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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.
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Manaaki Scholarships operations transferred to ENZ
Operational responsibility for the Manaaki New Zealand Scholarships programme was formally transferred to Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao (ENZ) on 1 November 2022, the result of almost two years of sustained effort from both sides.
The team transferring from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT), along with other new staff working on the scholarships programme, were welcomed to ENZ with a mihi whakatau by a group that included ENZ Board Chair Steve Maharey and Chief Executive Grant McPherson.
Manaaki Scholarships represent the government’s single largest investment in international scholarships and have been awarded for more than 70 years. ENZ is taking over operational management from MFAT, which will remain responsible for setting the strategic direction, alumni relationships and funding the programme.
On the symbolic handing over of MFAT's ‘living taonga’ to ENZ, Divisional Manager Joanna Kempkers noted, “if our Policy Team are the head, giving strategic direction, and the Alumni Team is the arms, reaching out to embrace scholars on completion, then the Operations Team is the beating heart of the Manaaki Scholarships Programme. We are confident that ENZ will take good care of our team, of the Manaaki Scholarships Programme, and deliver enhanced ‘mana through manaaki’ to our individual scholars.”
ENZ and MFAT have worked together on an improvement programme that will get underway early in 2023. This will include a technology upgrade as well as operational policy shifts to strengthen student experience.
“This partnership is one of those rare events where logic and virtue combine to provide a stronger and better outcome,” said ENZ Chief Executive Grant McPherson. “It is not just a good idea for our two agencies, but it’s a great idea for NZ Inc and will bring broader benefits beyond our immediate goals.”
“We know our own in-country teams already work closely with MFAT on matters concerning the Manaaki Scholars,” says GM Sector Services Sahinde Pala.
“This is an exciting opportunity for us to become more closely involved in the scholarships programme and the work on continuous improvements. Our aim is to ensure scholars have an excellent experience and become lifelong ambassadors for Aotearoa New Zealand.”
Manaaki Scholarships are a key pillar of Aotearoa New Zealand’s International Development Co-operation, offering more than 1,100 scholarships annually to students from 112 eligible countries to study in Aotearoa New Zealand, in the Pacific, or online.
For information on opening dates to apply for Manaaki Scholarships, go to: Application opening and closing dates for your country | MANAAKI | Education New Zealand (nzscholarships.govt.nz)
Programmes of study can be found here: Types of Manaaki Scholarships | MANAAKI | Education New Zealand (nzscholarships.govt.nz)
Eligible countries can be found here: 1.Check eligible countries | MANAAKI | Education New Zealand (nzscholarships.govt.nz)
To contact ENZ’s Manaaki Scholarship team, please email manaaki@enz.govt.nz
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Launching Te Pūkenga internationally
The series began in late May 2022 with the launch of its strategy by Education Minister Chris Hipkins at NAFSA. Since then, Te Pūkenga has continued working with Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao (ENZ), to introduce Te Pūkenga to offshore education agents and other key international stakeholders, building on existing events whenever possible.
The establishment of Te Pūkenga, and the opportunities presented by its size and scale have been a key focus at these events. Te Pūkenga is now the largest tertiary provider in New Zealand, and the 35th largest in the world. The events have also been a great way to bring partners together, to reconnect and to acknowledge the tough years that all have recently endured.
Te Pūkenga emphasised that its size and scale together with having a single national brand enable it to act as one, to invest strategically, and to communicate effectively and deliberately the quality of its applied education delivery on the global stage – something all partners were clearly excited about hearing. It is striving to achieve a balanced portfolio of inbound, outbound, online, offshore and work-based education delivery.
A special shout out to ENZ’s international teams that assisted Te Pūkenga on the events and worked with other NZ Inc agencies, particularly where ENZ events weren’t planned. These included hosting events at the New Zealand High Commission in India and the New Zealand Embassies in the Philippines and Japan.
To sum up with a quote from the Philippines’ launch event ‘Ko te pae tawhiti whāia kia tata, ko te pae tata whakamaua kia tina / Seek out distant horizons and celebrate those you have attained’.
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Scholarships awarded to international students from Germany
Over the three-month campaign we received hundreds of applications, of which Ronja Härdtner’s was the strongest. A Master’s student in International Nature Conservation at Georg-August-University in Göttingen, Ronja will complete her degree at Lincoln University in New Zealand.
Thanks to everyone who helped ENZ representative Marina Wilmerstadt to surprise Ronja at her university. You can see her reaction to the big news here.
Congratulations to Ronja for winning the Welcome to New Zealand scholarship, and to the other award winners who will be confirmed shortly. We can’t wait to welcome you all to Aotearoa New Zealand.
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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
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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
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International study experience in Brazil excites scholarship recipients
A group of 15 students from the universities of Auckland and Waikato have recently returned to New Zealand after a month’s study in Brazil focusing on history and rights of indigenous people.
The students are group recipients of the Prime Minister’s Scholarship for Latin America, which promotes international study opportunities for New Zealanders.
The group’s itinerary included lectures and field trips around Brazil, including Brasília, São Paulo, the largest city in the southern hemisphere; and Ubatuba, a beautiful, coastal city that joins the Atlantic Forest to the ocean.
Students had the opportunity to meet local indigenous communities such as the Guarani and share their experiences and stories of Aotearoa New Zealand. They discovered the challenges and difficulties faced by indigenous people in Brazil, as well as the richness of their ways of life, music and handicrafts, as well as their connection to their spiritual world.
One of the highlights for the students was their visit to the recently opened Museum of Indigenous Cultures in São Paulo, which offered them a glimpse of the contemporary expression of Brazilian indigenous art, with diverse manifestations such as photography, hip-hop and art installations with social protest.
Members of the Museum of Indigenous Cultures perform a traditional song for visiting students from New Zealand.
The ENZ team in Brazil closely followed the journey of the scholarship recipients across the country.
ENZ’s Senior Market Development Manager – Brazil, Bruna de Natale said the students’ visit was a wonderful opportunity that has further grown the rich, cultural, and academic connections between Brazil and New Zealand.
“We were pleased to see how deeply the students immersed themselves in learning about history and indigenous rights in Brazil and make connections with indigenous communities in the country. It’s amazing to see the Prime Minister’s Scholarships for Latin America enable this rich exchange of ideas and knowledge between New Zealand and Brazil,” de Natale said.
The four-week visit ended in Brasília, where the students synthesised their learning in Brazil by presenting original projects that promote the connection between the indigenous cultures of Brazil and Aotearoa New Zealand.
The students’ insights are also captured on video that can be viewed here on LinkedIn.
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Rebuilding New Zealand education’s visibility in China
Last month, Lillian spent three weeks in New Zealand in what was her first visit to the country as part of her role at Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao.
The two-pronged purpose of her trip was to provide refreshed marketing insights to education providers in New Zealand and hear from providers on their expectations and the challenges they face when marketing their offering in China.
Here are Lillian’s takeaways from her visits and interactions in New Zealand –
Need for storytelling that better highlights New Zealand education’s points of difference
- Engaging with education providers and visiting campuses highlighted to me several points of difference for New Zealand education, particularly how it is innovative, how it develops work-ready graduates, as well as how international students are welcomed and valued in New Zealand. Seeing these points of difference in real time made me realise how underrated the New Zealand education story is overseas, and the need to tell that story better. We need to focus on telling a New Zealand education story that is authentic and has concrete examples. A more visual storytelling format would be ideal to deliver the story.
- Tip: Demonstrate the teaching and student engagement practices your institution delivers using visuals (images or videos).
- Example: Take photos/videos in the lab, with robotics machines, with the 3D printer, the hands-on experience and student engagement (student hub), self-learning and learning from their peers.
Visit to Middleton Grange Intermediate School to understand the differences between New Zealand and Chinese classrooms
Demonstrate outcomes of education programmes via successful alumni stories to promote offering
- Chinese parents and students are very outcome driven. Institution or programme rankings remain the key consideration, but other indicators and outcomes are becoming increasingly important, including employability, international recognition, and a life-changing experience.
Demonstrating the outcome of an education programme by leveraging successful student or alumni stories and testimonials can be a critical in activating ‘word-of-mouth’ promotion that influences the decision-making of prospective students and parents.
- Tip: Highlight successes or outcomes for students through stories. Degree + good experience = happy alumni story. Parents and students want to know if a qualification from a New Zealand institution will be recognised in China, the world or if it could be a pathway to further study.
- Example: A Chinese student studied a business degree with a New Zealand tertiary provider and then landed a job at a Fortune 500 company or became an industry leader. Or if a Chinese student studied virtual art in a New Zealand PTE, got a job in Weta Digital, which has worked on recent Chinese blockbuster films. We have seen Chinese media are very interested in interviewing and profiling such students in their publications.
Consider digital content in local language for marketing impact
- Research indicates that more Chinese students do their own research online and make their own decisions when choosing an overseas study destination and institution. So having a digital presence on China’s digital platforms is critical. Digital content in local languages also goes a long way in building brand awareness. If resources allow, exploring multiple channels and interacting with your audience in local languages will help you to gain a major advantage in optimising brand awareness and driving results in student recruitment.
- Tip: Host Chinese language and China specific channels such as an official WeChat account. We understand it isn’t easy to set one up. If you are unable to set up a WeChat account for any reason or don’t have Chinese-speaking staff, having a Chinese language website is the next best option. Having crucial information online in Chinese helps promote the institution as trustworthy. Parents and students will use the Chinese language website to confirm information, even if they rely heavily on agents or school counsellors.
- Example: ENZ has been working to optimise our digital presence in China, including with our Chinese language website: studywithnewzealand.cn. We recently revamped the storefront of SWNZ.cn to bolster its localisation, ensuring that from a Chinese user point of view, we can keep them interested and engaged in considering a New Zealand education provider. To ensure our digital presence continues to be fit for purpose, we undertake regular work to update and troubleshoot our platform and content.
ENZ’s Lillian Zhang presents China Marketing Insights and Strategies session to members of Study Dunedin on 24 February
With China fully re-opening to the world in January, the tempo of in-person events in the country is at pace already.
ENZ’s Greater China team is looking forward to supporting New Zealand providers visiting the country for agent seminars in Guangzhou and Beijing in May and other events later in the year.
If you have any enquiries related to marketing in China, please contact: china@enz.govt.nz
- Engaging with education providers and visiting campuses highlighted to me several points of difference for New Zealand education, particularly how it is innovative, how it develops work-ready graduates, as well as how international students are welcomed and valued in New Zealand. Seeing these points of difference in real time made me realise how underrated the New Zealand education story is overseas, and the need to tell that story better. We need to focus on telling a New Zealand education story that is authentic and has concrete examples. A more visual storytelling format would be ideal to deliver the story.
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Re-building connections across the globe at APAIE
Moving forward into the post-COVID era, the theme was appropriately ‘Towards a sustainable future for international education in the Asia Pacific’.
New Zealand’s presence at the conference was strong with all eight New Zealand universities and Whitecliffe School of Fashion and Sustainability attending, along with representatives from Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao (ENZ) and Immigration New Zealand (INZ).
ENZ’s Chief Executive Grant McPherson travelled to the event.
“It is exciting to see the commitment of New Zealand institutions to attend these key regional events,” he said. “The APAIE conference is one of ENZ’s flagship events and supporting these events is a critical component of our broader strategy to rebuild connections across the globe while also rebuilding a more resilient and sustainable sector.”
Ben Burrowes, ENZ's Regional Director Asia said, "the New Zealand Pavilion was extremely busy across the three days of the conference. The event proved a great opportunity to meet kanohi ki te kanohi (face to face) to re-build our brand awareness as well as raising our profile with our key bilateral partners and potential new partners."
During the conference, ENZ's Director of Scholarships, Carla Rey Vasquez, and the Centres of Asia Pacific Excellence (CAPEs) Education Director, Libby Giles, delivered a presentation showcasing New Zealand's Global Citizenship journey. The session explored examples of how Global Citizenship Education (GCED) has been embedded across New Zealand schools, universities, and government entities as a way to innovate and transform education practices, including through the integration of Te Ao Māori views around this topic.
Carla said, "It was great to demonstrate to audiences how local and international students can come together as global citizens through a focus on intercultural exchange, as well as through understanding local culture and knowledge.”
Outside the conference, ENZ's Thailand team organised a series of meetings with key Thai government ministries and agencies including the Ministry of Education, Thailand's National Innovation Agency, the Office of Civil Service Commission, and the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research, and Innovation.
Next year’s APAIE conference will take place in Perth, Western Australia in March.
Meetings at the New Zealand Pavilion
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NauMai NZ and the NauMai NZ WeChat mini programme
‘Nau mai’ is a te reo Māori phrase of invitation and welcome and NauMai NZ is the NZ government's official student experience platform, designed to support international students living and studying in Aotearoa New Zealand
NauMai NZ is written in plain English and provides practical, trusted, peer-reviewed content, designed to support and improve students’ living and study experiences. This includes information and resources to support students before arriving in Aotearoa (including useful tips on moving to New Zealand and what they need to bring), though to information to help them navigate daily life once here, including on:
- Making friends and building social connections
- Exploring and experiencing Aotearoa – the culture and the country
- Getting advice to improve wellbeing, study and living experiences
- Managing money, finding accommodation, and understanding healthcare in New Zealand
- Balancing work and study and understanding workplace culture, and much more.
You can explore more via this link.
ENZ has also developed the NauMai NZ WeChat Mini Programme. This is a companion platform to the English platform, to better support Chinese students who prefer the WeChat ecosystem. Information from the English platform is available in Chinese on the mini programme, as well as specific features that provide peer-to-peer support, such as video sharing, livestreams, forum functionality and student stories.
The following QR codes can be shared with your international students. Printed flyers are also available and so if you would like these sent to you, or have any questions for our Student Experience team, please do not hesitate to contact Faymie Li, faymie.li@enz.govt.nz, and Ross Crosson, ross.crosson@enz.govt.nz.
Manaakitanga is at the heart of what we all do, and ENZ aims to support you and your mahi. He waka eke noa. We are all in this together.