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• ENZ signs education arrangement with Atsugi city

  The arrangement was signed between ENZ, the Atsugi City Council and the Atsugi City Board of Education at the New Zealand Embassy in Tokyo on 5 April. 

  The signing was preceded by a two-day visit to Wellington by an Atsugi City Board of Education delegation in late March. They met ENZ Chief Executive Grant McPherson, Deputy Mayor of Wellington Jill Day and visited secondary schools.   

  

  ENZ Chief Executive Grant McPherson with Atsugi City Board of Education Superintendent Takaharu Soda in Wellington

  Already there are tangible results from the signing. Atsugi city is making plans to send a group of junior high school students on a 10-day study visit in August to Wainuiomata High School, Wellington.

   Misa Kitaoka, ENZ’s Senior Market Development Manager – Japan, said Atsugi city is keen to provide more opportunities for Atsugi’s school students as well as English teachers for teacher training in New Zealand.

  Atsugi city will also act as a host town for New Zealand under the Japanese government’s initiative to promote exchanges between Japanese cities and the countries participating in the 2020 Olympics and Paralympics.

  The education cooperation arrangement is the first of its kind between a Japanese host town and guest country.

  Adele Bryant, ENZ’s Regional Director for China and North Asia, said the arrangement will strengthen the education relationship.

  “Atsugi city has begun organising a range of activities to foster a strong relationship between the city and New Zealand in sport, culture and education.

  “The arrangement has highlighted the range of education exchange initiatives that we could further promote as part of Japan’s ongoing internationalisation agenda leading up to and after the 2020 Olympics,” Adele said. 

• Mayoral events provide vibrant welcomes to students in their regions

  Last month we shared some of the wonderful images that New Zealand schools, universities, PTEs, Te Pūkenga and English Language Schools shared with ENZ as they welcomed their new students for 2024. This month we are sharing details and images from the Mayoral welcomes that some of our regions have held for their visiting international students. 

  Thank you for adding to our diversity and vibrancy! 

  More than 40 international students were greeted by Whanganui District Council Mayor, Andrew Tripe, at a special Mayoral welcome to the community on Monday 8 April. 

  Speaking to the students from countries including Brazil, South Korea, Japan, Germany, China, India Indonesia, Thailand, and Viet Nam, the Mayor thanked them for choosing Whanganui and adding to the “diversity and vibrancy of our community”. 

  The students attending had enrolled in both secondary schools and tertiary institutions in the district such as Whanganui High School, UCOL Whanganui and the New Zealand International Commercial Pilot Academy. 

  Formal greeting over, the Mayor was rushed by students seeking a special ‘selfie moment’ to share with families and social media. 

  

  A group of Brazilian international students attending Whanganui High School take up the opportunity of a photo with the Whanganui District Council Mayor, Andrew Tripe.

  Similar levels of excitement were seen in Hamilton where the Mayor of Hamilton, Paula Southgate and local performance groups welcomed approximately 250 new international students to the Waikato region. The welcome event was held at the Pā, University of Waikato and is the first welcome since the Covid-19 pandemic put these events on hold.  

  

  Mayor Paula Southgate providing the official welcome to the Waikato’s approximately 250 international students.

  Faymie Li, Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao’s Senior Advisor Student Experience said, “I was deeply honoured to witness this significant event and see how we demonstrate manaakitanga to our international students.  

  “The diverse cultures we embrace in Aotearoa is truly something to cherish and celebrate. It was wonderful to see so many school students attending the ceremony, offering them a unique student experience they don't typically encounter.” 

  Jiabao Zhao (Boa), a former international student who completed a Bachelor of Management Studies with First Class Honours at the University of Waikato, shared a message of encouragement with the students. Boa’s advice for new students was: to study hard but also “talk to and meet students from outside your country. It’s easy to remain in your comfort zone but that is not the point of studying abroad. Network and build your presence”. 

  

  Former University of Waikato International Student sharing a message of encouragement to the new international students.

  She also reminded students to take care of both their physical and mental health. There will be challenges but also great opportunities, and her own study and career journey is testament to that. She now works as an International Sales Operation Executive at Prolife Foods Ltd in Hamilton. 

  

  A handful of the 250 students who travelled to the Pā at the University of Waikato, for the international student welcome.

  Also in March, nearly 100 international students received a fine welcome centered on the theme of connection, by Timaru District Mayor, Nigel Bowen. The Timaru District will be home to students from Japan, China, Germany, Thailand, South Korean, Hong Kong, Macau, Fiji, Philippines, Brazil and Poland, and more over the course of this year. You can read about this welcome in the Stuff article here - Nearly 100 international students welcomed to Timaru | Stuff.  

• The global citizens helping connect New Zealand with the world

  The future looks like arts and crafts. In a room at the TSB Arena in Wellington in August, the Festival for the Future expo floor is packed with things to paint and fold and stick and make. At a stall for the Sustainable Development Goals I pick up a wooden bead representing the 11th goal – sustainable cities and communities – and paint it carefully orange, ready to be strung into a bright pattern with everyone else’s. As a shameless eavesdropper, this is my natural habit. I listen to two people discuss 3D printing, while another group sip ethical soda on colourful beanbags and chat about responsible investment.

  At the Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao (ENZ) stall people line up for coffee while filling out forms about their experience of “global citizenship”. ENZ is the crown entity responsible for international education in Aotearoa. In 2019, pre-Covid-19, there were over 100,000 international students in New Zealand, studying mostly at tertiary institutions, but also at primary and secondary schools. Since 2013, more than 2,400 New Zealanders have been awarded Prime Minister’s Scholarships to study in Asia or Latin America.

  "Global citizenship is an essential part of New Zealand’s international education strategy, and these inbound and outbound students represent an opportunity to create global connections, research links and broad partnerships for New Zealand."

  ENZ partnered with the Festival for the Future to discuss what international education and global citizenship looks like in the unique confines of 2021. For Carla Rey Vasquez, ENZ’s global citizenship manager, the strategy’s value in an era of limited travel is the gift of a dual perspective to complex problems. It is also an opportunity to help New Zealanders understand the nuanced and mutual benefits of international education and the long-term relationships it creates with people around the world.

  “Our world is characterized by complex issues. Global citizenship offers an opportunity to find ways to navigate and respond to those issues through shared understanding,” she says. “It’s about realising the value and power of your identity and knowledge, but also acknowledging the potential of others’ experience and perspectives on the world.”

  This is a worldview that Rey Vasquez says is built on a relationship of local belonging and responsibility to our people as well as people across the world. International education is an essential way New Zealand builds that bond with the rest of the world, bringing diverse people, organisations and countries together.

  Vasquez, a former international student herself, knows how transformational international education can be for both the student and New Zealand.

  

  “It brings the world to our home, if we can harness the cultural value that international students bring to New Zealand we will all grow as global learners,” she says.

  ENZ sees global citizenship as a way to bring shared understanding and learning between countries and cultures. Marc Doesburg, senior innovation advisor at ENZ, believes it offers new perspectives on the world, and a chance to question one’s own understanding. 

  “We give young people an opportunity to critique [their cultures] by going overseas, to see that things are done differently here.”

  International students are a significant source of income for education institutions and the New Zealand economy, contributing more than $5b in 2019. But for both ENZ and international students the benefits students bring New Zealand are far broader than a GDP injection.

  “I don’t want us just to be seen as bringing money – we bring culture, we bring international values…we want to know local people,” says Claire Lu, a Taiwanese student studying politics and international relations at Victoria University of Wellington.

  That works both ways – studying abroad was an “invaluable” experience for New Zealander Anna de Boer, who studied Mandarin in Shanghai as part of a Prime Minister’s Scholarship and has been back to China several times since. De Boer now works with international students at Victoria University of Wellington. She wants to reframe the narrative that international students “come here, take something, then go back to their home country.”

  There’s a huge benefit in how international students can take a piece of New Zealand home with them, and leave an important part of their own story behind in Aotearoa too, says De Boer. This builds long term relationships that have value far beyond the years they spend studying.

  This was originally published on The Spinoff as part of a content partnership between Education New Zealand and The Spinoff.

• New Zealand education in focus during Prime Minister’s trip to China

  Education elements featured strongly in the Prime Minister’s Trade Delegation to China helping raise the visibility of New Zealand as an education destination for Chinese students.

  To launch the trip, the delegation joined the Prime Minister at a Showcasing New Zealand event held at the New Zealand Embassy in Beijing to promote New Zealand as a travel and study destination. ENZ invited key media, influencers, and Chinese and New Zealand students to interact with the Prime Minister. This sparked significant local news coverage, amongst leading Chinese state media, setting the tone for the visit and highlighting the significance of international student exchanges between New Zealand and China. New Chinese media outlets also were seen covering New Zealand education as a topic for the first time.

  

  Group photo at Showcasing New Zealand event! (It was a kiwi bbq)

  The Prime Minister also gave an address at Peking University to students, media, and the New Zealand delegation. To read the full speech, please visit the Beehive website.

  

  Peking University is host to the New Zealand Centre. Established in 2007 as a collaborative project between Peking University and the University of Auckland, the New Zealand Centre at Peking University has grown to represent all eight of New Zealand’s universities and enable high-level engagement across a range of departments and faculties. During the visit to the University on 28 June, the Prime Minister, with Hao Ping, Chair of Peking University Council and Gong Qihuang, President of Peking University, the Ambassadors of New Zealand and China, and representatives of the New Zealand Centre launched the Rewi Alley Professorship.

  There were also other several significant developments in our bilateral education links with China that were achieved while there. These included:

  • Signing of the Arrangement on Mutual Recognition of Academic Qualifications in Higher Education between the Ministries of Education witnessed by Prime Minister Rt Hon Chris Hipkins and Premier Li.
    
    
  • Signing of a Strategic Partnership between Education New Zealand and Air New Zealand to support international education mobility and joint promotion in China. To read more, please visit the article on ENZ Collaboration with NZ Inc Agencies in China.
    
    
  • The education delegation meeting with the Vice-Minister of Education Chen Jie (responsible for international cooperation) and China Ministry of Education officials. The meeting underscored the importance of a strong government-to-government relationship and provided a chance to showcase the education sectors present within the New Zealand delegation and discuss areas of existing and potential cooperation.
    
    
  • A Sustainability Roundtable with a focus on education involving the education sector delegation and Chinese education partners.

  It was a busy, challenging, insightful and ultimately very rewarding week. The education delegates also shared their own feedback. John van der Zwan, Executive Director Schools International Education Business Association reflected that the mission to China was hugely valuable and a chance to get high level insights into working with Chinese officials and agents following the pandemic.

  “The mission was also a special opportunity to engage with the Prime Minister and other government officials on the role and importance of international education for our school sector,” he said.

  Executive Director of English New Zealand, Kim Renner, noticed the shift in how New Zealand is profiled in China compared to many years ago and echoed the response from other delegates that the visit was valuable for the representatives of the education sectors. 

  “China is a development market for most of our members, so it was a great opportunity for English language to be part of this important delegation, particularly the meetings with the Vice Minister of Education and JJL Overseas Education Agency.”

  “While seeing the country is a key part of study travel, we know that inbound students also want an immersive experience focused on people, cultural exchange and making connections. This was certainly showcased during the visit and was received very positively by all those we engaged with”,  added.

  ENZ would like to offer its sincere thanks and congratulation to everyone who was involved in the preparation and planning for the visit and gives special recognition to the education sector representatives on the Prime Minister Trade Delegation.  

• China and New Zealand discuss vocational collaboration

  New Zealand ITPs, PTEs and a delegation of 51 senior leaders from Chinese vocational education institutions attended the 6^th Annual Sino New Zealand Model Programme Symposium to share research and discuss collaboration in vocational education. 

  The symposium theme was fostering innovation and entrepreneurship skills in students at vocational and training institutions.

  The head of the Chinese delegation, Mr Chen Qiaming, Chair of Council at Szenshen Polytechnic, said innovation and entrepreneurship skills are vital to China’s Made in China 2025 strategy and that Chinese TVET institutions must cultivate these skills in its students. For this reason, many Chinese institutions are looking to collaborate with New Zealand institutions for teacher and student exchanges and assistance with curriculum development.

  It was apparent in discussions that Chinese delegates value New Zealand’s “integrated” multi-disciplinary approach and are keen to embed such approaches in their own education programmes. Besides an ongoing interest in vocational teacher training, there also seemed to be growing interest in work-readiness and English-language courses to help create an “internationalised” and employable workforce in China.

  China’s appetite for establishing its credentials as a provider of international education also continues to grow – a number of Chinese representatives said hosting international students from New Zealand was a key priority for them.

  ENZ’s Regional Director – China & North Asia, Adele Bryant, said the scale of Chinese representation there reflected the appeal of partnering with New Zealand.

  “China’s interest in pursuing new opportunities with our vocational institutions is a testament to our reputation for creating creative and innovative thinkers and developing soft skills required for the modern workforce – as evidenced by New Zealand’s ranking first in the world for preparing students for the future.”

  “It makes a lot of sense for our two countries to work together to leverage each other’s strengths.”

  Tony O’Brien, Sino NZ Model Programme Director, said it was very unusual to get such a large group of senior leaders from China in New Zealand for such an event. It was therefore excellent to have so many New Zealand providers represented at the conference to network and form relationships with their peers in China.

  ENZ Chief Executive Grant McPherson spoke at the forum, which was also attended by representatives from 11 New Zealand ITPs (NMIT, Weltec/Whitireia, SIT, WINTEC, UNITEC, Toi Ohomai, Otago Polytechnic, MIT, EIT, UCOL and NorthTec), four PTES (ACG, New Zealand Institute of Education, Tasman International Academies and Skills International), and delegates from the Industry Training Federation and New Zealand Council for Educational Research.

  The Sino NZ Model Programme is part of the Strategic Education Partnership Agreement between New Zealand and China. It is a vehicle for deeper and broader collaboration between the two countries’ professional and vocational education and training sectors.

• Japanese teachers tour Kiwi schools

  The 10 teacher participants were carefully selected from New Zealand education seminars in 2018. It was oversubscribed, showing strong interest among Japanese teachers wanting to learn about what makes New Zealand education special.

  In partnership with SIEBA and regional education bodies, the group visited four schools and enjoyed tourism activities in Hamilton, Cambridge, Rotorua, Taupo, Tauranga and Auckland including Te Puia, Huka Falls and the Waitomo Caves to show what each city offers students outside of the classroom.

  Misa Kitaoka, ENZ’s Senior Market Development Manager for Japan, said the teachers were very interested to learn about Kiwi’s different approaches to teaching.

  “A teacher from Tauranga Boys’ College showed us how Google Classroom was used in his class which was a great learning experience for the Japanese teachers as they transition from lecture style to more student-led learning,” said Misa.

  “NCEA offering subjects like food technology, creative arts and performing arts was also seen as a real strength of New Zealand’s secondary school education, as it supports creativity as well as students’ wellbeing.

  “The teachers were particularly impressed by the strong Māori influence in New Zealand schools.”

  An English language teacher from Hiroshima Jogakuin Junior and Senior High School noted, “During this tour, I was so impressed with Māori culture and their spirituality. I would very much like my students to enjoy the lovely experience that I had there, to learn what well-being is, and to find a path they can follow.”

  With Japan hosting the 2019 Rugby World Cup and 2020 Olympics and Paralympics, the Japanese government will be implementing education policies to promote English education, resulting in a strong interest from schools and universities across Japan to study abroad to learn English.

  “Since 2015, school teacher famils have resulted in an increase of 735 students,” said Misa.

  “These famils wouldn’t have been possible without our partnership with Air New Zealand. We are very interested in replicating it in the future for the tertiary sector.”

• ENZ to test new digital platform for improving students’ experiences

  “After two years of research and consideration, we have developed a world-leading digital solution to improve student experience outcomes wherever they study and live in New Zealand,” said ENZ Student Experience Director, Hayley Shields.   

  Hayley said ‘nau mai’ was both an invitation and a welcome in Māori and, in this instance, a call to action.  

  The platform, NauMai NZ, has been created in the spirit of manaakitanga – to welcome and respect our visitors, support them as they transition into a new country and culture, aid social inclusion and help them have the best possible experience whilst here.  

  “Students have consistently told us they require improved access to timely, accurate information, and guidance about the best places to find answers to their questions,” said Hayley. 

  “NauMai NZ will help international students get the pre-emptive information they need, and make suggestions to support them as they navigate daily life in their new home.” 

  The new platform will be rolled out in three phases. The first phase will help education providers to meet student needs by directing them to a single source of government information. Information on the site reflects the international student journey from pre-arrival and across the first six months. 

  “NauMai NZ is directed toward life, work and social connections beyond a school or campus – for example, information on housing and accommodation or the New Zealand accent,” said Hayley.  

  During the testing period, ENZ will invite a targeted group of students who are studying at a range of providers to engage with NauMai NZ as we prepare for its official launch.  

  NauMai NZ aligns with a key action in the International Education Strategy launched last August – to continue to improve the availability of clear, timely and customer-focused information about education and immigration to students and providers. 

  It also embodies the key objectives of the International Student Wellbeing Strategy, launched in June 2017, by providing content supporting and enhancing the social, cultural, community, health and wellbeing needs of international students. 

  “NauMai NZ is a distinctively New Zealand initiative, and will contribute to setting New Zealand apart as fully committed to the wellbeing of international students and ensuring they have a great experience here,” said Hayley.   

  “Stay tuned for announcements over the coming months – we will be sharing more once NauMai NZ is confirmed.”  

• ENZ Regional Partners Workshop lands in Queenstown

  This was ENZ’s twelfth Regional Partners Workshop, coordinated under ENZ’s Regional Partnership Programme which aims to ensure that regions throughout New Zealand increasingly share the benefits of international education.

  Jo Keane, ENZ Business Development Manager, said the workshops are a chance to bring together regional representatives of international education to receive professional development training and learn the latest news and updates from ENZ.

  “ENZ is committed to the development of international education in the regions. We work closely with our Regional Partners across 15 regions to grow value, deliver an excellent student experience and create global citizenship opportunities – in line with the goals of the International Education Strategy.

  “Of course, our regional partners need to ensure their local communities see the benefits of international education too. For this reason, a key focus of the latest workshop was empowering our regional representatives to ‘Tell the Story’ of international education in their communities, with a session on news media and communication skills.”

  The group also heard presentations from representatives of Destination Queenstown, Queenstown Resort College and Queenstown Lakes District Council on the opportunities and challenges for the region across tourism, infrastructure and international education.

  Representatives from the Secondary International Education Business Association (SIEBA) also presented, focussing on partnership with the regions.

• International students get behind Super Saturday vaccine drive

  A group of students showed their concern and social responsibility by telling their stories to The New Zealand Herald ahead of the Super Saturday vaccination drive on 16 October 2021.

  Education New Zealand Chief Executive Grant McPherson said it was great to see international students getting involved in the vaccination effort.

  “New Zealand reaching its 90% vaccination target will aid in our recovery and bring us one step closer to welcoming more international students to Aotearoa,” he says.

  “These are people who bring an array of benefits to community wellbeing, our global relationships, a productive workforce, a strong education system and enabling trade and diplomacy.”

• Incheon Metropolitan Office of Education deepens links in New Zealand

  The delegation from Incheon Metropolitan Office of Education East Asia Global Education Institute (Incheon MOE) travelled to Ngatea, Wellington, Canterbury and Otago – visiting providers from the schools, university and vocational education sectors. 

  

  The visit began with a visit to Ngatea to connect with Hauraki Plains College and Ngatea Primary School. 

  

  Observing the Agriculture Academy and trades-based courses at Hauraki Plains College.

  A key aspect of the delegation’s time in Ngatea was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Hauraki Plains College and four schools from Incheon: Sunin High School, Shinsong High School, Geomdan High School and Youngwha International Tourism High School.  

  The intent of the MoU is to strengthen educational ties between the schools, which includes a reciprocal exchange program.  

  The first of these exchanges will see 28 students from across the four Incheon schools visit Hauraki Plains College in October 2025, 28 students from Hauraki Plains College will then travel to Incheon in April 2026.   

  

  The delegation was formally welcomed to the Wellington with a Mihi Whakatau hosted by ENZ Chief Executive Amanda Malu, local staff and the Ministry of Education (MOE).

  In Wellington, the delegation received a detailed briefing from the Ministry of Education and visited Scots College to observe the school in action. 

  

  Scots College Junior School Principal, Rachael Huggins, showing the Incheon delegation around a primary-level classroom.

  Down to Christchurch, the Incheon delegation visited Lincoln University to fine-tune the details of an MoU signed in January this year. The partnership arrangement will support five Incheon students to study at Lincoln University each year.  

  

  Incheon delegate members with Lincoln University staff from the Faculty of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Faculty of Agribusiness and Commerce, Academic Preparation and Pathways and International Operations. 

  

  Waitākiri Primary School Principal Mr. Andrew Barker introduces a Year 6 long-term international student from Korea to the delegates. She shared how much she has enjoyed her time at Waitākiri Primary School and expressed her sadness that her year at the school is coming to an end. 

  The group visited Shirley Boy’s High School and Avonside Girls High School in Christchurch, with a side-visit organised with Waitākiri Primary School.  

  Further South, a visit was arranged with Otago Polytechnic in Cromwell to understand the pathways to vocational education in New Zealand. 

  Director of Incheon Metropolitan Office of Education East Asia Global Education Institute, Jooyong Kim, said visiting New Zealand schools was a truly meaningful and deepened delegates understanding of the education system.  

  “We hope this visit will help strengthen the relationship between schools in New Zealand and Incheon”. 

  “We look forward to future collaborative projects with New Zealand institutions,” he added. 

  Several of the schools visited have expressed interest in deepening these new relationships, with planning underway to keep up the momentum and connect again at ENZ-led fairs and agent seminars in Korea later this year.