PhD in Science and Technology Education | Former Associate Professor & Director, AppLab, AUT | Founder, MappLab Limited | Programme Lead, Master of Technological Futures, academyEX

Claudio Aguayo is Programme Lead for the Master of Technological Futures at academyEX, where he leads curriculum, teaching, applied research and the ongoing shape of the programme itself.

His background crosses biology, cognitive science, education and human-computer interaction, a mix that has let him work across AI, XR and digital innovation for over two decades, often in fields that didn't yet have established frameworks. As Associate Professor and Director of AUT's AppLab, he led a team of over 20 designers, developers and researchers through AI, XR and mixed reality projects years ahead of most institutions. He holds a PhD in Science and Technology Education from the University of Waikato and a BSc (Hons) in Biology from Universidad de Chile, with an extensive interdisciplinary research record spanning peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, conference publications, reports and exhibitions.

He now runs MappLab, his own reality-capture and digital-twin venture, alongside virtual-patient simulation work as a Senior Research Fellow at the New Zealand College of Chiropractic, and continues to supervise PhD students across human-computer interaction and technology-enhanced learning.

Claudio's research and teaching span technological futures, AI, spatial computing, enactive cognition and human-centred digital design. The throughline: technology only earns its place once it becomes relevant to the people learning with it.

"The real challenge," Claudio says, "will be helping people think critically, learn continuously and shape change responsibly."

Dr. Claudio Aguayo

Programme Lead - Master of Technological Futures