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• Reconnecting New Zealanders to the world

  

  Where does international education fit in?

  Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced a plan to reconnect New Zealanders to the world in 2022. 

  This framework is based on being able to maintain the elimination strategy, alongside a high coverage of vaccination, strong confidence in our system and a phased approach to opening the border.

  Read the Prime Minister’s announcement in full | Reconnecting New Zealand to the world on Unite Against COVID-19 site

  The key points of this plan are: 

  • To continue to speed up New Zealand’s vaccination rollout, and move to six weeks between doses so that more New Zealanders have immunity sooner.
  • Phased approach to reopening border in the second half of 2021, and set up of new testing and vaccine checking systems at the border.
  • Move to new, risk-based border settings that will establish low, medium and high-risk pathways into the country.

  New Zealand’s ability to reconnect with the world depends on these factors being successful.

  At this early stage, we can’t provide detail or any degree of certainty for students looking to apply for study in or book travel to New Zealand.

  Many New Zealand institutions are now offering new ways to study. If you’re wondering which study option might be right for you, visit Study With New Zealand New Ways of Learning.

  We suggest that agents, students and their families wait until policy announcements are made before booking any travel to study in New Zealand. We could expect to see more clarity on this later in the year.

   

  FAQs 

  When will New Zealand open up to the world?

  Work continues on developing the requirements for a phased approach to Reconnecting New Zealanders to the rest of the world in 2022. We could expect to see more clarity on this later in 2021.

  Read more about the next steps to reconnecting New Zealanders to the world.

  What do we know about timeframes for international students returning to New Zealand?

  While we are pleased to note that a number of international students have been able to return to New Zealand under the current class exceptions, we aren’t able to provide exact timeframes for a large-scale return for international students and providers.

  Managing our border doesn’t mean conditions will stay exactly as they are now, but it does mean that there are likely to be restrictions and requirements in place until at least December 2022.

  Can students apply for semester 1 2022 study?

  We would currently advise students not to plan for study in New Zealand for semester 1, 2022.

  Please note offshore temporary visa application lodgements are currently suspended till February 2022 and this may be extended. 

  International student class exceptions are a key priority for the Government, but we can’t predict timing on when a further cohort might be announced, or what MIQ capacity may look like at the time.

  Will the phased border approach outlined in the Reconnecting New Zealanders to the World announcements affect the temporary suspension of offshore visa application lodgements?

  The Government continues work on developing the requirements for a phased approach to Reconnecting New Zealanders to the rest of the world in 2022.  As such, no decisions have been made yet on how the border plan might affect offshore visa application lodgements.

  What is the Government’s position generally regarding international education?

  Despite the severity and complexity of the COVID-19 pandemic, and our ongoing commitment to its elimination strategy, the New Zealand Government remains committed to a thriving international education sector. 

  In a recent meeting with the international education sector, the Minister of Education highlighted the New Zealand Government’s support for the continued safe return of international students to New Zealand, when the time is right.

  How does the border approach affect the students coming into New Zealand under the border exception classes?

  It doesn’t. Existing processes for students to enter the country under existing border exception classes (the 250 PhD and postgraduate cohort and the 1000 bachelor's degree and above cohort) will remain in place.

  Read about the two international student border exceptions classes on the Immigration New Zealand website.

  How will New Zealand determine which countries are low, medium or high-risk?

  The government is currently working through how it will determine this.

  How will the phased border approach affect Managed Isolation and Quarantine (MIQ)?

  Vaccinated travellers from low-risk countries will not be required to go through managed isolation facilities.

  Vaccinated travellers from medium-risk countries will have modified isolation requirements, the details of which are still to be worked through.

  Unvaccinated travellers and all travellers from high-risk countries will need to undergo 14 days in MIQ.

  Read more on the next steps of reconnecting New Zealanders to the world

  Would lockdowns in New Zealand affect the timing of the phased border approach?

  The New Zealand Government is committed to the elimination strategy and the successful rollout of vaccines. New Zealand’s border approach depends on our ability to stamp out clusters of COVID-19 as they arise, so there is some possibility that further lockdowns may delay the border approach.

  Will international students in New Zealand continue to receive free COVID-19 healthcare?

  Yes. Vaccines are available to everyone in New Zealand (12 years and over) free of charge. This includes international students.

  Read more about the COVID-19 vaccine rollout on the Ministry of Health website.

  All publicly funded COVID-19 related care – including testing, treatment and vaccinations – is provided to anyone who needs it, free of charge. 

• Executive team

  Amanda Malu | Chief Executive 

  Amanda Malu is the Chief Executive of Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao.

  Amanda has deep experience in the public sector, education, and marketing, as well as experience across borders and with international education through her past roles. She has held senior leadership roles across education and health sectors.

  Prior to ENZ, she was Deputy Chief Executive Service Delivery at ACC, and formerly Chief Executive at Whānau Āwhina Plunket, leading the organisation through extensive change over five years in the role. She has also held senior marketing and communication roles, including at the Tertiary Education Commission and in the vocational education sector.  

  As ENZ’s Chief Executive, Amanda is responsible for leading ENZ in promoting Aotearoa New Zealand as a study destination and helping our country realise the social, cultural, and economic benefits of international education.

  Sahinde Pala l Acting Group General Manager, International Marketing, Brand and Scholarships 

  Sahinde joined ENZ in 2016 after 18 years working for a multinational group of English language schools. With a career dedicated to international education, she brought extensive private sector experience in international marketing, stakeholder engagement and student experience delivery to the organisation.

  Sahinde has held a number of roles at ENZ working with education providers, government stakeholders, regional groups, peak bodies, students’ associations and community groups. She was heavily involved in developing the International Student Wellbeing Strategy.

  With a passion for delivering an excellent customer experience, Sahinde will be leading the newly formed Sector Services team to deliver a suite of products and services that support the sector to rebuild and thrive. This includes student experience, global citizenship, global events, and agent engagement, as well as scholarships to support domestic students to have an international education experience, and international students to study in New Zealand.

  Sahinde is based in our Auckland office and spends her time outside of work standing on the sidelines of sports fields supporting her young boys. 

  Di Solomon l Acting Group General Manager Strategy, Capability and Performance

  Di is a public sector leader with over 15 years’ experience working across a number of central and local government agencies.

  Di leads the Education New Zealand team responsible for governance, accountability and performance, and connecting ENZ to its government agencies partners. Her aim is to ensure New Zealand’s international education sector is resilient, sustainable, globally connected and provides an excellent education experience.

  Formerly an international student, Di holds a Masters in Environmental Policy from Lincoln University.

• Our board

  Tracey Bridges | Chair

  Tracey is a professional director and social entrepreneur with a background in strategy, leadership and behaviour change.

  She is a co-founder and director of The Good Registry, a social enterprise that directs consumer spending on gifts towards good causes, and a co-founder and former owner of trans-Tasman communications consultancy business SenateSHJ. Her governance portfolio includes serving as Chair of the Wellington Regional Economic Development Agency, and as a member of the boards of Whānau Āwhina Plunket, WELLfed Charitable Trust, the Wellington Regional Stadium Trust, and the Digital Media Trust. She is a volunteer adult literacy tutor, and a member of the Inclusive Aotearoa Collective.

  Lyn Provost | Board member

  Lyn Provost was Controller and Auditor-General from October 2009 until 2017. From 2001 to 2009 she was the first female and civilian Deputy Commissioner of New Zealand Police. Lyn recently completed a six year term on the International Auditing and Assurance Board. In 2016 she received the Global category award in the nationwide Women of Influence awards. In 2017, as part of the Queen's Birthday Honours List, Lyn was made a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to the State.

  Daniel Wilson | Board Member

  

  Daniel Wilson started his career in Auckland as a music teacher.  After positions at several schools in Auckland and London, Daniel was appointed to the Leadership team at Manurewa High School in 2007, firstly as Deputy, then Associate Principal.

  In 2015, Daniel moved to Nelson to take up the position of Principal at Nayland College. Daniel has extensive knowledge of International education from a secondary perspective, with Nayland College hosting approximately 80 international students from around the globe in 2020. Daniel also has a very good understanding of a range of markets and marketing approaches, having overseen a 40% increase in International numbers since joining Nayland College.

  As well as leading Nayland College, Daniel is also the Lead Principal and Governance Chairperson for the Top of the South Trades Academy. He has also acted as a Regional Engagement Lead for the recent National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) review. Over the years Daniel has, and continues to work with various national and regional advisory groups. In his spare time Daniel is an accomplished brass musician, playing trombone in a variety of musical groups around Nelson and serving as President of Nelson City Brass.

  Dr Therese Arseneau | Board Member

  Dr Therese Arseneau has wide ranging governance experience including as Chair of the Board of ChristchurchNZ, Ara Institute of Canterbury, Regenerate Christchurch and the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra; and as a Director of J Ballantyne Company Ltd, The Open Polytechnic of New Zealand Ltd, Enterprise North Canterbury and the Social Sciences Research Council of Canada.

  Therese has over 30 years’ experience in the tertiary education sector, including as a university lecturer in Canada and New Zealand. A specialist in elections and New Zealand politics, she is currently an Adjunct Senior Fellow in Political Science at the University of Canterbury and in 2011 she received a UC Teaching Award for excellence in teaching. Therese holds a DPhil and MPhil from the University of Oxford, which she attended as an international student and Commonwealth Scholar.

  Tony Gray | Board Member

  Tony Gray has had a career in education spanning over 37 years across New Zealand and the United Kingdom. Tony is a former Chief Executive of NMIT and Ara Institute of Technology.  

  He is currently the Chief Executive of Nelson Tasman Hospice Trust. His governence portfolio includes Chair of the Tertiary Accord of New Zealand, where he worked towards establishing a shared online learning platform across member institutes. In 2023, Tony was appointed as a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for his services to education. 

  Dr Linda Sissons | Board Member

  Dr Sissons has considerable experience in the tertiary and vocational education sector. Previously she was Chief Executive for the Universal College of Learning (UCOL), Taratahi Agricultural Training Centre, Wellington Institute of Technology, Hutt Valley Polytechnic and Primary ITO. She was also a member of the NZIST Establishment Board from 2019 to 2020.

  Recently, she completed two terms as Chair of the Board of Governors of Commonwealth of Learning, an intergovernmental agency delivering technology-mediated learning for sustainable development throughout the Commonwealth.

  In 2006, Dr Sissons was made a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to tertiary education.

  Dr Erik Lithander | Board Member 

  Dr Erik Lithander has had a career in higher education spanning over 20 years across New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Ireland and Australia. He is a former Pro Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (International and Outreach) at the Australian National University in Canberra and Director of International Affairs at University College Dublin.

  Dr Lithander is currently the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Strategic Engagement at the University of Auckland. Prior to commencing this role in 2021, he was the Pro Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Global Engagement) at the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom. Dr Lithander has an internationally focused governance portfolio, with oversight of the Auckland Confucius Institute and previously the North Asia CAPE (Centre for Asia Pacific Excellence). He also is Chair of the Advisory Boards for the New Zealand Centre at Peking University and the New Zealand Centre at the Indian Institute of Technology (Delhi). 

• Putting New Zealand in agents’ hearts and on their maps

  Education New Zealand (ENZ) recently organised a series of agent familiarisation tours.

  Four groups were immersed in New Zealand’s learning, living and working opportunities for international students.

  Agents from Brazil, Colombia, South Korea and Saudi Arabia were treated to tours of New Zealand’s special places – from regional centres to our bigger cities.

  ENZ’s regional and international teams organised the programmes and toured with the agents over May and June. They were shown the full spectrum of the sector, and were also given updates and presentations from government agencies like Immigration New Zealand and the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA.

  “The agents enjoyed and appreciated the chance to learn about education in New Zealand, meet current international students and understand the distinctive offerings for students across all of New Zealand,” said Greg Scott, ENZ Regional Programme Manager.

  The tour included interactive activities, including an emphasis on education pathways, applied learning and creative technologies, and special open-invitation networking opportunities, like the Networking Starts at Home event

  The agents visited   Taranaki, Nelson, Canterbury, Waiuku, Hamilton, Dunedin, Queenstown and Napier.

  

  COLOMBIAN AGENTS SARA GAMEZ AND ANA KARINA FAJARDIO ENJOY TIME AT AUT BY THE NGA WAI O HOROTIU MARAE

  “As our regional centres become better known international education destinations, the agent familiarisation tours demonstrated how each regional centre has a unique story and value proposition that can appeal to different student interests,” says Greg Scott. 

  The potential benefit to increasing the profile of New Zealand education amongst all these markets is immense.

   “The feedback from the participating agents was extremely positive and heartfelt,” says Sarah Gauthier, ENZ Regional Project Manager.

  “We ensured the agents enjoyed themselves and their time in New Zealand. They enjoyed tourist activities, speaking to international students and their homestay families and gaining a deeper understanding overall of the value of a New Zealand education.” 

  “We are seeing lots of photos of New Zealand on the agents’ social media feeds and their agencies’ websites,” says Jo Keane, ENZ Regional Project Manager.

   “We’d like to thank all the people, organisations and regional groups that supported these familiarisations,” says Sarah Gauthier. 

  “It was a true Team New Zealand effort. We appreciated the time everyone took to host us, meet the agents, organise tours and ensure that the students were available to speak to the agents in their own language. 

  “There’s nothing like hearing why New Zealand is such a great place to be a student than from real international students.  By speaking about their study, lifestyle and work opportunities, the tours were really brought to life,” she says.   

  

  KOREAN AGENTS ENJOY THE NELSON SUNSHINE

• Measles outbreak: information for international students

  

  There is currently an outbreak of measles in New Zealand.

  We encourage you to stay up-to-date with the latest advice and information on the measles outbreak by visiting the Ministry of Health’s website here.

  Measles is a highly infectious airborne virus and one of the world’s most infectious diseases. It is important that international students get vaccinated at least two weeks before travelling to New Zealand. This allows time for the vaccine to build immunity.

  For international students who are currently in New Zealand, it is important to know your vaccination status to know if you are immune. If you do not know your vaccination status, you may wish to ask someone at home to check with your healthcare provider. 

  It is extremely important to be up-to-date with measles immunisations. This protects the student, their community and anyone they may come into contact with – particularly small babies, pregnant women and others who cannot be vaccinated

  One dose of MMR vaccine protects about 95 percent of people, and two doses protects about 99 percent of people. Two doses are necessary to prevent outbreaks.

  It is important to note that the Ministry of Health is working closely with District Health Boards in New Zealand to manage the distribution of vaccine stock to ensure they are available to those who need them most. This means that first priority for MMR vaccinations is currently:

  Auckland

  • Ensuring all children receive their MMR vaccinations on time at 12 months and 4 years to maintain the national Childhood Immunisation Schedule
  • Targeted community outreach managed by the three Auckland DHBs, namely groups who are most affected by the outbreak including 15-29 year olds and Pacific peoples within those groups.

  Rest of New Zealand

  • Ensure all children receive their vaccinations on time at 15 months and 4 years to maintain the national Childhood Immunisation Schedule
  • Susceptible close contacts within 72 hours of first exposure to measles when possible.

  Symptoms

  Symptoms of measles include: a fever; cough; runny nose; sore and watery ‘pink’ eyes and a rash. People are contagious five days before and five days after the appearance of the rash, counting the day of rash onset as day one. 

  Advice if someone thinks they have measles: 

  • Stay away from work, school or public places
  • Call Healthline on 0800 611 116, to inform them that you are experiencing symptoms of measles and that you may have come into contact with a measles case
  • Cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing and wash your hands frequently
  • Minimise your contact with others to prevent infecting them
  • Students should also make sure other people e.g. flatmates, friends, homestay families or hostel staff are aware they are unwell, so they can assist if needed.

  Who shouldn’t get the vaccine?

  You shouldn’t get immunised against measles if you:

  • Are pregnant
  • Have had an anaphylaxis reaction to MMR or are immunocompromised.

  If a student thinks they have been exposed to measles and is unable to have the vaccine, they need to ask a doctor for advice. 

  Pregnant women who think they have measles, or have come in contact with someone with measles, must call their general practice or lead maternity carer as soon as possible. Pregnant women who were immunised against measles prior to becoming pregnant, are almost certainly protected. 

  More information

  All international students must have medical insurance while they are in New Zealand. To find out more about healthcare in New Zealand for international students, go to NauMai NZ.

• Two new sector-facing leadership roles at ENZ

  GM Sector Engagement

  We look forward to welcoming Wendy Kerr to Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao (ENZ) on 3 October 2022. Ms Kerr will take up the newly-created role of General Manager, Sector Engagement. 

  Joining us from fintech Valocity where she was Global Chief Operations Officer, Ms Kerr has rich experience in both education and commercial businesses globally. 

  Prior to Valocity, she was Director of the Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the University of Auckland.  She led the team there to transform the Centre and enabled the University to be recognised as Entrepreneurial University of the Year in the Asia-Pacific. 

  Ms Kerr is also Board Director for The Icehouse and sits on the Board of Epsom Girls Grammar. Previous roles include General Manager for Pearson PLC London, and Asia-Pacific Marketing Manager for Apple. She has been a TEDx speaker and has published a number one bestseller on Amazon - ‘Corporate Crossovers’. Ms Kerr has a Ngāti Mutunga and Moriori heritage and will be based in our Auckland office.  

  The Sector Engagement group delivers strategic initiatives in partnership with sector partners and stakeholders, undertakes business development, and designs and delivers new products and services.

  GM Sector Services

  Sahinde Pala was recently appointed to the newly-created role of General Manager, Sector Services.

  Ms Pala joined ENZ in 2016 after 18 years working for a multinational group of English language schools. With a career dedicated to international education, she brought extensive private sector experience in international marketing, stakeholder engagement and student experience delivery to the organisation.

  Ms Pala has held a number of roles at ENZ working with education providers, government stakeholders, regional groups, peak bodies, students’ associations and community groups. She was heavily involved in developing the International Student Wellbeing Strategy.

  With a passion for delivering an excellent customer experience, Ms Pala will be leading the newly formed Sector Services team to deliver a suite of products and services that support the sector to rebuild and thrive. This includes student experience, global citizenship, global events, and agent engagement, as well as scholarships to support domestic students to have an international education experience, and international students to study in New Zealand. 

  Sahinde is based in our Auckland office and spends her time outside of work standing on the sidelines of sports fields supporting her young boys. 

  View all senior leadership team members here.

• Japanese students join Kiwi flight school

  The students came from Kinjo Gakuin University in Nagoya, Japan and studied a short course specially designed for them. In addition to New Zealand School of Tourism’s flight attending course, they also had a session from Cut Above Academy about hair and makeup training, as immaculate grooming is an essential part of the job.

  Shizuko Ozaki, a teacher from Kinjo Gakuin University, said the girls loved their time at the airport campus, and were impressed with the school’s facilities – including offering training onboard a real plane.

   “They enjoyed the hands-on learning and the practical aspect of the training on the 737 aircraft. The trainer was fantastic with our students, she made the learning easy for them to understand and follow. They also enjoyed interacting with the other classes and they felt very comfortable and welcomed on campus.”

   New Zealand School of Tourism frequently creates bespoke programmes for international groups.

   New Zealand student Armani Young said having international groups at the college was a bonus for everyone involved. She said it gave the trainers the opportunity to learn about other cultures, and the international students the chance to experience life in New Zealand.

   “Our class also loved interacting with the Japanese group. They were quiet and shy at first, but soon became comfortable and had fun interacting with us. It was great to share our culture with them.”

• Schools: roadmap workshop summary

  Download the school sector summary paper.

  ENZ is facilitating the Strategic Roadmap programme to help each sector, and New Zealand’s international education industry overall, to outline what success will look like in the future and develop a plan to get there.

  Everyone, regardless of whether you attended the workshop, is invited and encouraged to read the summary document and send comments, questions or ideas to Greg Scott, Project Manager for the school sector.

  Greg, who has been seconded from Middleton Grange School for this project, says the workshops were designed as the first of many opportunities for schools to provide input into the Strategic Roadmap process.

  “During the workshops, participants reported a wide range of motivations for and benefits from enrolling international students. An exciting array of ideas emerged of what might be possible by 2025 – our roadmap destination – and the workshops demonstrated that our sector has the vision and ideas required to make a significant difference in the next 10 years.”

  Greg says he was particularly impressed by the high level of creative thought: “The ideas put forward by the participants are well worth reading and reflecting on.” 

  Advisory Groups have been formed for each sector to provide advice and feedback to Project Managers and the sector roadmap development team during the roadmap process.  These groups are tasked with representing the views of the sector throughout the process, and will also act as a communications conduit between their sector and project managers.

• Opening new doors for Chilean teachers of English

  Two groups of 20 Chilean teachers of English recently spent time at two New Zealand universities, studying diversity and inclusion in the classroom and learning more about the Kiwi style of teaching.

  The first cohort, from Chile’s Araucania region, went to the University of Waikato’s Institute of Professional Learning. They were the third group of teachers funded to travel here by Araucanian local government.

  University of Waikato Associate Director of International Education and Development, Chris Henderson, describes their programme as “genuinely collaborative”.

  “As our relationship with the Chilean Ministry of Education has developed, we progressed from delivering an off-the-shelf programme to co-creating a teacher development intitiative that is bespoke and unique to Chilean teachers’ needs,” he says.

  "Our unique point of difference is our inclusion of Māori language and learning methods in mainstream classrooms. This is something our Chilean teachers aspire to achieve for their Mapuche [indigenous] learners. As such, we can inspire possibilities and introduce methodologies that will support their journey."

  The second cohort spent four weeks at Massey University in Palmerston North. Funded to come here by the Chilean Ministry of Education’s Programa Ingles Abre Puertas (English Open Doors) programme, their members came from all over Chile.

  This course featured classes on pedagogical innovations that promote student-centred instruction, as well as visits to local schools, practical workshops and a two-day stay on a local marae.

  One student commented: “Not only this course taught us content, but also it engaged me with your culture. How am I going to learn about New Zealand education if I didn't know anything about you? I feel your culture, traditions and daily lifestyle are now part of my life; I feel I fully understand your system and how to apply it in my own reality. Thank you for making this experience as unique as I thought it would be.”

  ENZ Senior Market Development Manager, Javiera Visedo, says she is delighted to continue working with the Chilean Government on teaching initiatives like these.

  “Chile and New Zealand are like-minded partners and the education linkages get stronger and deeper every day,” she says. “These groups are perfect examples of the work we have been doing in Chile aligned with our International Education Strategy, and we definitely expect more to come.”

  For enquiries regarding opportunities like these in Chile, contact Javiera via email: javiera.visedo@enz.govt.nz.

• Tauranga-based group visits Korea

  E-News caught up with one of the organisers of the visit, Education Tauranga’s Anne Young.  

  What led to the decision to visit Korea as a group of institutions?

  Education Tauranga’s 2013-2017 strategy focuses strongly on collaboration between member institutions. We find that we can make more of an impact in a market as a group, and, with a diverse range of institutions participating in activities, we can demonstrate the pathways that exist within our region to cater for all levels of education.

  Korean students are enrolled in the full range of education institutions in Tauranga – from primary right through to tertiary. This is one of the reasons Education Tauranga’s Korean student numbers have continued to rise in 2015, while declining in New Zealand overall. We also attribute our success in Korea to the fact that we have committed local agents, strong local government support, highly effective links with the Korean community in the Western Bay of Plenty and institutions that provide excellent education and care to all international students, including those from Korea.

  In choosing Korea as our group visit destination, we were able to further capitalise on our already strong position in that market.  

  What are the advantages of a group visit such as this?

  The main advantage of a group visit is that it’s easier to get noticed and to secure meetings than when you’re an individual institution travelling on your own. Promotional costs can be shared, too. In our case, 21 institutions were pitching in, meaning our advertising dollar went a lot further, resulting greater numbers of prospective students at our fairs and good attendance of officials at other events.

  Having trip organisers taking care of all the planning, organising and bookings meant it was a much more efficient process for everybody. It also alleviated stress for some first time travellers to Korea who didn’t have to face many of the challenging ‘unknown factors’ that can pop up when organising your own recruitment trip.  

  What are the downsides?

  I don’t think there are any particular disadvantages to marketing as a group offshore. However, there are challenges in the logistics of dealing with such a large group, such as transport arrangements and getting everyone to where they need to be on time, as well as ensuring that planned activities are of benefit to all institutions from a range of sectors.  

  What were the highlights?

  We attracted over 400 prospective students through our fairs which was a great success for one small region of New Zealand. The students who came along were already pretty well informed about Education Tauranga’s education offerings, demonstrating that the effort that we put into advertising prior to the events hit the mark!

  Several alumni families also attended the events, and it was wonderful to see them engaging with prospective students and their families and giving their perspective on what studying in our region is like.

  The support of big New Zealand brands such as Zespri was also fantastic; their product promotion at our fair went down really well.

  Being hosted at the New Zealand Residence by the Deputy Head of Mission to Korea and Education New Zealand was also a highlight as we were able to recognise the contribution they had made to ensuring our activities were a success.  

  Are there any outcomes on the horizon or promising connections made?

  We’re hoping our visit will result in an increase in student numbers from Korea in 2016. The signs are promising so far, with many new students expressing an interest in coming here. Time will tell however!

  We have also strengthened relationships with Tauranga’s ‘friendship city’ of Ansan, with a larger study tour group coming in 2016 than came in 2015.  

  What would you do differently next time?

  The visit to Korea was our second regional group visit (we visited China together as a group in March this year) so we already had experience in what did and didn’t work and were able to iron out any issues prior to this trip.  

  Any hints and tips for together groups thinking of undertaking this sort of group visit?

  I think undertaking a visit of this kind is very effective for regions or groups of institutions. My top tips for making your visit a success are as follows:

  • Do your research and have a plan. Know exactly what activities you want to do and why

  • Involve all participating institutions in the planning process

  • Make sure you have support from local councils and your Economic Development Agency

  • Enter the market with a strong brand that all participants believe in

  • Make sure you have translated materials and have translators who know your product/region

  • The work you do prior to arrival is just as important (if not more than) as the work you will do while in country

  • Work with ENZ and local Embassy staff

  • Leverage your alumni

  • Follow up with the people you met with during the visit!