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Lifeswap premiere celebrates friendship between New Zealand and Germany
The final two episodes of the cult-hit webseries Lifeswap, ‘Laughing Matters’ and ‘Die Brücke’, concluded the animated adventures of Duncan and Jörg – the German and Kiwi friends who helped one another understand a new culture.
‘Laughing Matters’ tells the story of Jörg, who had an excellent experience in New Zealand, and (due to his preparedness for the future) was accepted into one of New Zealand’s most innovative and technologically advanced companies ‘Rockets R Us’.
The episodes were commissioned by ENZ and the Germany Embassy respectively.
“We were very fortunate to be able to celebrate Lifeswap with its creators Steffen Kreft – who was himself an international student at Massey University in Wellington – and William Connor, and their many fans at a live event at Wellington’s Embassy Theatre,” ENZ Chief Executive Grant McPherson said.
“After a year of restricted international travel and very few in-person events, it was a reminder that global education connection and cooperation has not stopped.
“The Lifeswap series highlights how the longstanding friendship between New Zealand and Germany transcends the situation we find ourselves in. It is a very powerful example of international education relationships keeping New Zealand globally connected while travel is limited.”
Following the launch of Laughing Matters – which built on the success of the first joint ENZ Lifeswap episode Group Effort in which Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern had a cameo appearance – the partnership is also being shared with key partners and audiences in Germany as part of ENZ's Americas, Middle East and Europe Education Week.
To leverage the popularity of the new episode and the wealth of the important topics it deals with, ENZ is working with a PR agency in Germany to tell this positive story more widely.
The PR engagement will involve a mix of approaches, including traditional media, social media and partnering with influencers, to ensure we reach a wide audience on all relevant channels.ENZ General Manager – International, Lisa Futschekworked with Kreft and Connor for months on ‘Laughing Matters’.
“It’s a great fit for Education New Zealand to be working with such creative people who are telling a fantastic story about the friendship between New Zealand and Germany.”
Also in attendance was the German Ambassador to New Zealand, his Excellency Stefan Krawielicki.
In his speech to the audience, the Ambassador noted how the humour of Lifeswap allows New Zealanders and Germans to laugh at themselves, and understand our differences.
“It’s such an enriching experience for young people to go to New Zealand – or for young people to go to Germany – and learn about different approaches and shared values,” he said.
“Education is a bridge builder and makes young people [become] lifelong ambassadors.”
Lifeswap dates back to 2013, when creators and partners Kreft and Connor began to work together, pooling their considerable skills in language, animation, and cultural competency.
The pair said at the premiere that while they’re sad to leave Duncan and Jörg behind, their story is complete.
“It’s probably a little bit like what parents feel like when their kids are going to study overseas,” Kreft says.
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Inviting expressions of interest for the Tokyo Global Friendship programme
For the fourth year in a row, Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao (ENZ) is pleased to invite expressions of interest (EOI) for the opportunity for eight students (ages 14-18) and one teacher to join the Tokyo Global Friendship programme hosted by Tokyo Metropolitan Board of Education from 4-11 July 2026.
Tokyo Global Friendship Programme | 4 – 11 July 2026
Teachers are invited to submit a group EOI (one application per school) by Friday 6 March.
Note:
Schools must be signatory to Code of Pastoral Care.
The accompanying teacher must be from the same school as the students and will need at least conversational Japanese.
Students and the accompanying teacher must be New Zealand Citizens and have a valid passport, with a minimum of six months available from the date of travel, before expiry.When will teachers be notified on the status of their school’s EOI
Teachers who submit a completed EOI for their school by Friday 6 March will be notified by Wednesday 11 March if successful. They will have until Thursday 2 April to submit their full application form which will be sent on to the Tokyo Metropolitan Board of Education.
Visit this link to read FAQs before submitting an EOI
Visit this link for an overview of the programme and to submit your EOI
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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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Big audience for ECE symposium streamed live from China
The New Zealand-China Early Childhood Education Symposium streamed live from Qingdao in Shandong Province in September, attracting an audience of around 24,000 viewers on a Chinese language streaming service, 170 at the venue and dozens more online from Norway, Mexico and Turkey.
The audience for the symposium, organised by Education New Zealand, has grown 20-fold since the first event in 2020, proving the appeal of events streamed in several languages.
The theme of this year’s symposium was the best practice for developing high-quality early childhood education (ECE) teachers.
Data from 2020 show there were over 48 million children enrolled in Chinese kindergartens and a shortage of nearly 300,000 full-time ECE teachers.
Delegates heard from New Zealand experts at the Ministry of Education, the University of Auckland, the Open Polytechnic, AUT, Te Rito Maioha Early Childhood New Zealand and Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology.
Toi Ohomai presenter Dr Rosemary Richards spoke from New Zealand on how to interact with children on visual art. She welcomes chances like these to share her work with a large and diverse audience.
“In this increasingly globalised world of education, it is important for educators to find ways to have meaningful connections that extend our intercultural and professional understandings,” Dr Richards says.
“The online symposium and live streaming also allowed for connections with wider communities and audiences that are not possible in traditional formats. Perhaps our future holds more potential for a combination of both.”
ENZ worked with the China Ministry of Education and the China Centre for International People-to-People Exchange to organise the symposium.
Local organisers included the Qingdao Municipal Education Bureau, the China National Society of Early Childhood Education, the Qingdao Preschool Education College and the Shanghai Institute of Early Childhood Education under Shanghai Normal University.
New Zealand and China collaborate on early childhood education under the mechanism of the Joint Working Group on Education and Training, last held in February 2021.
Want to know more about the symposium or upcoming ENZ initiatives in China? Contact China@enz.govt.nz
The University of Auckland’s Dr Marek Tesar and Dr Kiri Gould gave a keynote presentation on the pathway to becoming an ECE teacher. Audience members could scan the QR code on the screen to connect on WeChat.
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Patrick Au: a champion for international students in New Zealand
Disclaimer: This story was originally published on New Look, which was also operated by Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao. It has been republished here to ensure wider access and visibility.
He has spent more than two decades working with international students and Asian migrants in primary and tertiary healthcare settings, understanding their mental health needs and advocating on their behalf.
Patrick is a registered psychiatric nurse and counsellor who migrated from Hong Kong in 1991, completed his Master’s in Education in 1999, and has worked tirelessly to support Asian communities in New Zealand. He is now stepping down from his role as Asian Mental Health Coordinator for the Auckland District Health Board to commit more time to private practice.
It was Patrick’s emerging reputation for specialty expertise which led to the International Education Association ISANA asking him in 2010 to prepare a presentation to international education providers about the mental health needs of international students. This was quickly followed by a contract with the Ministry of Education to present a series of workshops nationally.
“I was overwhelmed by people calling me and asking me for advice,” Patrick says. “This is where I seriously started my work with international students.”
In more recent years, Patrick has been a key player in the Auckland Agencies Group, which brings together multiple organisations with the common goal of enhancing student wellbeing.
The issues which international students can face vary, depending on their age and stage of education. For younger school students it can be homesickness and lack of parental guidance. Older students also face settlement issues but can have the added pressure to succeed.
“People come here to study and so they need to be successful,” he says. “From an Asian perspective, we are a collectivist society. Your success is not just for yourself, the grades and glory are for your family too. If you are successful at your study you are acknowledged as a successful person, but what if you’re not able to finish your study? The pressure is on you.”
Prevention and awareness key to mental wellbeing
Patrick is a great believer in the importance of awareness and prevention when it comes to mental wellbeing and says New Zealand has made good progress with the availability of resources which students can access on campus, through workshops, and online. Support services are widely established, and the International Students Wellbeing Strategy ensures government agencies work together to support international students to feel safe, well, and welcome in New Zealand.
“Most Asian cultures believe the body and mind are not separated. So we need to address the root cause of problems in behaviourial terms - how to adapt to the new environment, how to get better sleep, how to cope with exam pressure, how to eat well, rather than talking about mental health. When they hear these two words they will withdraw from you,” he says.
“There is very limited mental health education in the students’ home countries, but with all the online resources available here students are researching the issues. There is much wider awareness, and sometimes it is friends who recognise issues and offer peer support in seeking help.”
Patrick knows that some students come up against cultural intolerance and misunderstanding but says that New Zealanders have come a long way since the early days of the international education sector in understanding the challenges which international students can face, but also the contribution they make to society here.
International students talented and motivated to contribute
“International students bring cultural diversity and increase cultural awareness among New Zealanders,” Patrick says. “The students who come here are quite talented and motivated to contribute. Once they have completed their education, they can contribute in many ways."
“International students bring cultural diversity and increase cultural awareness among New Zealanders” – Patrick Au, mental health expert and international student advocate
International students can be the bridge between their home country and New Zealand. If you want to do business in these countries, international students can play an important role as they often act as informal ambassadors for New Zealand and can open doors to business.
New Zealanders are also contributing to their success by creating a nurturing environment for them to complete their studies. Over the years we have seen lots of successful international students who have started working and contributing to the New Zealand economy after completing their education.
“If they have a positive experience, they are also instrumental in encouraging other students from their home country to come to New Zealand. I think it is a win-win situation.”
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NZ Schools Scholarship Programme offers exciting study path for Vietnamese students
The New Zealand Schools Scholarships (NZSS) is a scholarship programme offered exclusively for Vietnamese students in grades 8 – 10. Since it was first launched in 2019, many young Vietnamese students have studied at New Zealand schools across the country thanks to the support of this Programme. Many of these students have gone on to secure scholarships at prestigious universities in New Zealand and other countries, achieving notable success on their academic paths.
Applications for NZSS 2024 were accepted between 22 January to 17 March 2024 and after several screening rounds, 14 NZSS winners were selected. Each scholarship provides a 50% subsidy on the full-year school tuition fees of the first year of study at a New Zealand secondary school.
A standout aspect of this year’s programme was the dual-opportunity scheme in which aspiring candidates who did not receive the NZSS were able to be considered for other scholarships offered by New Zealand schools. This saw an additional four students awarded other school scholarships bringing the total number of school scholarship awardees to 18.
The group of scholarship winners on the stage at the Awards ceremony.
On 9 June, Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao (ENZ) organised the Awards Ceremony and Pre-Departure Briefing to recognise the scholarship winners as well as provide information in preparation for their journey ahead. Mr. Scott James, New Zealand Consul General in Viet Nam, attended and delivered a welcome remark, in which he emphasised the mutual respect and understanding that New Zealand and Viet Nam’s relationship is built upon.
Mr James added that “this scholarship programme signals the New Zealand Government’s continuing commitment to growing the relationship between our two countries.”
From left to right, Mr Ben Burrowes. ENZ’s Acting General Manager - International, NZSS Scholarship winner, Ngoc Han, and Mr. Scott James, New Zealand Consul General in Viet Nam.
Mr. Ben Burrowes, ENZ’s Acting General Manager – International, was also present at the event and awarded the winners a scholarship certificate and offered his congratulations. In his speech he reflected that the first eight months of 2023 saw school enrolments of Vietnamese students increase over that of 2022 to a total of 286.
“Given the care that every parent takes when deciding where their children should continue their education, the rebound for school students following the pandemic naturally took a little longer.
“We know that this number will continue to increase as life resumes its normal pattern, especially as parents look to the future, and what is best for their child’s development and education,” said Mr Burrowes.
For the pre-departure briefing, ENZ provided a brief presentation, followed by former NZSS winners, Thuy Truc (2023), Thao Nguyen (2023) and Tuan Minh (2019) sharing their study experiences with the audience. Representatives from the Vietnamese Students Association in New Zealand, Ms. Trang from HHT magazine who joined the New Zealand familiarisation trip in 2023, and Mr. Phu & Ms. Ngoc – parents of students who are currently studying in New Zealand also spoke.
Feedback from parents and students received by ENZ after the event was positive, with many commenting on how welcome and proud they felt as scholarship winners. We look forward to welcoming these students to New Zealand very soon!
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ENZ unleashes the potential of Prime Minister’s Scholarships alumni
The first-ever event for alumni of the Prime Minister’s Scholarships for Asia and Latin America was hosted by Education New Zealand in November 2021.
The scholarships, administered by ENZ, enable New Zealanders to study, research or intern in Asia or Latin America. Since 2013, more than 2,400 group and individual scholarships have been awarded.
The virtual event – Hono Mai: a call to connect – drew together alumni from all walks of life, based in New Zealand and around the world.
They heard guest speakers from the Asia New Zealand Foundation and the Latin America New Zealand Business Council, held speed networking sessions in small groups on the EventsAir platform, and joined in challenges and trivia questions.
ENZ’s Global Citizens Manager, Carla Rey Vasquez, says the event was designed and driven by alumni, for alumni.
“Our global citizenship work aims to equip New Zealanders with the competencies to engage with the wider world, build connections with people from other countries and cultures, and take action on the things that matter to them.
“Alumni have so many rich, diverse relationships around the world which can be used to support and uplift each other. Hono Mai is about sharing those relationships to help alumni achieve their own goals within their own communities,” she says.
One of the alumni involved in organising the event was Robyn Scrimshaw, who studied Chinese law and language in Shanghai with a Prime Minister’s Scholarship for Asia in 2014.
“Everyone had such a great experience on the trip; the event was about bringing that magic together and connecting everyone’s experiences in one place,” she says.
Now working as an urban planner in Tauranga, Robyn still draws on her experience of “different perceptions of public and private spaces” in the Chinese cities she visited.
Plans are underway for more networking events for Prime Minister’s Scholarships alumni in 2022.
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Patrick Au: a champion for international students
Patrick is a registered psychiatric nurse and counsellor who migrated from Hong Kong in 1991.
He has been working with Asian migrants and international students in primary and tertiary healthcare for more than 20 years – most recently as the Asian Mental Health Coordinator for the Auckland District Health Board. He is now moving into full-time private practice.
ENZ’s Director of Student Experience and Global Citizens, Sahinde Pala, says Mr Au’s mahi (work) has been of incredible value to international students.
“Patrick has worked tirelessly to highlight issues and barriers for international students in the mental health system and has been a trusted advisor as initiatives and policies have developed over the years.
“He has been a respected member of the Auckland Agencies Group chaired by ENZ, which works on student wellbeing, and a key figure during the development of the International Student Wellbeing Strategy.
“At ENZ we have also been privileged to be able to call on Patrick’s services as we develop new content for our NauMai NZ platform for international students in New Zealand.
“We are sad to see him move on from the ADHB but grateful that he’s remaining in mental health support.
“We would like to thank Patrick for his enormous contribution to the international student community over the years and wish him all the best for his next chapter,” says Ms Pala.
He taonga rongonui te aroha ki te tangata
Kindness to all people is a great treasure -
Showcasing New Zealand education at Expo Dubai
Representatives from the University of Waikato, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand education technology company ByteEd and Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao met with key contacts and forged new relationships during their 22-25 January 2022 visit to the Expo.
Events were hosted at the New Zealand Pavilion, and the delegation invited education stakeholders to take a new look at what New Zealand education has to offer, including online and pathway options. Attendees heard more from New Zealand’s universities and vocational training sectors, learned about government-to-government opportunities, and met with innovative New Zealand EdTech companies working in the region. The winners of the Global Kaitiakitanga Project, a sustainability-focused programme for New Zealand schools created by the NZ at Expo team and Young Enterprise (YES), also shared their student experience.
Guests at our events gained an insight into New Zealand’s unique cultural identity, with a tour through the New Zealand experience at the pavilion and performances from locally based kapa haka group Ngāti Koraha.
The leader of the education delegation, ENZ’s Regional Director, Americas, Middle East and Europe, Amy Rutherford, was interviewed by New Zealander Brandy Scott on the popular business breakfast show Dubai Eye. The interview aired on 24 January, to coincide with UNESCO’s International Day of Education.
While in Dubai, the delegation took part in the launch of NCUK’s International Foundation Year (IFY) at the University of Wollongong in Dubai. The IFY programme will lead to UAE and other students from Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and further afield studying at any of New Zealand’s eight universities in 2023 and beyond.
ENZ also held a workshop with delegates to look at ways to align our efforts in the GCC countries and wider Middle East region.
Expo is the largest global event to take place since the Covid-19 pandemic began. As at the end of January, organisers had recorded 11,608,240 visits to Expo, and the New Zealand Pavilion had over 750,000 visitors.
“It was important for ENZ and delegation members to show up and tell the New Zealand education story to the world. New Zealand remains keen to cooperate with partners on education, we have innovative ways to offer a New Zealand education, and we are looking forward to welcoming students to New Zealand again as soon as border restrictions allow,” Amy Rutherford says.
If you are interested to hear more about how ENZ can support your organisation’s approach in the region, please contact Bronwyn Shanks, ENZ’s Senior Advisor – Special Projects, Middle East and Europe, bronwyn.shanks@enz.govt.nz.
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Around the world in five
United Kingdom
British Council examines future of English language learning
English will remain the world’s most widely spoken language over the next decade driven by employment and higher education trends, and teachers will continue to be at the heart of learning despite the rise of AI and automation, according to a new publication by the British Council.
United States
New forecast warns that US is falling behind in the global race for talent
A new HolonIQ analysis focused on the US and its competitive position relative to other leading study abroad destinations finds that within the total global international education market, the US is losing share of foreign students to Australia, Canada, and the UK.
Canada
Dalhousie University - New study abroad course takes 14 Indigenous students to Aotearoa-New Zealand
A group of Indigenous students from Dalhousie have embarked on a two-week study tour of New Zealand that will transport them deep into the country's rich Māori history and culture.
India
Dishonest players in India are 'damaging' industry reputation
Education counsellors across India say duplicitous players in the international education market are having a seriously negative impact on the sector, with one senior counsellor describing the situation as “supremely unethical”.
Netherlands
Netherlands outlines plans to control international student flows
The Dutch education minister has written to universities to outline plans for controlling international student numbers, including a central management system, tools for ministerial intervention, strengthening of the Dutch language and targeted instruments on programmes to control flows.
