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  • Diplomas recognised by Chinese authorities

    Vice Minister of Education Dr Hao Ping and Secretary for Education Peter Hughes signed the Arrangement on Mutual Recognition of Academic Degrees in Higher Education between the Government of New Zealand and the Government of the People’s Republic of China at the 8th Joint Working Group on Education and Training. 

    The Arrangement, first signed in 2002, was updated and re-signed to take into account the range of changes  to the New Zealand Qualifications Framework and related settings that have occurred since 2002.

    In a new move, two and three year diplomas from New Zealand were also added to the list of qualifications officially recognised by Chinese authorities.

    The changes will see greater recognition of academic qualifications between New Zealand and China, making it easier for students to further their studies in either country.

    “This increases New Zealand’s attractiveness at a study destination and expands opportunities for New Zealanders looking to study in China,” said Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Minister Steven Joyce when announcing the signing.

    When Chinese students return to China after their studies, they get their foreign qualifications verified by the China Service Center for Scholarly Exchange (CSCSE). The updates to the Arrangement ensure that a greater number of students receive the appropriate recognition, enabling them to gain official comparability of their qualifications within the Chinese system. 

  • $50,000 sister schools programme launched

    The fund, announced by Chief Executive Grant McPherson during the 8th New Zealand-China Joint Working Group on Education and Training, aims to support schools’ relationships with Chinese counterparts.

    The $50,000 fund will be accessible through a contestable application process for New Zealand schools. It will enable new sister school relationships to be developed and existing relationships to be strengthened.

    Cultivating relationships in sister regions and cities between China and New Zealand will be a priority.

    “New Zealand and China recognise the important role that language and culture plays in developing globally aware citizens,” ENZ's Regional Director – Greater China Alexandra Grace said.

    “The relationships New Zealand primary, intermediate and secondary schools nationwide have with fellow Chinese schools are a valued source of learning opportunities, cross-cultural skills development and friendship between our two countries.”

    Since 2005, the total number of students learning Chinese language in New Zealand schools increased five-fold from 4,733 to 22,031, with particularly strong growth at primary and intermediate level.

    The number of Chinese international school students studying in New Zealand has also increased, growing by 11 percent in 2013. 

    Applications from clusters of schools are encouraged. Further information on the criteria and application process will be published at a later date through E-News. 

  • Eighth Education Joint Working Group meeting held

    The Chinese delegation was led by Vice Minister of Education Dr Hao Ping. He was accompanied by senior officials from China’s Ministry of Education, the China Scholarship Council (CSC) and the China Education Association for International Exchange (CEAIE). 

    Before the JWG, Vice Minister Hao and his delegation called on Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Minister Steven Joyce, where a range of issues of mutual interest were discussed.

    The JWG is the formal mechanism under which discussions take place between government officials on the bilateral education and training relationship. Established in 2002 – and the first such consultations between China and any foreign country – these meetings provide the opportunity to take stock of what has been achieved and to chart a strategic course for the future.

    “The importance of having such periodic and “formal” consultations can’t really be overstated”, says ENZ's Regional Director – Greater China Alexandra Grace. 

    “Between JWGs there is of course regular interaction, both at ministerial and officials’ level, but the JWG process brings with it its own kind of discipline.  Both sides are acutely aware of the need to evidence progress on both standing agenda items, as well as on newer initiatives.  It is the perfect 'action-forcing' occasion, which also nicely evidences how the bilateral education relationship involves a range of actors on each side”.

    This year’s meeting discussed the promotion of student mobility between New Zealand and China, the teaching of Chinese culture and language in New Zealand, cooperation between education institutions at schooling and tertiary levels, quality assurance projects, New Zealand’s involvement in Chinese training programmes and the implementation of Free Trade Agreement related education initiatives.

    ENZ will follow up on specific opportunities that were discussed during the meeting and liaise with relevant sector peak bodies as appropriate. 

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    Above:Members of the New Zealand and Chinese delegations enjoy a nice Wellington day after the conclusion of the 8th JWG meeting.

    Two arrangements were signed at the meeting, covering qualification recognition and cooperation in higher and vocational education:

    • The Arrangement on Mutual Recognition of Academic Degrees in Higher Education between the Government of New Zealand and the Government of the People’s Republic of China

    • The Arrangement to Operationalise the Vocational Education and Training Model Programme in place between the Ministry of Education of New Zealand and the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China

    An Agreement on Cooperation in Higher Education between Universities’ New Zealand and China Education Association for International Exchange was renewed.

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    Above: Universities New Zealand representative Derek McCormack signs a cooperation agreement with CEAIE Secretary-General Sheng Jianxue, witnessed by Peter Hughes and Dr Hao Ping.

    New Zealand’s delegation was led by Secretary for Education Peter Hughes. ENZ Chief Executive Grant McPherson joined NZQA Chief Executive Dr Karen Poutasi and officials from the Ministry of Education, ENZ, NZQA, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade in the meeting. 

    Derek McCormack, Vice Chancellor of AUT University, represented Universities New Zealand to discuss cooperation in higher education and Mark Flowers, Chief Executive of Waikato Institute of Technology, represented New Zealand’s institutes of technology in vocational education discussions.

    The last JWG meeting was held in Beijing in 2010. The next JWG meeting is scheduled for 2016. 

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    Above: ENZ Education Manager An Jiangqun (Rosemary) interprets at the JWG meeting. Rosemary’s skills as a trained interpreter came in handy during technical discussions on education cooperation. 

  • Sister Schools Fund open

    The fund is open to all New Zealand schools. Grants of approximately $2,000 - $3,000 per school will be awarded to successful schools to establish new sister school relationships, or to strengthen existing relationships, with a focus on sister cities/provinces.

    The fund was announced during the Joint Working Group which took place during the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to New Zealand in November 2014.

    This initiative will support schools to deliver on the Government’s Leadership Statement for International Education, which seeks to increase New Zealanders’ skills and knowledge to operate effectively across cultures. The fund also delivers an outcome from the School Sector International Education Roadmap, in which schools expressed a desire to grow institutional partnership channels with offshore schools.

    A sister school partnership is a planned collaboration designed to offer the partners mutual benefit. Applicants need to explain how their planned activity will contribute to strong sister school relationships which foster learning opportunities, cross-cultural skills development and friendship between our two countries.

    Activities may include (but need not be limited to);

    • staff and/or student exchange

    • curriculum-based collaborative projects

    • enhanced language programmes.

  • NZ publishers optimistic about Korean market

    Korea is the world’s tenth largest publishing market, valued at an estimated NZ$5.4 billion. Children’s books enjoy the largest market share at 16 percent – if multi-volume sets were included the children’s book would account for 30 percent of the total market.

    “We’ve had 17 one-on-one, high-quality meetings over the two days of our visit thanks to Education New Zealand having done a lot of preliminary scoping in advance. The reception at the New Zealand Embassy in Seoul was a further opportunity to build networks, and was well attended,” said David Glover, Publishers Association of New Zealand’s project manager responsible for the trade mission to Korea.

    “The Korean education publishing market is both sophisticated and highly competitive. Publishers have good knowledge of what other major countries such as the US and UK have to offer. So it was very encouraging that so many local publishers took the time to meet visiting New Zealand publishers.”

    Joy Allcock of MJA Publishing found that travelling in a group with support of ENZ was helpful in opening the right doors.

    "In Seoul, David Glover and Onnuri Lee [ENZ Market Development Manager]did an incredible job – the visit was well-organised and researched. The people I met were preselected and were already interested in the product. They were ready to provide helpful feedback," said Joy. 

    In Hong Kong, Joy was invited to present to 200 early childhood teachers by the Bureau of Education, an opportunity that would not have been offered if she had been visiting as a single company.   

    David noted that selling our learning material to Asia is challenging.

    “It is clear that NZ publishers will have to adapt their materials quite extensively to local market conditions if they wish to succeed here. But initial feedback from the visiting publishers is very positive and there are a number of good leads to follow up and hopefully turn into long term contracts,” said Glover.

    The four educational publishers, ESA Publications, Lanky Hippo Publishing, MJA Publishing, and Wendy Pye Publishing visited Korea and were joined in Hong Kong by academic publisher NZCER before all travelling to the Taipei International Book Exhibition 11 – 16 February 2015.  

  • Flying Kiwi makes return flight

    Early in the new year, our Santiago-based Market Development Manager Javiera Visedo received a surprise visit from a familiar face – Flying Kiwi Catherine Lee. Catherine was one of the first group of seven Flying Kiwis to study in Santiago in 2013 and she had come back for a three week holiday in Chile to spend time with her host family.

    “Although obviously my visit as one of the Flying Kiwis was very advantageous from a learning perspective, the friendships and bonds I have formed with my host family and classmates transcend language barriers and distance,” said Catherine.

    Flying Kiwis is an ENZ initiative to send New Zealand secondary school students studying Spanish to Santiago for three weeks to attend school alongside Chilean students. The programme was developed in response to the Chilean Government-sponsored scholarship programme Penguins without Borders which sees Chilean students coming to New Zealand to study. 

    Catherine was in year 13 at Northcote College when she was chosen as a Flying Kiwi. At the time, her Spanish was advanced and she gave a speech for the welcome event at the Ambassador’s Residence.

    With one daughter of their own, Catherine’s host family treated her like a second daughter. They loved the experience so much that they hosted another Flying Kiwi last year – they say now they have three daughters.

    These days, Catherine is in her second year at the University of Auckland studying towards a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Spanish.

    “Travelling to a Spanish-speaking country and learning more about the language definitely influenced my decision to study translation and interpreting at a tertiary level. I could see myself having a career as a translator – I knew that was what I wanted to do with my life,” said Catherine.

    “I will definitely have an ongoing connection to Chile – I already miss my friends and host family! One day I would like to do another exchange to a Chilean university, or even live there for a while.

    Several of Catherine’s Chilean schoolmates have plans to travel and study in New Zealand. Her host sister is investigating visas to study and work in New Zealand for a year.

    “Even my host family are considering moving to New Zealand, as they have heard wonderful things about living there.”

    Javiera said that Catherine now speaks beautiful Spanish and her story demonstrates the success of the programme.

    “It’s great to see the long-term results of these initiatives. It makes us appreciate even more what we do and most importantly why we do it,” said Javiera.

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    Bottom left photo (Left to right): Catherine’s host sister, Javiera Jimenez Ortiz; Catherine; and friend Rubi Ruiz Vallejos
    Bottom right photo (Left to right): Catherine’s host mother, Elena; Javiera Visedo (ENZ Market Development Manager); Catherine; and host sister, Javiera, at the New Zealand Embassy in Santiago

  • Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Books

    New Zealand’s Guest of Honour presence at the Taipei International Book Exhibition (TIBE) had a strong education flavour as Education New Zealand staff and six education publishers participated alongside a cast of leading New Zealand authors and other New Zealand publishers.

    Education New Zealand contributed $100,000 to New Zealand organiser Publishers Association of New Zealand (PANZ) to support the participation of the Wendy Pye Group, ESA Publications; MJA Publishing; Lanky Hippo Publishing; the New Zealand Council for Educational Research; and Clean Slate Press at TIBE held over 11 – 16 February 2015.

    TIBE is the largest book fair in Asia and acts as a gateway to the region. In 2014, TIBE had more than 500,000 visitors, over 1,000 events for visitors or publishers, more than 700 domestic and international reporters and 423 international publishing houses in attendance. 

    This year TIBE brought in free entry for school-aged children, which was expected to boost visitor numbers as well as providing an expanded audience for Education New Zealand’s “Study in New Zealand” messaging.

    New Zealand’s Guest of Honour status ensured that we received prime positioning within the fair venue as well as enhanced interest and attention from media; Taiwan authorities; and industry representatives seeking to buy rights. 

    A wide-ranging programme included strong publisher presence, public presentations, kapa haka performances, carving by the New Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts Council/Ngā Kete Tuku Iho, a visiting author programme, and offsite events including an art exhibition. The eye-catching New Zealand Pavilion – in a design of three Māori tokotoko (orator’s sticks) – exemplified New Zealand’s “Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Books” theme.

    “Education New Zealand has previously supported our education publishers’ attendance at such key international trade events, as it gives them the opportunity to explore new markets and opportunities in a dedicated business setting”, said ENZ’s Business Development Manager, Adele Bryant.

    “Dame Wendy Pye was busy at her stand following up leads she attributed to attendance at Frankfurt 2012 where New Zealand was also Guest of Honour and ENZ supported education publishers.”

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    Above: Dame Wendy Pye and a young Taiwanese student demonstrating one of Wendy’s education tools.

    While the delegation of education publishers represented a mix of experienced and new exporters, all were united in having high-quality products that represented New Zealand's reputation for innovation and quality education. 

    “ENZ support for TIBE and earlier scoping visits to Hong Kong and Seoul has helped profile our strengths in education publishing to Asian publishers. The New Zealand delegation has been able to understand how their product can better fit the market as well as meet new business leads”, said Adele.

    ENZ’s Regional Director – Greater China, Alexandra Grace, also delivered presentations profiling New Zealand as a high-quality education destination that fosters innovation and creativity in its students.

    “It was inspiring to deliver these presentations as part of New Zealand’s Guest of Honour programme”, said Alex.

    “Being part of a programme that included such creative and talented New Zealanders as Eleanor Catton, Witi Ihimaera, and Joy Cowley – not to mention our education publishers, who are seeking to inspire, delight, and educate children around the world with their innovative learning tools – was a real buzz. Their presence complemented perfectly the message I was seeking to make about New Zealand as a place where ideas and talent are nurtured and developed.”

    “I was also able to point to Eleanor Catton and Witi Ihimaera – both of whom teach at Manukau Institute of Technology – as being event-appropriate examples of how New Zealand delivers applied education in a way that is closely linked to industry.”

    Education New Zealand will continue to work with TIBE participants and other education publishers to assist them in finding opportunities to promote their products, skills and expertise offshore; as well as working to promote New Zealand as an education destination of choice to students from Taiwan.

    For further information on New Zealand’s participation at this year’s Taiwan International Book Exhibition, visit: www.publishers.org.nz

    To find out about other connections our education publishers made on their way to Taipei, read here. 

    Below: Inside the NZ pavilion ENZ Regional Director – Greater China, Alex Grace, presents on the strengths of NZ education publishing.

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  • Wanted: Good news stories

    With ENZ teams in key locations around the world, we understand the local media and work with relevant media outlets to get New Zealand stories published, broadcast and onto computer screens.

    And we’ve had some good success – last year ENZ’s integrated PR and marketing activity in India won the Public Affairs Asia Gold Standard Award for Country Promotion. 

    While we monitor New Zealand media for stories to highlight abroad, we are always looking for innovative and interesting story ideas that showcase high quality education.

    Are you launching a new course, celebrating unique student success or releasing new research that would be of interest to international media? Or is your regional group planning a visit offshore? With early notice, we can help to tell your region’s education story to the media.

    Have you got students or experts travelling in-market who are great representatives of the strengths of a New Zealand education? Give us the details and we’ll try and link them up with local media.

    Do you have alumni stories of the connections created between countries and people in the years following graduation? We’d love shine a light on them.

    Email us at media@enz.govt.nz if you have a great story to share.

    Take a look at the kind of stories we have worked to profile in China:

    • Student success stories with relevance to China: Chinanews.com reported on a team of Auckland University students, including one Chinese national, which competed in an international robotics competition.

    • China-related education events held in New Zealand: People.com reported on the University of Auckland’s seminar session promoting study opportunities in Qingdao. Xinhuanet.com highlighted Victoria University of Wellington’s Confucius Institute sunrise ceremony to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the global network of Confucius Institutes. China Daily reported on a Chinese Week which promoted Chinese language and culture through television, libraries and apps.

    • Institutional developments of relevance to China: Waikato University launched a scholarship scheme for international students from Asia, including China. Coverage was secured in a range of media, including Sohu.com. The article highlighted the $1 million Excellence Scholarships for nearly 200 students and noted Waikato’s strengths in education, economics, law and information technology.

    • Scientists and researchers visiting China who can be interviewed about New Zealand’s strengths in their fields: Sir Peter Gluckman, the Prime Minister’s Chief Science Advisor, visited China in September. Media interviews arranged by ENZ resulted in coverage highlighting New Zealand’s education strengths in science and research, including in agriculture, medicine and nanotechnology.

    • Regional cluster visits: The Shanghai Morning Post reported on Study Dunedin and Education Southland’s joint education fair in Shanghai. ENZ also helped secure coverage for Dunedin education institutions during the Dunedin Mayoral Delegation to Shanghai, resulting in a total of 74 media reports across TV, online and print media – equating to NZ$564,677 in PR value.

    • Collaboration with Chinese counterparts: Chengdu Evening Post reported on ties being developed by New Zealand schools with Chinese counterparts. The Daily Evening News reported on the 2014 Sino-New Zealand Modern Vocational Education Development Forum held in Tianjin.

    • Visiting scholars and institution leaders: Beijing Business Today interviewed Caroline Daley, Dean of Graduate Studies at the University of Auckland, highlighting the university’s job seeker support for international students. 

  • Cricket star hits home the NZ education message

    Stephen is supporting the strategy by helping to raise New Zealand’s profile as an education destination among India’s leading universities, faculties and students in the South and West of India.

    Stephen’s own brand, shaped from his outstanding international cricket career, resonates enormously right across India and his down-to-earth, humble Kiwi style works well with a wide range of stakeholders.

    ENZ’s General Manager International, Peter Bull, was in India last week participating in promotional activities with Stephen and was thrilled both by the former world-class cricketer’s commitment to ENZ’s goals and by the publicity his presence creates.

    “The attention on New Zealand education that Stephen Fleming generates among the students and faculties of important universities in India is absolutely tremendous.”

    Stephen’s strong India connection can be traced back to 1994 when he faced India in his debut test cricket match. He is now the coach of the most successful Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise, the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), following an exceptional captaincy of the Black Caps.

    Using Stephen’s profile in India during April means the three-day ENZ-Stephen Fleming programme of institutional visits and media interviews is happening against the backdrop of the IPL’s eighth season. As the most watched Twenty20 league in the world with a brand value of over US$7 billion, the IPL easily tempts business outside of cricket into action as excitement in India reaches fever pitch.

    The first day of the programme took Stephen and ENZ to Hindustan University, a highly ranked engineering and technical college in Chennai, the day after CSK won its first match of this IPL season. The team won off the last ball, sparking even stronger media excitement.

    Stephen pitched New Zealand education to more than 500 passionate students and staff at the university whose graduates regularly go abroad for postgraduate studies. Stephen also drew on his own education experiences, talking about his parents’ encouragement regarding the importance of education, and in the value education has had in shaping his future. This was later noted by the university’s reporting on the visit.

    Stephen also talked to the audience about the quality of New Zealand’s education programmes, universities and work opportunities in areas including the Christchurch rebuild.

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    Above: Stephen Fleming delivering an inspirational speech to students and faculty at Hindustan University

    “I believe in the value of an education from New Zealand, and I’m always thrilled at the enthusiasm these students show in what New Zealand can offer them in terms of our education proposition,” Stephen told ENZ staff.

    The visit also included Stephen’s inauguration of a new cricket academy with some super-star batting by the New Zealand education brand ambassador and an on-air interview at Chennai’s leading English language radio which has an audience of 600,000.

    Stephen and the ENZ team finished the day with three print media interviews, with Stephen continuing to prove his worth by bringing cricket conversations back to the benefits of a New Zealand education. He also announced a New Zealand education t-shirt design competition open to students from leading fashion schools in India. Building on recent media success from two fashion-related Prime Minister’s Scholarship for Asia group tours to India, and on New Zealand’s creative, innovative, fresh-thinking approach, the design competition is targeting a niche audience in a market known for engineering, business and IT. The competition closes on 1 July when Stephen Fleming will be photographed in the winning design.

    Stephen Fleming and ENZ will be in Mumbai on 16 April and Bangalore on 21 April for more institutional visits and media interviews.

    This month ENZ’s India team has also supported agent-led New Zealand fairs in Pune, Kolkata and Ahmedabad with institutions pleased with the quality of students overall. A fourth agent fair is scheduled for Cochin on 21 April while the team also supports a Christchurch Educated mission in-country.  

  • 80 more ‘Penguins’ to visit

    Education New Zealand will contact all eligible schools in the coming weeks to seek and confirm interest to participate in the programme. The scheme’s criteria stipulates candidate schools must be co-educational, non-religious and located within a close radius of the city centres in Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington.

    The group will be the fourth to study in New Zealand through the scholarship programme, which aims to expand the international outlook of young Chilean students and improve their English language skills.

    Known as ‘Penguins’ because of their distinctive black and white uniforms, 237 Chilean students have studied in New Zealand since the programme began in 2013.

    When announcing the programme from Chile last week Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Minister Steven Joyce said the visit will enable more Chilean students to experience Kiwi life, and that more New Zealanders will learn about Chile by hosting a student or studying alongside the Penguins.

    “International students make a significant social, cultural and economic contribution to New Zealand while they’re here and remain connected as ambassadors for New Zealand when they return home.”

    Mr Joyce has been visiting Chile, Brazil and Colombia for the past eight days, leading a delegation of university representatives to the region to deepen education and trade links.

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