Search

Showing 10 of 540 results for group registration

From Russia to New Zealand: "I've lived two different lives"

Home was Petropavlovks-Kamchatsy, on the far eastern seaboard of Russia, almost 7000km from Moscow, and the decision to leave was a relatively spontaneous one. “The whole experience was pretty surreal.”

He was introduced to the possibility of an education experience in New Zealand by ACG (Academic Colleges Group), which held a fair in his hometown back in 2008. “I had never heard of them visiting Russia before, let alone my hometown as it’s so remote.”

Andrey admits that at the time he wasn’t keen to stay on in Russia and “jumped at the opportunity” to come to New Zealand for a six-month stint in Year 13 at ACG Parnell College.

“Looking back on it, I really wanted to go somewhere far from home and different. I placed all my hope on it being a better place and it turned out that it was. That internal drive to explore took over and I followed my intuition.”

Student life provides connections

Having improved his English, Andrey went on to study for his Bachelor of Commerce in finance and economics at the University of Auckland, where he found his tribe. “Life in Russia did not resonate with me in the way that life in New Zealand did,” he says. “I think what was missing for me at home was the kind of openness and connectivity which is so apparent here.”

Coming to New Zealand I was exposed to other people’s perspectives and backgrounds, and I really connected with that.

"I felt a sense of belonging and that I could be who I am without judgement. Breaking away from being expected to fit a certain mould at home was a big thing for me.”

With new-found confidence and his degree completed, Andrey travelled the world on modelling contracts before “returning to the original plan” and establishing a career in e-commerce and project management.

And he has the perfect credentials for his current role at The Mind Lab, helping to launch Mission New Zealand, an online education portal aimed at international students. “It provides short courses and micro-credentials as a taster of what education in New Zealand is like and what it can provide. It’s a full circle moment for me.”

Mission New Zealand highlights what makes an education experience in Aotearoa unique through the lens of creativity, sustainability, tech innovation, and culture. “I think it puts us on the map in terms of global education.”

Looking back, Andrey says he would have loved the opportunity to access a platform like this as a student travelling to a foreign country, “to really get an understanding of what it’s like on the ground”. He says he is excited to see what impact Mission New Zealand can have.

Life-changing move

The decision to leave Russia for New Zealand has been life-changing for Andrey. He is now a citizen and knows his future lies here. “There is so much social and career mobility here and that’s exciting for me.”

He arrived determined to carve out a new path in life and he has certainly achieved that. “I have grown into a person who is more confident and assured, and not afraid to explore new opportunities.”

He now has plans to explore and better understand the significance of te ao Māori. “I want to immerse myself in that space. I love that in New Zealand there is more than one way of seeing the world. It is so important that there is an alternative perspective,” he says.

“I would like to get a deeper understanding of the tenets of te ao Māori, to see the challenges we are facing and the potential solutions through a different lens.”

His advice to students considering coming to New Zealand is to get fully immersed in the culture “and absorb it all”. “Don’t come to recreate what you had at home. If you do, you’ll miss huge opportunity for personal growth.”

Andrey says his life now looks nothing like his old life. “It’s like I’ve lived two different lives.” And he’s not done yet.

“Coming to New Zealand has drastically changed how I view myself in the world,” he says.“ Through international education you realise that your actions do matter, that you do have the potential to make a real impact. You start seeing yourself as an individual in a connected system.”

“Keep exploring is my motto for the future.”
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:
- AI and education with AUT Monday 15 May
- AI is here to stay: Its impact on online, flexible, and distance learn with FLANZ (Flexible Learning Association) and EdTechNZ Thursday 18 May at 11:00am – 12:00pm.
Survey shows that New Zealand is among top destinations for Brazilians who study abroad
Belta’s annual survey, sponsored by Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao (ENZ), was conducted between December 2022 and April 2023 with 763 students and 317 international education agents from all regions of Brazil surveyed to assess their perceptions of international education. The survey results were shared at a recent event in Sao Paolo with dozens of agents and media attending, in person and virtually, to hear about the survey’s latest findings.
ENZ’s Market Development Manager in Brazil, Bruna de Natale, delivered a short speech ahead of the results release. She said it was positive to see so much interest in the release of the survey results, especially when the results revealed that New Zealand continues to rank strongly as an international education destination amongst Brazilian students.
“In this most recent survey, New Zealand moved to seventh position on the list of top education destinations sought by Brazilians who studied abroad, compared to before the Covid-19 pandemic when it was in eighth place. The main reason driving country choice for the students surveyed is the quality of life – New Zealand ranks very well for the quality of life, education, and the protection of civil rights.
“The quality of teaching is another reason given by those surveyed when choosing New Zealand and 60% of participants rated the quality of our English schools and language programmes as good or excellent. It is fantastic to see that New Zealand continues to attract attention as a quality international education destination and it is certainly on the radar as a desired destination for future exchange students,” said Bruna.
Of the international education agents who were surveyed, 52.9% reported that the demand for students interested in New Zealand has remained stable since the borders reopened, while 20.6% recorded growth in interest. This group projects that the numbers of Brazilian students travelling to New Zealand will return to pre-pandemic levels in 2023 and 2024, with the highest flows expected for the first (35.3%) and second quarters of 2024 (32.4%), with demand increasing gradually from the first quarter of 2023.
For a copy of the full survey in English, please email belta@belta.org.br.

Bruna delivering an introductory speech at an event which released the results from Belta’s survey on international education.
Thai delegation signs MOUs with two NZ universities
Education New Zealand’s Manapou ki te Ao (ENZ) Programme Manager, Jaruwan Pongjaruwat, led the Thai delegation from Rajamangala University of Technology (RMUT) and Silpakorn University (SU). The delegation visited several universities and Te Pūkenga business divisions across both the North and South islands in the last week of May.
Jaruwan said that the main aim of the visit was to facilitate a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signing between RMUT and the University of Otago and between SU and the University of Canterbury. It also proved a good opportunity to further develop the relationship that these offshore partners have with Te Pūkenga.
“It was an absolute pleasure to accompany this group of senior officials from RMUT and SU around New Zealand. The visit gave the RMUT delegation members an opportunity to revisit institutions which they have previously partnered with for student and teacher mobility projects, including Wintec, Weltec and Otago Polytechnic.

RMUT and SU delegates see how Wintec manages engineering material and resources across different disciplines.

“It also provided an opportunity for our delegation to visit new education providers such as the University of Waikato and the University of Canterbury to learn more about the areas in which these institutions excel. They particularly enjoyed learning more about what each institution has to offer and seeing how New Zealand education providers link research to commercial products and services. On top of that, delegates also had the opportunity to visit Weta Workshops and have dinner at Bellamy's restaurant in The Beehive whilst in Wellington," said Jaruwan.

Thai delegates visiting the University of Canterbury’s Faculty of Engineering

It is hoped that this visit will lead to future projects in the areas of teacher development, articulation programmes, student mobility and a joint foundation programme. The joint foundation programme will now be extended to cover students studying science and health science, allowing students a pathway to all eight New Zealand universities.
Schools invited to join the Korea-New Zealand Digital School Exchange Programme
The programme, delivered in partnership with the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education (Seoul MOE) and Learn English Live (LEL), connects New Zealand students in Years 7-9 with their peers in South Korea through a series of interactive online exchanges.

Up to 10 New Zealand schools will be selected to take part. Each participating group will join four one‑hour Zoom sessions held weekly from 11 May to 8 June 2026. Sessions will be scheduled between 12pm and 3pm NZT to accommodate both time zones. Participation is free of charge.

The exchanges typically involve 20-25 students per school, matching the standard class size of Korean partner schools. New Zealand schools wishing to involve more students may form additional groups of around 20 students each.

ENZ and Seoul MOE work closely with LEL, which coordinates communication with participating schools, schedules exchange times, prepares teachers and students, and facilitates each session. Topics covered range from language and cultural sharing to UN Sustainable Development Goals projects, STEM activities and global citizenship themes. New Zealand teachers have consistently noted the benefit of not needing to prepare or deliver session content themselves.

Why join?
- Promote your school to a South Korean audience for free
- Showcase New Zealand’s unique education environment and culture
- Engage your students in a hybrid STEM and cultural exchange
- No added work to your teaching load – LEL takes care of all the admin and logistics, allowing you to simply show up with your classroom and enjoy the global learning experience
Teachers in previous rounds praised the programme for its smooth delivery and the enthusiasm it sparked in their classrooms, and the programme’s blend of STEM learning and cultural exchange has been highlighted as a key strength.

Check out the story from the previous programme here

Is this right for your school?

The programme is a great fit for schools looking to build long-term relationships with Korean partner schools, particularly those with strengths in social studies, cultural or global studies, languages or global citizenship education.

It also offers a valuable opportunity to promote your school in Korea in a meaningful, low-pressure and no-cost way that can attract potential international students over the long term.

Timeframes

Applications close: Friday, 20 March 2026, 11:59pm

Selection process: 23-25 March 2026

Notification of outcome: Wednesday, 25 March 2026

Next steps: Selected schools will receive a detailed guide from LEL from April 2026

Schools interested in joining the programme can submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) via the link provided or by scanning the accompanying QR code.

Submit your EOI here or scan the QR Code below.

If you have any questions, please contact ENZ’s Alana Pellow at alana.pellow@enz.govt.nz or Learn English Live’s William Clarke at info@learnenglish-live.com.
Supporting international education mobility in China with Tourism NZ and Air New Zealand collaboration
ENZ and Tourism NZ Launch the "New Zealand Study Tour Promotion Alliance" Initiative in South China
Tourism New Zealand and ENZ have been working closely together since 2020 to promote study tour programs for Chinese students and their families. This collaboration has had a positive impact, with a growing interest in short-term studies and family tours to New Zealand during the Chinese summer holiday period (this July and August). To further strengthen relationships with Chinese business partners, Tourism New Zealand recently launched the "New Zealand Study Tour Promotion Alliance" initiative, with support from ENZ.

From left to right: Sandy He – South China Manager, TNZ; Rachel Crump – NZ Consul General in Guangzhou; Grace Yao – Regional Trade Manager Greater China; Felix Ye, ENZ Guangzhou

The purpose of the "New Zealand Study Tour Promotion Alliance" is to tap into the potential for growth in this segment post COVID-19. The initiative offers students a short-term study tour experience, providing them with a glimpse into the New Zealand educational system and lifestyle. The alliance consists of ten selected members, including key partners such as K-12 schools and educational organisations directly or indirectly associated with K-12 schools in South China. These members include two provincial-level international education associations representing the public and international school sectors, an international school networking platform, and seven Chinese international/private schools. All ten members of the alliance have either sent students to Aotearoa New Zealand or have committed to promoting New Zealand as a study tour destination in the next three years. They will receive direct or indirect support from both Tourism New Zealand and Education New Zealand.
The official launch of the initiative took place on 21st June, with over 80 participants from the education and tourism industries invited. Rachel Crump, the New Zealand Consul-General in Guangzhou, officiated the ceremony and expressed her excitement about this cross-industry cooperation between Tourism New Zealand and Education New Zealand.
Rachel said “I have often participated in Tourism New Zealand and Education New Zealand events, but this is the first time I’ve participated in a joint event. This type of cross-industry cooperation is new and significant for both agencies.”
Michael Zhang, ENZ's Regional Director - Greater China, also said "As we reconnect following the three years of the pandemic, we invite Chinese students and their families, to come back to New Zealand and become an important bridge between our two countries again.”

Felix Ye, Rachel Crump, and Grace Yao took a group photo with the members of the Alliance

The initiative focuses on promoting a two to four-week New Zealand short-term study experience, which combines classroom study with a sightseeing holiday component. During the Chinese summer holiday, students attend one or two weeks of classroom study in a New Zealand school while their parents enjoy a holiday in the country. After the study part of the tour, families have the option to spend additional weeks in New Zealand. The initiative is expected to attract over 1,000 students plus their families to New Zealand during this July and August Chinese summer holiday period.

After the launch ceremony, the guests mixed and mingled, chatting and networking with each other

ENZ and Air New Zealand to develop strategic partnership for growth of international student sector in China
Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao and Air New Zealand have pledged to work together to develop a strategic partnership for the international student sector in China.

ENZ’s Felix Ye moderated the panel discussion with the Alliance members

The initiative was launched with the signing of a Statement of Intent at a special ceremony in Shanghai which was witnessed by Minister of Tourism, Hon Peeni Henare in Shanghai on 30 June during the Prime Minister’s Trade Delegation to China.
Both parties will seek to take advantage of existing cooperation and provide a framework for further potential areas to be developed.
These could include joint promotional and marketing efforts in China, as well as supporting student mobility from New Zealand-China partnerships, joint programmes, and institution to institution co-operation.

ENZ’s Chief Executive Grant McPherson and Air New Zealand’s General Manager – Asia Jonathan Zhang, sign a Statement of Intent at a special ceremony in Shanghai on 30 June during the Prime Minister’s Trade Delegation to China.
From the CE: Keeping the focus on NZ
Kia ora koutou,
It’s July and in New Zealand the middle of winter. Halfway through the year it’s a good time to reflect on how far we have come in a rapid six months. My first reflection is that it is great to have international students back in our communities, lecture theatres and classrooms. Since the borders reopened, we’ve seen good volumes of student visa applications, and those applications are reflected in steady growth in enrolments. While some parts of sector are doing better than others, the big picture is that learners are considering and choosing New Zealand as the place to come for a quality international education.
Having travelled to India, the US and Canada, and most recently China, alongside sector representatives, we should not underestimate how important this awareness and preference is. International education is hugely competitive. Competitors like Singapore and Ireland are not sitting still and we, collectively, need to keep New Zealand in front of the high-value students we want to attract.
In my opinion, the Prime Minister’s visit to China did just that. Education was a significant part of the itinerary and its importance as part of the bilateral relationship was mentioned in almost every engagement with the Government of China. The Prime Minister delivered an address at Peking University, and he had the opportunity to meet with alumni in a more informal environment. We also saw excellent coverage of the visit in key China media. China is an important partner market for New Zealand, and this was a very successful visit. A word of thanks to everyone involved in its organisation, the sector members of the delegation who travelled and everyone who participated. I know it was a mammoth task.
Another reflection I have is how pleasing it is to see young New Zealanders getting out into the world again as Prime Minister’s scholars. Reciprocity, as I am reminded when I am in market, is an important part of international education. Around 171 New Zealanders from 14 groups will travel to Asia and Latin America over the next year as part of the most recent Group round and the second round of individual scholarships will open next week.
As we look to what lies ahead, the theme of next month’s NEW ZEALAND INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION CONFERENCE KI TUA, Te Ara Ki Tua The pathway forward, will provide an immediate opportunity to focus on our future. Thanks in advance to the sector leaders who are speaking or running workshops in what looks to be a compelling programme at our 30th conference. KI TUA is our annual opportunity to get together as one and to listen, learn, discuss and importantly, network. Globally, we are a small participant and to build on the good start of the past six months we must continue to move forward together. I encourage you to attend and I look forward to meeting and talking with many of you in a few weeks.
Ki te kotahi te kakaho ka whati, Ki te kapuia e kore e whati
Alone we can be broken. Standing together, we are invincible
Ngā mihi nui,
Grant McPherson
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.
Summer holiday fun for Vietnamese students at the 2023 New Zealand Future Skills Camp
At this year’s camp, in addition to NZ EdTech Code Avengers which specialises in digital skills training, Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao (ENZ) also worked with another NZ Ed Tech company Chasing Time English, a digital platform that enhances English language learning through exclusive short films. Three local partners were involved to help promote and deliver training sessions for the students.
20 teams were shortlisted for the camps which ran from Saturday 24 June to Sunday 2 July 2023. The teams could participate in a variety of online and in-person group work and interactive activities, learning coding skills together with English skills for an intercultural environment. After the camps, the teams were required to work on a coding project themed “Making a creative and impressive 'Our Future Profile' Webpage introducing your team 15-20 years from now”.
The top eight teams with the most impressive webpages were then invited to present their products, in English, to a panel of judges on Sunday 16 July. The other teams from the 20 who were shortlisted were also invited to the Awards Ceremony held on Friday 7 July to receive certificates and announcement of the final results either in person or virtually.
His Excellency Mr. Scott James, New Zealand Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City, attended the Awards Ceremony. In his remarks, he said “All of the students here are already winners because you have not only surpassed many contestants to come this far, but you have also taken the courage to step out of your comfort zone and embark on this adventure to learn new skills.”
Assoc. Prof. Minh Nguyen, Head of Department Computer Science and Software Engineering at Auckland University of Technology, was one of the judges who evaluated the teams’ webpages and then the short-listed presentations. He commented: “It was an absolute pleasure to be a part of such an inspiring event. The creativity and innovation displayed by the teams was truly impressive.”
Ms. Karen Kemsley, Production Manager at Chasing Time English who taught students at online sessions, said: “I had a wonderful time with the NZ Future Skills Camp students. Everyone participated enthusiastically which made the classes both fun and engaging. They took every opportunity they could to share creative opinions and ideas while demonstrating excellent English language skills. They were an absolute delight!”
The 1st prize winning team, together with two 2nd prize winning teams went on to represent Viet Nam at the New Zealand – Asia Code Camp Day on 5 August with other students from Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea and Thailand.
NZFSC not only provided an exciting and meaningful summer event for the participating students, but also left both students and their parents with a very positive impression of Aotearoa New Zealand as an innovative, welcoming and beautiful destination for their potential international education plans.