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  • Prime Minister’s Scholarships to study in Asia and Latin America announced

    Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao (ENZ) Chief Executive Grant McPherson, today announced the names of 111 New Zealanders who will travel to destinations in Latin America and Asia for an international education experience on a Prime Minister’s Scholarship for Asia (PMSA) or Latin America (PMSLA).  

    Funds awarded for individuals in this scholarship round total $1.5 million.  
    The individual recipients are the second round of scholarships to be announced this year. The earlier round of scholarships was awarded to groups.

    The recipients will undertake study, research and internship programmes in fields such as business, language, indigenous rights, sustainable development and architecture for a minimum period of four weeks (Latin America) and six weeks (Asia) up to two years. The top Latin America study destinations for this round are Chile and Colombia, with Japan and the Republic of Korea most popular destinations in Asia among scholars.

    “The merit of our scholarship applicants continues to be impressive – we are proud to offer this opportunity for people to develop their inter-cultural skills, build networks and enjoy experiences abroad,” said McPherson. “We know they will make us proud to have them representing New Zealand in this important time of rebuilding and reconnecting with overseas partners.”

    “Interest for this programme continues to grow, building collective skills and understanding of different cultures helps our country show leadership in matters of significance for Asia and Latin America regions.”

    Māori Participation lifts significantly

    A group of Māori Prime Minister’s Scholarship alumni, Te Kāhui Kaupapa, have been working to raise access and participation for Māori. Participation in this round increased to 22% for PMSA and 17% of PMSLA recipients, compared to an average of 5% for PMSA and 8% for PMSLA rounds in 2016 to 2019. This is part of a wider programme of work to ensure the scholarship programme is more accessible to all New Zealanders over the age of 18, and that it delivers on our Te Tiriti obligations.

    The Prime Minister’s Scholarship programme aims to strengthen New Zealand’s ability to engage with key Asian and Latin American trading partners, improving the internationalisation of indigenous communities, New Zealand tertiary institutions, showcasing the strength and quality of New Zealand's education system and enhancing inter-cultural awareness and connections between New Zealand and other countries.  The scholarship offers flexible funding to support both short and long-term programmes including study abroad / exchange, internships, postgraduate study, and language programmes. 

    The scholarships programme is funded by the New Zealand Government and administered by ENZ.

    The PMSA was launched in 2013 and extended to Latin America in 2016. To date, there have been 2,879 PMSA and PMSLA scholarships awarded.

    There are two scholarship rounds each year, and applications for the next individual round will be held in August 2023. Many of the awardees are enrolled in universities across New Zealand, but this is not a requirement for the scholarship. Any New Zealand citizen or permanent resident over 18 can apply for a PMSA or PMSLA.

    More information on the application process can be found here.

    A full list of this round of scholars can be found here.

  • Indigenous Malyasian students learn about Te Ao Māori

    Scholastica Philip, who is of Kadazan descent, together with Diana Bah Said and Norazah Din, both of Semai ethnicity, have been studying the Te Ao Māori and Sustainability course on the Mission New Zealand online platform. 

    All three say they gained a great deal from the short course, which included an introduction to biculturalism, and the five stages of the design thinking process.  

    “Biculturalism in Aotearoa New Zealand is fascinating,” Norazah said. “We learned about Māori settling in New Zealand, and I really want to experience their culture and daily life if I have the chance in the future.” 

    Scholastica noticed some common themes around sustainability in Te Ao Māori, and the importance of nature and food in her Kadazan culture, which is from East Malaysia. 

    “We take care of nature as we take care of humans - we need to take care of all living things. 

    “There is an ancient story for Kadazan people about Huminodun, a very beautiful woman who sacrificed herself to create food and bring rain to stop the cursed drought season for her people. This story is about how closely we are connected with nature. 

    “We learned on the course that Māori and non-Māori are working together in New Zealand to achieve a sustainable ecological system – I love the concept,” Scholastica said. 

    Norazah and Diana also noted how important trees and rivers are in their distinctive Semai culture, which is based in North Malaysia.   

    “We have a very strong connection with nature - as much as we respect each other,” Diana said. 

    Norazah with a friend at the Festival of Langauge

    Scholastica and Diana at university in Kuala Lumpur

    Norazah and Diana are in their second year of study at Universiti Malaya, and Scholastica is in her third year.  

    Scholastica has also completed an introductory course in te Reo Māori, and you can hear her pepeha here.

    Ben Burrowes, Regional Director Asia for Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao (ENZ) says the Whakatipu Scholarships are funded by ENZ and Universiti Malaya. 

    “We are aiming to empower talented young indigenous students, support them with learning and exchange opportunities, and encourage knowledge sharing. 

    Scholastica at the Sabah Fiesta with a group of Thai buddies

    “This is the first year of the scholarship, and it’s great to see these students making the most of this opportunity.” 

    Read more about the Whakatipu Scholarships on the ENZ website here. 

    Read more about Mission New Zealand on ENZ’s New Products and Services website here 

     

  • Reconnecting with stakeholders in Japan 

    Across the two days, 68 representatives from education and travel agencies, schools, universities and ENZ’s education partners in Japan networked with 19 New Zealand education providers, regional representatives and edtech company, Chasing Time English, and heard updates from ENZ.  Networking opportunities included one-on-one meetings, and a reception at iki, a newly opened New Zealand-themed roastery and eatery in Tokyo. Key Japanese partners including ENZRA agents, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, and ENZ’s Education Cooperation Partners: Tokyo Metropolitan Board of Education, Japan Women’s University and Waseda University attended the event.

      

    In terms of market trends, Misa Kitaoka, ENZ’s Director of Education in Japan, noted the increasing demand for “one term school study” in New Zealand, which can be attributed to changes made in admission requirements by the Japanese universities.  

    “With the Japanese government’s internationalisation efforts, more and more universities in Japan are now adopting a holistic assessment of applicants, based on their high school grades, English language skills, extracurricular activities, and essays, in addition to the traditional written exams,” Ms Kitaoka says.  

    “Students who study abroad have a competitive advantage in these assessments – their English and communication skills improve, and they gain a wide range of life experiences overseas. With this new trend, we are expecting to see more secondary schools sending their students for one term or longer to New Zealand, to help them prepare for admission to university.”  

    Japanese agents and educators are also interested in New Zealand’s full Bachelor’s degree programmes, given the increasing number of bilingual Japanese/English students in Japan. With more International Baccalaureate (IB) schools (the Japanese government’s current target is 200 IB schools) and the improvement of English language education in Japan, more students in Japan are prepared to apply directly to New Zealand tertiary institutions after finishing high school.  

    “We are excited to work with ENZ to start an annual, outbound group study programme for our affiliated schools,” Ryohei Matsuoka from the International Office at Waseda University said. “We are planning to send more than 70 Waseda high school students to Manawatu and Hawke’s Bay in March 2023. With Waseda’s increasing interest in New Zealand’s tertiary education, the programme will incorporate visits to tertiary institutions in addition to study at secondary schools.”  

    ENZ and Air New Zealand are co-hosting and co-funding a “famil” for the executive members of Waseda University and its affiliated schools in late November, visiting schools and tertiary institutions in the two regions mentioned above.  

    Due to Japan’s border restrictions which were in place until October, and the ongoing Covid-19 restrictions, ENZ did not undertake a student-facing event this year, and is planning to restart student fairs in 2023.

     

    Social media coverage of the stakeholder events was well received and generated a high level of engagement. 

  • Japanese teachers experience New Zealand’s regional schools

    “Waseda University and its affiliated schools are longstanding and valued partners for us,” says Misa Kitaoka, Director of Education in Japan for Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao (ENZ). 

    “It’s exciting to see the strong regional focus they have chosen for their students’ study in New Zealand in 2023 and hear about the planned growth of the programme.”  

    Waseda University schools will be sending up to 60 students on a group programme to schools in Manawatū and Hawke’s Bay for two weeks in March 2023. The two regions were selected to receive students after taking part in an Expression of Interest process. Close to 80 students have already applied to take part, and Waseda plans to increase the number of participants to 100 from 2024, and to increase the length of their visit in future years.  

    ENZ hosted the familiarisation tour (famil) to Manawatū and Hawke’s Bay from 21- 25 November 2022. Four Tokyo schools took part alongside Waseda University: Waseda University Senior High School, Waseda University Honjo Senior High School, Waseda Jitsugyo High School and Waseda Saga Junior and Senior High School. The famil was co-funded by ENZ and Air New Zealand, and Palmerston North City Council and Learning Hawkes Bay played a major role in helping to organise visits to 14 different education providers.  

    “Through the five-day famil, our regional and institutional partners demonstrated their strengths and uniqueness,” says ENZ’s Director Marketing and Strategies, Patrick Holden, who travelled with the delegation.  

    “Delegates commented on how welcome they felt and how impressed they were to see indigenous Māori language and customs being incorporated into the school curriculum.   The manaakitanga shown by the different institutions was well received, especially the pōwhiri.”   

    The delegation is welcomed with a powhiri at Napier Girls High School

    Misa Kitaoka stressed the importance of destination marketing with support from regional partners.  

    “While decision-making tends to be institution-led in the tertiary sector, decisions for the school sector are often led by the region or city. This famil was a great opportunity for us to showcase the regions first, followed by the education offerings available in the regions.  

    “Japanese school students, parents and educators are also interested in cultural experiences in New Zealand beyond education, including the opportunities to interact with local students and host families, and to embrace New Zealand’s cultural values of diversity and inclusion. 

    “While video-calling offers many benefits and has been vital across the pandemic, bringing famils back into the country means our offshore stakeholders can experience first-hand what New Zealand has to offer. Regional involvement will play a key role in building long-term reciprocal relationships for Aotearoa.”  

    For more on ENZ’s education partnership with Waseda University and its affiliated schools, please click here.   

    For more on the value of short-term programmes for international students in New Zealand and the potential benefits to New Zealand and the educator sector, check out this recent Spinoff article: How educational exchange fosters more than just learning | The Spinoff  

    Hamish Cooper, NZ Ambassador to Japan, and ENZ staff Misa Kitaoka, Patrick Holden and Ben Burrowes called on the President of Waseda University, Dr Aiji Tanaka and Prof. Kate Elwood, Dean of Centre for International Education recently to congratulate Dr Tanaka on his reelection as the 18th President of Waseda University

     The delegation was welcomed on to the Central Hawkes Bay College Marae where they were given background about the history of the marae and given a quick fire class in flax weaving

    Waseda delegation outside Awatapu College

  • ENZ hosts annual TEI Manaaki Scholarship workshop 

    For the next two days (14-15 September) participants from all eight universities and Te Pūkenga will be reviewing good practice and experiences in sessions led by speakers from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT), the Manaaki Scholarships team at Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao (ENZ), Manaaki scholar alumni and the Skills Consulting Group.  

    The workshop is the first to be hosted by ENZ since it took over operational management of the scholarships programme from MFAT last November. The Manaaki Scholarships represent the New Zealand government’s single largest investment in international scholarships and have been awarded for more than 70 years.   

    ENZ Manaaki Scholarships Manager, Julia Moore said the programme had been designed to ensure the maximum interaction between participants and presenters.  

    “It is an opportunity for all parties to come together, track progress achieved since the change in management, plan ahead for the future and share experience in key areas such as admissions processes, orientation and pastoral care.” 

    Speaking at the opening of the workshop, ENZ Manukura – Chief Advisor Māori, Ed Tuari said the best way to honour and build on past achievement was by continuing the development of the Manaaki Scholarships as a world-class scholarship programme. 

    “Manaaki is about integrity, trust, reciprocity, and sincerity. It is about the way you respect a person and acknowledge who they are and where they come from that honours them and keeps your reputation and integrity intact.” 

     

    “Manaaki is not a single act of hospitality; it is a culture of care and respect.” 

  • 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

  • From the CE: 2023 is off to a flying start

    Following the appointment of Chris Hipkins to Prime Minister, last week we welcomed our new Minister of Education, Jan Tinetti. Minister Tinetti knows education well. She has over 20 years as a primary school principal, in four schools across Southland and Tauranga. She also holds a Diploma in Teaching (Primary), a Bachelor of Education and Master’s in Education with First Class Honours, from the University of Canterbury.  

    Both appointments are good news for international education. We have both a Prime Minister with rich knowledge and appreciation for the many benefits that international education brings working alongside a Minister of Education who has significant education experience. 

    The first month of the year saw significant announcements in China, an important partner country. The first was the change to the Zero-COVID policy, followed shortly after with the decision by the Chinese qualification recognition agency to revert to pre-COVID settings for online qualifications. Chinese students were already returning to study in New Zealand and these announcements will encourage this further.   

    In response to these changes in China our team collaborated with Tourism New Zealand to drive awareness of New Zealand as a short-term study destination. Late last year we put the New Zealand education brand back on the map in Colombia with an important event in Bogota. I am also excited to see the relaunch of the New Zealand Schools Scholarships – our flagship initiative for Viet Nam.  

    The first month of the year also saw our first iwi-led Prime Minister’s Scholarship for Asia recipients (Te Piriru Marae, Ngāti Maniapoto) travelling to Hokkaido for six weeks, forging connections with the indigenous Ainu people of Japan. There will be more on this in next month’s ENews.  

    While I’m on the subject of the Prime Minister’s Scholarships the most recent round of applications saw a significant and very pleasing increase in Māori participation to 22 percent up from five percent from 2016 to 2019. We are eager to continue this increase and will be partnering with iwi to raise it further in the March group application round. 

    After the challenges of the past couple of years, a flying start was exactly what we needed and I am very pleased that is what we have.  

    Waiho i te toipoto, kaua i te toiroa  

    Let us keep close together, not wide apart. 

    Ngā mihi nui, 

    Grant McPherson  

  • Prime Minister's Scholarships for Asia help students from New Zealand and India to showcase a unique cross-cultural collaboration

    The students travelled to India and for five weeks, worked with local students from Indian fashion powerhouse Pearl Academy and artisans from Kala Raksha, an NGO in Kutch, Western India. Collectively they produced a collection of garments, which reflected a philosophy from the past to everyday life. The work helped students and artisans to develop an understanding of different cultural values and ability to think creatively and collaboratively. 

     “We are thrilled to have 15 Prime Minister’s Scholarship recipients from Whitecliffe College visit India and take this opportunity to collaborate with Pearl Academy students in fashion and sustainability.” said David Pine, New Zealand High Commissioner to India. 

    “New Zealand and India hold strong education ties and the Prime Minister’s Scholarship for Asia symbolises the New Zealand government’s commitment to further strengthen bilateral ties between both countries.” 

     Administered by Education New Zealand | Manapou ki te Ao, the Prime Minister's Scholarships for Asia is a unique scholarship programme that enables the rich exchange of language, culture, skills and opportunities. It not only highlights New Zealand government’s commitment to help grow strong connections between young New Zealanders and Indians but fosters global citizens by inspiring students to take action on pressing issues affecting the world.  

     Since 2013, the Prime Minister’s Scholarship for Asia and Latin America have enabled more than 2,400 New Zealanders to broaden their horizons through life-changing learning experiences in Asia and Latin America. Applications are open until 23 April for the 2023 group scholarship round. To find out more about the Prime Minister's Scholarships for Asia and Latin America, visit our website here. 

  • 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. 

     

     

  • Continuing the discussion on the impact of AI on education

    Since ChatGPT’s (Chat Generative Pretrained Transformer) launch in November last year, the Artificial Intelligence (AI) tool has featured heavily in headlines around the world, sparking conversations from boardrooms, to classrooms, and around the dining room table. Discussions on the significant impact this tool and future AI technology is having on how we teach, assess, and support our students here in New Zealand’s education system are happening in all areas of our sector, including here at Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao (ENZ), 

    A particular discussion during a recent EdTechNZ panel webinar on Artificial Intelligence and the impact on Education, looked at where educators may want to focus their valuable time now that generative AI platforms are available. For example, do educators want to spend their time researching topics, analysing data, and producing unique activities of work, or spend it on building meaningful relationships and place-based experiences with and for learners; gaining insights into learners’ interests, engaging in critical thinking activities and deepening learners experience of and outcomes in education? 

    Following EdTechNZ’s interesting and successful March webinar which can be viewed here; Artificial Intelligence and the impact on education, ENZ hosted an in-person seminar at our Tāmaki Makaurau offices in late April. This seminar's purpose was to look deeper at how this emerging technology is changing the way we learn, teach, and innovate. 

    Professor Ian Watson, recent past professor at the University of Auckland, spoke to a group from across the education spectrum including secondary schools, Private Training Establishments, EdTech founders, Education Publishers, Google, about AI and its impact on education.  

    Professor Watson is considered an AI pioneer with 30+ years in the AI machine learning environment and reflected on the history of AI, including that it is not a new or sudden phenomenon, and its progress over time.  

    “AI imitates intelligence and is great at the specific but not so much the general. For example, aircraft use AI to be able to perform extremely specific flight tasks, but it will never be able to suggest a recipe and cook it!”, Professor Watson said.  

    “Within education, AI will certainly provide value in routine, mundane and repetitive tasks such as grading, lesson planning, report writing but in the hard and difficult tasks such as developing a universal design for learning and differentiated or targeted learning, it has its flaws. It is not always factually correct and still needs a human to educate it”. 

    Professor Watson also talked about how important it is, critical even, to teach learners how to use these tools, so they are empowered. Such tools include the likes of AI4K12 for K-12 learners. 

    Anyone looking for more insights and conversations about AI should check out the TechWeek23 programme with over 400 in person and online events to be hosted from 13 – 20 May.  

    Techweek AI focussed online events of note include:  

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