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Official Information Act Requests
People in New Zealand can request government information (official information) and can expect it to be made available unless there is a good reason to withhold it.
The Official Information Act 1982 (or OIA) enables citizens, permanent residents, visitors to New Zealand, and body corporates registered or with a place of business in New Zealand, to make a request for official information held by government agencies, including Education New Zealand (ENZ).
ENZ is the government agency dedicated to helping New Zealand realise the social, cultural and economic benefits of international education.
Please note the Ministry of Education is the New Zealand Government's lead advisor on the New Zealand education system.
More information can be found at: The role of the Ministry of Education
Ministry of Education OIAs can be directed to info@education.govt.nz
If you have a complaint about a particular school, you may wish to contact the school directly or contact the Ministry of Education at enquiries.national@education.govt.nz
Making a request relating to international education
Your request should be as clear and specific as you can possibly make it. Before making a request please check our other sources of information listed below.
You can contact us in a number of ways to request information:
- ENZ.Ministerials@enz.govt.nz
- Telephone (04) 472 0788
- Postal address: Level 5 Lambton House, 160 Lambton Quay, PO Box 12041, Wellington 6144
We would like:
- your name
- contact address (email or postal)
- details of the information you want.
We may ask you for more details if we’re not sure what you are seeking. If you make your request by phone or in person, we will confirm it in writing.
The State Services Commission provides tips for requesting information and guidance on how agencies will respond.
Before making a request for information
Before requesting official information from ENZ, we encourage you to check the list below to see if the information you need is already publicly available:
How long will it take?
We are required by law to give you our decision on your request as soon as possible, and no later than 20 working days after we receive your request.
If we need more time to make our decision on your request, for example if you are requesting a lot of information, we will let you know and give you an idea of how long it will take. We will also try to keep you updated on the progress of our response to your request. You can complain to the Office of the Ombudsman if you’re not happy with our decision to extend the time.
What does it cost?
Requesting official information is free, though we can charge a reasonable amount if it will take a lot of work to supply the information requested.
You can complain to the Office of the Ombudsman about our decision to charge.
What if I’m not satisfied?
You may wish to contact us in the first instance to see if we can resolve the issue.
You can make a complaint to the Office of the Ombudsman if you:
- have concerns regarding the decision we made on your request
- were unhappy about the way your request was treated or processed.
These concerns can relate to the withholding of information, extending the timeframe to respond to you, any charges for providing the information you have requested, delays in providing you with a decision or the information, or your request being transferred.
The Office of the Ombudsman can investigate and review our decision and may make a recommendation to us if it is considered appropriate.
Responses to Official Information Act 1982 requests
ENZ publishes responses to Official Information Act 1982 requests at the end of each month. ENZ first published its responses to requests for official information on its website in April 2018.
The response from ENZ details the information being released and explains what information, if any, has been withheld and under which grounds of the Act. The response also explains that we intend to make the information publicly available. The requestor's name and address have been removed from the response.
Documents are only available in Adobe PDF format and are listed in release date order, with the most recently released responses at the top.
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First-ever New Zealand Global Competence Certificate with teachers from across Asia wraps up
Over five weeks, the group completed 10 virtual sessions and 20 self-directed online modules. They learnt skills crucial to cultural competence, like how to build bridges in multicultural situations and how to break down stereotypes.
This cohort received very positive feedback from those involved in the course, from learners to facilitators. Tran Nguyen Trinh Nguyen, a teacher from Gia Dinh High School, said:
“After the course, I am more confident in embracing the differences that other people around me have. I am more eager to challenge myself to become a better listener, a better conflict solver and a more dynamic global citizen.”
Videos on this cohort’s NZGCC journey and appreciation messages from learners and facilitators can be viewed here.
This teacher cohort, alongside a recent students’ cohort, has also worked to lift the profile of New Zealand education in the Asia region – particularly in Vietnam. The team has received an overwhelming number of applications for the next NZGCC teachers’ course: 171 applications for the 25 available places.
“By organising these special NZGCC cohorts, we hope to equip both teachers and students with additional knowledge and skills that supports their daily work and study, and enables them to thrive in what is an increasingly globally connected world,” ENZ Regional Director – Asia, Ben Burrowes, said.
“We believe that the training programmes will open up more education linkages between all participating schools and when travel resumes, we look forward to seeing more Vietnamese teachers and students in New Zealand for in-person exchange programmes.
Educators interested in participating in future cohorts can contact marina.wilmerstadt@enz.govt.nz to find out more.
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Study abroad promo in US
Study Abroad Month, led by our Washington DC-based team, targeted the study advisors at United States universities, who support students with their study abroad plans. A series of videos were published each week and sent to key contacts, including a closing video from Education Minister Chris Hipkins.
Lewis Gibson, Field Director North America at Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao, says study abroad students are our main source of international students from the US.
“Pre-Covid-19, around 350,000 tertiary students each year spent a semester overseas as part of their degree. We’re looking to increase our share of this group.
“In normal times, US institutions and study abroad advisors rely on the voices of New Zealand alumni, who can share their experiences with other people on campus and build interest in a New Zealand study experience,” he says.
“We needed to do something different this year, because our borders had been closed so there weren’t the alumni students available on campus. We also needed a good way to remind study advisors about New Zealand’s unique education offering.”
Lewis says feedback from institutions in the US has been very positive, and they are looking forward to seeing students travel again to New Zealand. Some of the comments received included the following:
- “Thank you so much for letting us know about this exciting project! I just shared the New Zealand Study Abroad Month YouTube channel with our spring 2023 applicants... We are thrilled to nominate over 15 students to our outstanding partner universities in New Zealand ...for the first time in over two years!”
- “Thank you for sharing this information. I watched Fiona’s video for VUW and I am sharing it with several students who are deciding which NZ institution to attend for Term 1 via TEAN. I’ll be certain to watch future videos and do the same with those.”
- “We are so grateful of the opportunities you provide our students, and our tight partnership together.”
“In case anyone is wondering, we initially intended to run the promotion for four weeks, hence the name, ‘Study Abroad Month’. But with the participation of so many universities, and the inclusion of additional videos reflecting the voices of students, it made more sense to expand the promotion to six weeks.”
Before our borders closed, the US was our sixth largest source of international students, with most students seeking to enrol in university-level study here. Study Abroad Month aimed to attract students to New Zealand from the US spring semester 2023 onwards.
- “Thank you so much for letting us know about this exciting project! I just shared the New Zealand Study Abroad Month YouTube channel with our spring 2023 applicants... We are thrilled to nominate over 15 students to our outstanding partner universities in New Zealand ...for the first time in over two years!”
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Massey links up with Dutch social scientists
Researchers from the Sociology of Development and Change group at Wageningen University in the Netherlands were hosted by Massey University’s School of People, Environment and Planning earlier this year.
Together, they created and signed The Mordor Accord (referencing the Lord of the Rings film scenery where it was signed) and developed a collaborative workplan addressing issues to do with the environment, food, political economy and development studies.
Massey Professor Glenn Banks, Head of the School of People, Environment and Planning, says the school jumped at the opportunity to work with Wageningen.
“Massey and Wageningen have been working together for a number of years but it is only recently that we started a discussion between social scientists at the two institutions,” he said.“The main objective of the collaboration is to kick-start joint teaching, research and grant development, and to help strengthen and broaden the relations between the two universities.
“We are also looking to gain from their strength in Latin America and Africa, where they do a lot of work. [In turn], they get a lot from us in the Pacific and Asia where they are looking to expand their research and are seeking networks and joint opportunities."In future, the partnership will translate into work programmes with joint publications, research grant development and applications, and staff and student visits and exchanges.
Some of these are already underway – a Massey University Sociology PhD student Stella Pennell is leaving in mid-year for a three-month visit to Wageningen as part of her study.
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Viet Nam webinar series boosts interest in New Zealand ITPs and PTEs
The webinar series is part of a work programme to raise the profile of New Zealand’s subsectors in Viet Nam, while strengthening connections between New Zealand providers and Vietnamese education agents.
This initiative is key to ENZ’s ongoing efforts to diversify New Zealand’s international education offerings in Viet Nam, and ensuring prospective students are aware of the practical skills, industry connections, and post-study opportunities they can gain through New Zealand ITPs and PTEs.
The series featured three education agent-focused webinars, and one session for prospective students and their parents co-organised by ENZ and seven local education agencies.
The agent-focused webinars attracted an average of over 120 attendees per session, peaking at 131, demonstrating strong interest from Viet Nam’s agent network.
The student-facing webinar drew around 200 registrations and had 70 prospective students attend.
Participating New Zealand providers included Wintec, Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology, Ara Institute of Canterbury, Eastern Institute of Technology, Toi Ohomai, Southern Institute of Technology, WelTec & Whitireia, New Zealand Skills and Education Group, Pacific International Hotel Management School, Le Cordon Bleu, and Up Education (NZTC, NZMA, Yoobee).
This wide sector presence ensured agents and prospective students received timely sector updates and insights first hand.
Immigration New Zealand contributed to the first agent-only session with updated details on in-study and post-study work rights for international students in vocational and degree programmes at ITPs and PTEs. They also shared policy updates, guidance, best practice on pathway visas, and practical tips to help agents prepare and submit strong visa applications for ITP/PTE students.
ENZ Market Manager Van Banh said the feedback was positive.
“New Zealand providers said they really valued the opportunity to connect with the Vietnamese market through these webinars, noting that the format allowed them to share tailored information and highlight the strengths of their programmes,” she said.
“Vietnamese agents also gave positive feedback, and said the sessions equipped them with practical knowledge about New Zealand’s study options with ITPs and PTEs, so they can be even more confident and effective in their conversations with prospective students,” Van added.
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From the CE: Telling the world New Zealand is open for business
Our purpose was to promote New Zealand’s world-class education and share the message that New Zealand is open again for international students. Travelling with the Minister opened many doors for us and led to useful media coverage in all three partner countries.
In Denver, USA, Minister Hipkins spoke at the plenary session to open NAFSA, the world’s largest international education conference. Te Pūkenga used the NAFSA event to launch its international education strategy, and ENZ launched the sector’s I AM NEW global marketing campaign. We met with senior officials to reaffirm New Zealand’s partnership commitment to the Gilman scholarships, which enable students of limited financial means to study abroad. We also met with NZ EdTech companies, including ImmerseMe, which uses virtual reality to teach languages. The company signed a 7-year partnership agreement with schools in the area during our visit.
The next stage of the trip was Brazil. In São Paulo we explored the possibility of English language study in New Zealand for school students with government Ministers; met with the São Paulo Research Foundation to support the growing NZ- São Paulo research engagement; and met with key education stakeholders from three São Paulo Universities: USP, UNESP and UNICAMP.
New Zealand is celebrating 50 years of diplomatic relations with Chile this year, and our visit to Santiago included meeting with Chile’s Minister of Science, Technology, Knowledge, and Innovation, and with Kiwi alumni. We signed two separate Education Cooperation Agreements – with Chile’s Minister of Education, and with the Council of Rectors of Chilean Universities. We also visited Universidad Diego Portales, which has a long history of collaboration with NZ EdTech company, ADInstruments, whose technology has been implemented as part of the university’s educational model.
We were warmly received everywhere, and there was a high level of interest in New Zealand. It was great to reconnect with Kiwis offshore, and with alumni, agents and others who have a genuine interest in building relationships with New Zealand – and to be able to support their efforts in person at a wide range of events.
In other news, the recipients of the recent round of Prime Minister’s Scholarships to Asia and to Latin America are close to being finalised. That round of scholarships, which was solely open for group applications, will soon be followed by the opening of a second round of awards, this time focussed solely on individual applicants. Again, we will be seeking to encourage applicants from a wide range of backgrounds particularly Māori and Pasifika applicants. In anticipation of the next round, we encourage everyone to check out the alumni stories and other useful information on our scholarships website here.
Whāia te mātauranga hei oranga mō koutou – Seek after learning for the sake of your wellbeing.
Grant McPherson
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US delegation delighted by New Zealand biculturalism
Although many of the study abroad advisors were already working with New Zealand partners and sending students to New Zealand, they hadn’t experienced the country themselves.
Prior to the visit, participants listed Māori culture and heritage as one of their top three focuses for the visit to New Zealand institutions.
In Dunedin, the delegation was welcomed onto the Otago Polytechnic campus with a powhiri. In return, the delegation sang “Te Aroha” – after having practised it on the bus ride from their hotel.
The group said this moment, and similar experiences on other New Zealand campuses, was what provided them with a better understanding of New Zealand and the international student experience – even more so than the brochures they received from institutions.
“I was surprised and very impressed to see how Māori culture is so integrated and celebrated around the country. This is unique and a stark contrast to the experience of indigenous cultures in other countries,” said one delegate.
Alanna Dick, ENZ Field Director – North America, said the advisors left with a better understanding of New Zealand, and a drive to help more US students experience it too.
“It was clear to me the visit was a success when one study abroad advisor told me that now they understand the main points of difference between New Zealand and Australia! They now tell their students they would have a unique study experience in New Zealand, especially if they take a course to learn more about the indigenous culture like Kapa Haka or introduction to te Reo Māori.”
The US delegation offered suggestions for New Zealand institutions to consider when hosting international guests:
- Explain how Māori culture is embedded into curriculum
- Invite Kiwi students to sit on a student panel or lead campus tours
- More conversations over kai with faculty, staff and students and less PowerPoint presentations
- Consider having faculty give a short presentation about their area of research or courses they teach.
The US delegation also attended NZIEC to present a session on US engagement. They shared interesting initiatives and partnership models from their campuses, highlighted the importance of curriculum integration between US and overseas institutions, and shared best practices for outreach to students from diverse or underrepresented backgrounds.
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Brazilian students look to New Zealand tertiary studies
Organised by Brazil agent FPP Edu-Media, ENZ attended the high school tour to introduce Brazilian students to the tertiary possibilities in New Zealand, particularly undergraduate qualifications.
The last BELTA SEAL Survey from March 2018 shows that 30% of the Brazilians who studied overseas in 2017 were in the 18 to 21 age group, and that their main motivation for international education is to stand out professionally.
Daniela Ronchetti, Director of Operations at FPP Edu-Media, says while short-term programmes have typically been the most popular overseas study for Brazilian students, there's a growing interest in undertaking full degrees overseas.
“Many of these students, fluent in English and with experience of overseas study via summer courses at a young age, are comfortable enrolling in international universities.
“With interest in the US and UK declining, Brazilian students are looking closer at New Zealand, Australia and Canada when considering a full degree abroad.”
Ana Azevedo, ENZ’s Senior Market Development Manager for Brazil, visited eight international secondary schools, from small boutique schools with 15 students per class to large education groups with thousands of students, which are all investing in pathways to international tertiary education.
ENZ’s Ana Azevedo with Marilda Bardal, International Relations Coordinator at International School Alphaville.
“These schools typically offer bilingual education, IB (International Baccalaureate) or the American diploma and academic counselling, so that by the time students complete high school, they are prepared for an international experience,” said Ana.
Also in attendance were government education organisations and universities from the US, Canada, Australia, France, Germany, the Netherlands and the UK – but Ana said New Zealand had an edge.
“It was a great experience to stand among our competitors at the opening of each event and present New Zealand as the country that best prepares students for the future – not an easy ranking to beat!”
“There is still work to be done on raising awareness of all that New Zealand has to offer to Brazilian students, particularly in tertiary education. It is a significant investment for a family so we need to be clear about the return of this investment.
“Showing students the variety of programmes they can find in New Zealand, the cultural diversity and welcoming environment – very few countries offer this combination. It is a full package!”
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Getting to know the Chinese government education agencies
To introduce Michael Zhang, incoming Regional Director Greater China and to farewell outgoing director Miranda Herbert, the China team at Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao (ENZ) met with key education agencies in Beijing in October 2022.
“The meetings were an opportunity to reaffirm the long-term good relationship between New Zealand and Chinese government education agencies,” Michael Zhang says.
“We were able to share updates about recent work, hear from each agency about their plans, and discuss possible opportunities for future collaboration with New Zealand institutions.”
Ministry of Education, People’s Republic of China (MoE)
The Ministry of Education is the key government body responsible for the development of China’s education system, from early childhood education through to higher education. Key focus areas include the development of national strategies, policies and plans for education reform and development.
The Department of International Cooperation and Exchange coordinates the Ministry’s engagement with foreign countries. The Department’s key functions include:
- Managing and guiding international education cooperation and exchanges
- Drafting guidance and policies for the management of Chinese students studying abroad, international students studying in China, Chinese-foreign cooperative joint ventures and schools for foreign children
- Supervising international cooperation and exchanges in the education sector
- Guiding the work of education departments/divisions in Chinese embassies/consulates
- Planning, coordinating and guiding the teaching of Chinese as a foreign language
- Conducting educational cooperation and exchanges with the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Macao Special Administrative Region and Taiwan Region of China.
L to r: Rosemary An (ENZ), Kieran Knight (MFAT) Director You Jia (China MoE), Deputy Director-General Chen Dali (China MoE), Director-General Liu Jin (China MoE), H.E. Clare Fearnley (NZ Ambassador to China), Michael Zhang (ENZ), Miranda Herbert (ENZ)
New Zealand’s Ambassador to China, Clare Fearnley, hosted a lunch on 27 October 2022, for China Ministry of Education Director-General Liu Jin and his team, in partnership with ENZ.
Both sides emphasised the value and warmth of the bilateral education relationship, underpinned by a long history of cooperation and several recent milestones despite the challenges of COVID.
There was strong interest to build on the positive ministerial engagement in August and the upcoming 10th Joint Working Group in late November, including hopes for high-level visits next year in both directions. Opportunities to engage with China MoE include high-level visits, and policy advice through ENZ’s China team.
Chinese Service Centre for Scholarly Exchange (CSCSE)
Initially founded in 1989, CSCSE is a public organization under China Ministry of Education (MOE). CSCSE specialises in offering professional services for international scholarly exchanges, including Chinese students and scholars studying abroad, returnees from overseas, and international students and scholars coming to study in China.
CSCSE is also dedicated to promoting the internationalisation and capacity-building of Chinese higher education institutions, as well as improving education resources through international exchanges and collaboration.
CSCSE is the only official organisation that provides overseas credential evaluation and recognition services in China. The statement of comparability of overseas qualifications issued by CSCSE is widely recognised by Chinese employers and institutions from various sectors. CSCSE is an active member in the international education community, facilitates global talent mobility and improves international recognition of qualifications. CSCSE has long-term partnership with foreign qualifications authorities, including NZQA.
CSCSE manages and executes the China International Education Exhibition Tour (CIEET), which New Zealand has regularly attended in past years. CSCSE also organises the China Study Abroad Forum in March each year, in which ENZ is a regular speaker and participant.
L to r: Xu Chenxing (CSCSE), Director Yu Haiying (CSCSE), Miranda Herbert (ENZ), Deputy Director-General XIA Jianhui (CSCSE), Michael Zhang (ENZ), Rosemary An (ENZ)
Opportunities to engage with CSCSE include student recruitment fairs, study in China, international conferences, verification of foreign credentials, and transnational education programmes.
China Education Association for International Exchange (CEAIE)
CEAIE was founded in 1981 as a not-for-profit organisation to encourage international exchange and cooperation. It is a key organisation in facilitating foreign engagement with the Chinese education system.
Headquartered in Beijing, it has provincial associations for international exchange in 31 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities in China, as well as local chapters in 16 major cities. It has relationships with more than 170 education organisations in more than 50 countries (including Universities New Zealand). CEAIE has been granted Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations and has established official relations with UNESCO.
Every year in October, CEAIE organizes the China Annual Conference for International Education (CACIE), and the China Education Expo (CEE) both of which ENZ attends. New Zealand was designated Country of Honour at the 2015 conference and expo, which has provided remarkable marketing exposure for New Zealand education. Miranda Herbert from ENZ attended CACIE in October 2020 as a VIP guest and delivered a keynote speech, and in 2021 received a prestigious award recognising ENZ as an ‘outstanding international partner’. Among its activities, CEAIE supports major people-to-people dialogue and exchange mechanisms with partner countries and provides quality assurance services for China-Foreign cooperative transnational education programmes.
Currently, there is strong collaboration between the New Zealand education sector and CEAIE, and their initiatives across various sectors. The university sector held the 5th NZ-China Higher Education Forum with the support of Universities New Zealand and CEAIE on 10 November 2022. CEAIE also expressed interest in collaborating with the New Zealand school sector around Sister School Programmes and exploring opportunities to facilitate Leadership and Capacity building. ENZ is following up with CEAIE on the leadership opportunities and plans to run an Expressions of Interest process once more details are available.
Opportunities to engage with CEAIE include student recruitment fairs, conferences, school cooperation, training, and Quality Assurance for joint programmes.
Positive meetings were also held with other agencies affiliated to China MoE, including the China Center for People-to-People International Exchange (CCIPE) and China Scholarship Council (CSC).
CCIPE highlighted the growing strength and success of our Early Childhood Education Symposium, while CSC emphasised their desire to see increased numbers of Chinese scholarship students choose New Zealand for their studies, particularly at PhD level. All eight New Zealand universities have signed MOUs with CSC. New Zealand students can also study in China on fully-funded scholarships, by applying directly through CSC. There are programmes in English and Chinese: CSC Scholarships | China Scholarship Council | Chinese Government Scholarships (chinesescholarshipcouncil.com)
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From the CE: Board announces new ENZ CE
Tēnā koutou katoa
Our Board yesterday announced the appointment of Amanda Malu (Ngāi Tahu) as our new Chief Executive. Amanda is currently Deputy Chief Executive Service Delivery at ACC, and formerly Chief Executive at Whānau Āwhina Plunket, leading that organisation through extensive change over six years in the role. She previously held senior marketing and communication roles including at the Tertiary Education Commission, and earlier in her career worked in marketing and international student recruitment in the polytechnic sector. Amanda will take up the role in September. Until then, I will continue as Acting Chief Executive.
This is excellent news. I am sure you will all join me in giving Amanda a very warm welcome to Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao and our international education community.
Amanda Malu has been appointed ENZ's new Chief Executive by ENZ's Board.
To the visit of Premier Li. Last Friday I had the privilege of attending three events held as part of Premier Li’s visit to New Zealand. Significantly, Premier Li was accompanied by Minister of Education Huai Jinpeng who led a delegation of Chinese university senior leaders and senior education officials. This is Minister Huai’s second visit to New Zealand within 12 months following his engaging contribution to NZIEC Ki Tua 2023. This is a very special recognition of the close education ties between New Zealand and China.
ENZ's Acting Chief Executive Dr Linda Sissons greets Minister Huai with Minister Penny Simmonds and ENZ Regional Director & Counsellor, Greater China (Education), Michael Zhang, prior to the Education Forum (held at the Pullman Hotel, Auckland)
Our Minister for Tertiary Education and Skills, Penny Simmonds and Minister Huai co-chaired a “Looking into the Future: High Level Education Forum”. The Forum was attended by 11 University Presidents from some of the most prestigious universities in China, and all eight of our university Vice-Chancellors. The Forum discussed themes spanning student and academic mobility, research partnerships, innovation and productivity and digital education. A compelling discussion topped off with the signing of twenty institution-level MOUs.
Minister Huai and Minister Simmonds open 'Looking into the Future: New Zealand - China High Level Education Forum
And towards the end of the Forum, Premier Li, our Prime Minister, the Rt Hon Christopher Luxon, as well as the Minister of Education, Erica Stanford, joined the closing ceremony and took an active part in proceedings. This included the Prime Minister presenting the latest Prime Minister’s Scholarships to a group from Canterbury University heading to China and announcing the 2024 recipients of the New Zealand-China Tripartite Research Partnership Fund. Premier Li also announced allocations of scholarships for New Zealand Chinese Language teachers, summer camp places for New Zealand students and donations of Chinese language textbooks.
Prime Minister Rt Hon Christopher Luxon with Maia Hosking of the University of Auckland who will begin her programme in China under the Prime Minister's Scholarship for Asia.
Premier Li (centre left) presents list of announcements to Prime Minister Rt Hon Christopher Luxon (centre right) on stage with six New Zealand students who received Chinese Language books
To close the day, we accompanied our Minister, our Chinese and New Zealand university colleagues, and NZ Inc representatives to the Gala dinner where Prime Minister Luxon called out education among the other vital ties between China and New Zealand.
These special events proved a unique opportunity to showcase our high-quality education offering to China while demonstrating our commitment to enhancing student mobility and future education and research collaboration. It was fantastic. We can all be very proud of education’s contribution to this important relationship.
Ngā mihi nui,
Dr Linda Sissons
Acting Chief Executive
Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao
