4 Jun 2026
Take five with Josh Ferguson, Chair of the Student Committee and third year civil engineering student at the University of Canterbury. Find out what inspired him to pursue engineering, what challenge he believes engineers should be tackling right now and what he gets up to in his downtime.
Photo: supplied
Name: Josh Ferguson
Course details: Third year (Second pro) Civil Engineering
Organisation: University of Canterbury
Location: Ōtautahi Christchurch
Favourite chip flavour: Copper Kettle Wood Fired BBQ
What's your Engineering Envy?
Chinese megaprojects. There’s a reason some of the world’s largest structures are in China – the sheer amount of people! From standing at the top of the Shanghai Tower, to trying to fit the entire Three Gorges Dam into my camera, it’s hard to comprehend the audacious scale. My first-ever international trip was to China last year which was an eye-opening experience!
What first sparked your interest in engineering?
Scrambling up and down a steep hill in the back of Havelock North, covered in mud. We were building an elevated boardwalk that scaled the side of the hill. It was too steep to use an auger, so we used hydro excavation to dig the six-metre-deep holes instead. The timber poles we installed were so long that they needed to be selected from trees that were still standing! I was always impressed by the scale, but when the consulting engineer arrived on site to check our progress, I realised that’s what I wanted to be. I’ve always loved getting my hands dirty, but I was drawn to the details and technical subtleties required to bring something to life from nothing. From that moment back in 2021, I’ve been on a journey to put myself in that position ever since.
What's the biggest lesson you've learned so far?
I’ve learnt that you don’t learn anything from planning. You only learn by doing. As a detail-oriented perfectionist, I get bitten by this one all the time. The law of diminishing returns is at play here, where it’s easy to get swept up in trying to make something perfect. I’ve learnt that it’s incredibly rare for something to go 100% to plan. So, if you shift your mindset to “actually, this is enough, let’s try it,” you can refine your idea along the way. Through testing or peer review, you may find a fundamental flaw in your design/idea that wasn’t previously considered. And you won’t know until you try it.
What engineering discipline do you want to specialise in – and why?
If you haven’t gathered already, it’s always been structures. No matter how far I look back, I’ve always loved building things. While it took me a while to realise this, I have an undeniable passion to get there. There’s something about forming and arranging natural materials in a way that creates space for life to thrive, while also looking great. Standing back and admiring the physical thing you created is incredibly fulfilling. I believe a good structural engineer is one who doesn’t need an architect to make something look great. I aspire to leave my mark on this world through the structures I bring to life.
What challenge do engineers need to solve right now?
AI is a great tool, and I can see it complementing any engineer’s role. Think of it like when the calculator was invented, there would have been a huge shift in engineering culture. Long and arduous hand calculations, now performed in a matter of seconds. I bet engineers of the time would have experienced some uncertainty about their roles. The current problem isn’t AI, but senior engineers thinking they can replace interns or grads with AI. Unfortunately, this type of short-term thinking will result in a gap in quality engineers. Senior engineers must recognise this and take proactive steps to safeguard the development of future talent.
What do you do when you're not studying or working?
Outside of university, I spend a lot of time running. Back in 2020, I sustained a massive knee injury that required a full ACL reconstruction. The entire 18-month recovery journey taught me resilience, discipline and how to go through hardship. Now, I push physical and mental boundaries through ultra-running, and I love the challenge. Through this journey, I’ve had the pleasure of raising money for Movember on several occasions. In fact, fostering strong mental health has become such an integral part of my life that I founded 6 Thirty Sundays Run Club, a community designed to boost mental health for young people. We meet at 6:30am every Sunday for a 40-minute run down the beach. Through winter, I fill up hot water bottles for everyone who’s game enough to swim after the run. While this means I need to wake up even earlier on a Sunday, I get a lot of fulfilment out of it. Since it began in February 2025, the 6TS community has grown significantly. We’ve had the joy of collaborating with several major fitness brands so far, and I’m excited to see continued growth. Who knows what the future holds!
Photo: Josh attempting his first 100km ultra marathon. Credit: Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team
What's something we'd be surprised to learn about you?
Funnily enough, when I left high school, I had no idea what an engineer was! In fact, I was on the trajectory to becoming a commercial airline pilot. This journey began at 15 when I started flying gliders out of the Hawke's Bay and Waipukurau Gliding Club. I could fly a plane solo before I was allowed to drive on the road! When I left high school and started working, I spent all my money on power flying and working toward my private pilot licence. I didn’t quite finish my PPL, but my favourite gliding spot would have to be Omarama. Nestled in the Mackenzie Basin, Omarama offers some of the best gliding conditions in the world. If you ever have the opportunity, I couldn’t recommend it enough!
