species classification. It’s a perfect fit. The work is closely aligned with my PhD, and it feels meaningful.”
Strengthening local capability
New Zealand’s much-discussed ‘brain drain’ has made hiring in advanced science and AI roles increasingly competitive. Thompson says the university’s growing strength in AI education is helping shift that dynamic.
“Often for these roles you have to look offshore for expertise. These rankings show we have that talent right here in Wellington, and I expect the benefits to continue flowing into the local workforce.”
For a city long known for public service and creativity, Wellington’s emergence as an AI education and innovation centre signals a broader evolution; one already shaping high-impact scientific work both locally and internationally.
Read more:
- The Post media coverage: Victoria University breaks global top 50 artificial intelligence.
- BusinessDesk media coverage: Vic Uni opens up AI’s inner workings.