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Tauranga welcomes over 770 international students
Anne Young, Regional Manager of Education Tauranga, said it has run a welcome ceremony for new international students for many years but due to space restrictions of venues, this has previously only included a select group of 200 participants.
“This year we wanted to include all students to show the whole Bay of Plenty community how large our international student cohort is. We secured a large convention space (850 seats) and invited all of our new students to the welcome!”
The new students, who range from five years old to tertiary students in their twenties, and represent 25 countries, were treated to dance and musical performances from Indian, Chinese and Korean cultural groups, as well as a rousing kapa haka performance from Tauranga Intermediate’s Te Whanau o Te Maro.
A number of speakers were also on hand to welcome them, including a representative from Immigration New Zealand and Mayor of Tauranga city, Greg Brownless. Mayor Brownless shared his own personal connection with the international community through his Taiwanese wife and children, and said it was great to see so many students from different countries in the region.
“You help bring the world to our doorstep, you teach our Kiwi students about your life, your country and your culture. This is so important as we grow the values of global citizenship amongst our community,” he said.
Anne said it was a very important event for the region.
“We not only want to ensure our international students feel welcome as they embark on their study journey but also showcase the many people across many organisations within our region who are here to support them and ensure that they have a positive experience here.”
It can be particularly daunting for primary school families to send young students overseas for school, so Education Tauranga runs a special welcome tour for them.
Held over two days, children and their parents were treated to a powhiri, complete with a chance to mingle over morning tea. They then had a taste of Kiwi cultural activities such as visits to local sites, eating fish ‘n chips and lessons in harakeke (flax weaving).
“It was clear that the international families were impressed – they were smiling and snapping photos to share with family back home,” said Anne.
An update from the ENZ Global Citizens team
Introducing our Global Citizens Manager, Carla Rey Vasquez
Carla joined ENZ in the new role of Global Citizens Manager, based in Wellington, in April. As part of her role with ENZ, she is leading the co-creation and implementation of the Global Citizenship strategy as a key enabler for international education.
Prior to joining ENZ, Carla was actively engaged in cross-sector collaboration in her role at AFS, including educational institutions, experts, funders, peak bodies, and student groups – and had a focus on embedding and improving student experience and global citizenship outcomes across the AFS network for 12,000 students in over 60 organizations worldwide.
ENZ's Global Citizenship team includes Senior Global Citizens Advisor Anna Dekker in a refocused role of Scholarships and Global Citizenship, and Global Citizens Advisor Tereska Thornton, who has a wide range experience across ENZ in various roles, including Acting International Market Manager for Korea and Japan.
Over the past five months, the team have made some great strides in establishing the global citizens strategy for NZ, and some highlights from their work includes:
Global Citizenship korero
Two huis have already been held this year with educators, researchers, practitioners, change-makers and other supporters working on initiatives that promote global citizenship, and the related areas of global competence, intercultural learning, and intercultural competence.
The goals of the workshops were to:
- Map out the key players and activities within the Global Citizenship education field in Aotearoa New Zealand
- Build a comprehensive understanding of the way in which organisations discuss and measure Global Citizenship, and values and frameworks unique to Aotearoa New Zealand.
We are looking forward to our third session on 21 September. This session will be virtual due to current Alert Level restrictions but we hope to have another in-person hui before the end of the year.
Please email Carla (carla.reyvasquez@enz.govt.nz) if you wish to be involved.

Online connector event for Prime Minister’s Scholarship alumni
We are planning our first ever online connector event for Prime Minister’s Scholarship alumni in November 2021.
Building on the momentum of the recent Prime Minister’s Scholarship impact survey, the event will be run by alumni, for alumni and will focus on fostering connections within the alumni community as a basis for further activity. More details to be announced in the next E-News update so watch this space.
Prime Minister’s Scholarship Programme
The team has made the best use of the COVID-19 travel restrictions and lockdowns to undertake a Prime Minister’s scholarships improvement programme to increase access to the scholarship and streamline processes, ready for when travel is possible.
Festival for the Future
We attended the Festival for the Future from 31 July-2 August and were overwhelmed by the number of participants who were willing to take part in our survey on Global Citizenship. The analysis of responses is going a long way to helping ENZ commence on developing a framework and set of definitions on global citizenship.
We are currently working with Inspiring Stories to plan ENZ’s involvement in Festival for the Future 2022, so keep an eye out for further information.
Global citizenship is a key focus for ENZ, as ‘Global Citizens’ is one of three goals in The New Zealand Government’s International Education Strategy 2018 – 2030 (NZIES). Ultimately, we are working towards a future where:
- All students gain the knowledge, skills and capabilities they need to live, work and learn globally
- International education provides stronger global connections, research links and partnerships for New Zealand
- New Zealanders understand and embrace the benefits of international education
We will make sure to keep you updated of the work in this space.
Putting us in their hearts and on their maps
Some 21 agents from Brazil, Colombia, South Korea and Saudi Arabia were treated to tours of New Zealand’s special places.
ENZ's regional and international teams organised the programmes and toured with the agents over May and June.
“The agents really enjoyed and appreciated the chance to learn about education in New Zealand, meet current international students and understand the distinctive regional offerings for students across all of New Zealand,” said Greg Scott, ENZ Regional Programme Manager.
The tours included stops in Taranaki, Nelson, Canterbury, Waiuku, Hamilton, Dunedin, Queenstown, Napier, Wellington and Auckland.
Each tour contained lots of interactive activities and emphasised education pathways and applied learning and creative technologies.
The potential benefit to raising the profile of a New Zealand education amongst all these markets is immense.
“The Korean agents indicated that their understanding has greatly increased of everything New Zealand has to offer,” said Tania Woodcock, International Market Manager, China, Korea and Japan.
“So far, the feedback from the participating agents has been extremely positive and genuine,” said Sarah Gauthier, Regional Project Manager.
“We ensured the agents enjoyed themselves and their time in New Zealand – so that they could speak authentically to prospective international students and their families about the value of a New Zealand education.”
ENZ was seeing lots of photos of New Zealand on the agents’ social media feeds and their agencies’ websites.
“This type of engagement with New Zealand post-famil is great,” said Sahinde Pala, Regional Project Manager. “It shows the impact we made on the agents, and their commitment to promoting New Zealand education.”
“We’d like to thank all the people, organisations and regional groups who supported these famils,” said Sarah.
“It was a true Team New Zealand effort. We appreciated the time everyone took to host us, meet with the agents, organise tours and ensure that relevant international 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.”
For more information contact Sarah Gauthier, Regional Project Manager, sarah.gauthier@enz.govt.nz
Wellington International Student Excellence Awards 2016
Twelve international students were acknowledged at the inaugural Wellington International Student Excellence Awards, held at Parliament on Friday 14 October. The awards, presented by Deputy Prime Minister, Bill English, recognise the region’s best all-round international students.
Wellington Regional Economic Development Agency (WREDA) Chief Executive, Chris Whelan, says international students are an important part of New Zealand’s education community, with the awards taking into account academic achievement as well as contributions made in sports, arts and the community.
“Last year, approximately 7,500 international students studied in Wellington. They not only make a valuable economic contribution, but make an important cultural impact on their school communities,” said Whelan.
“We’ve developed these awards to recognise the contribution made by individual students.”
The winners covered a range of ages, from a primary school pupil to PhD student, including:
To Quan Quach
As a member of young leadership groups including Vic Crew, Victoria University of Wellington Student Association, Kiwi Mate and AIESEC, To Quan Quach of Vietnam has made a significant contribution to internationalising Victoria University. To is also on the Business School’s Dean’s List for academic achievement.
Anamika Nampoothiry
Hailing from India, Anamika Nampoothiry has made a second home in Wellington, where she currently studies at WelTec, after previously studying at Queen Margaret College. Anamika was awarded proxime accessit in 2015, and a top IB scholar award. She is a dancer and singer, student librarian, and soon-to-be engineer.
Yang Xiao
Currently studying at Onslow College, Yang Xiao from China, has helped organise multiple fundraising and social events to encourage integration within school life and beyond. Yang plans to study at Victoria University before pursuing his dream of becoming a pilot for Air New Zealand.
Lothar Krumpen
Leaving Germany for Wellington’s Scots College, Lothar Krumpen soon made too many friends to leave his new home, and decided to continue his New Zealand study at Victoria University last year. As well as being a top law student and averaging A+’s in his commerce papers, Lothar has represented both Wellington and the New Zealand University hockey teams.
A new home for international students
After extensive refurbishment, the Ellen Melville Centre and redesigned Freyberg Place in the heart of the city have re-opened to the public in September 2017.
The combined facility offers an open air public space for relaxing and enjoying the sunshine, as well as an indoor community centre with an exciting new range of programmes and activities – many of them free of charge.
The Auckland Agency Group (AAG), a cross-agency collaboration of central and local government agencies set up to improve international student wellbeing in Auckland, welcomes the new space and format.
Hayley Shields, ENZ’s Director of Student Experience and Chair of AAG, said the location of the new community centre makes it an ideal spot for international students to meet locals and other students.
“An estimated 20,000 international students reside in the CBD and want to be part of the local community.
“The centre will be a great place where international students can converge, meet and make new friends and feel part of the community.”
Formerly known as Pioneer Women’s and Ellen Melville Hall, the new Ellen Melville Centre has five diverse spaces that can be booked for meetings, private functions, exhibitions, films, concerts and performances.
Individuals, and arts, cultural and community groups interested in providing programmes at the centre are encouraged to make contact on this link.
GP practice for international students
Caring Clinic is focused on meeting the needs of international students and migrants from Asia, providing services in Cantonese and Mandarin as well as English, and offers innovative services including Skype consultations after hours and e-prescriptions.
The new clinic has been welcomed by the Auckland Agency Group (AAG), a cross-agency collaboration of central and local government agencies formed to lead communication with international student groups, ethnic communities and providers in Auckland.
Hayley Shields, ENZ’s Director of Student Experience and Chair of AAG, said the new clinic reflects the shift to make support services more attuned to students’ cultural needs.
“More than 60 per cent of international student enrolments are in Auckland, and it’s important for students to be able to access culturally appropriate healthcare services.
“This is one of the key objectives in the New Zealand International Student Wellbeing Strategy.”
Dr Jessie Liu and Dr Ruoh Sim, the two principal doctors at Caring Clinic, came to New Zealand as teenagers and both studied medicine at Otago University.
From the CE: A transitional phase
First of all, a big thank you to everyone. Your insight and problem-solving on so many urgent matters, including student wellbeing and repatriation, has been invaluable.
I’d like to reflect quickly on how we’ve worked together so far. Our activities together represent just a beginning on the long road ahead. Within ENZ, we have:
- Created and administered the International Student Hardship Fund, which has allocated $1m to 105 providers and community organisations, assisting approximately 11,000 students.
- Created the Future Focused Programme and invested $1.2 million of reallocated government funds into the future of the industry to encourage innovation.
- Stood up cross-organisation teams within ENZ to focus on student wellbeing and support the repatriation of school-aged students.
- Communicated and engaged intensively with peak bodies, education providers, agents and in-market partners.
- Invested in NauMai NZ and increased our communications to students within New Zealand
- Continued to maintain visibility of New Zealand as a high quality study destination, and
- We’re continuing to work closely with other agencies, who have optimised policy settings to cushion the sector from the impacts of COVID-19 as far as possible.
Of course, a crucial step of the international education sector will be bringing in students.
International students remain a priority group in the government’s planning for any managed border entry agreements. We’re looking forward to welcoming international students into New Zealand again, but we need to make sure we do so in a way that is safe for everyone.
There are many details to be worked through, including practical quarantine and self-isolation arrangements, monitoring processes, and how the costs can be shared by those arriving.
As a result of this complexity, Minister of Education Chris Hipkins has advised our sector leaders that international students will not be returning to New Zealand in July and August this year. He hopes that we will be able to safely welcome small groups of students by the end of the year and begin building up towards 2021.
We need to have and retain public confidence in the managed border re-entry process, before we welcome cohorts of students to New Zealand.
Finally, our work towards a sector recovery strategy continues and I look forward to sharing more with you this July.
He waka eke noa (we’re all in this together).
Ngā mihi,
Grant McPherson
Chief Executive
Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao
New Zealand – Korea digital student exchange
Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao (ENZ) again worked in partnership with two education organisations in South Korea – Gangwon International Education Institute and Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education – as well as with NZ-based Learn English Live, to deliver the programme.
The programme offers opportunities for Korean 12–14-year-olds, and for New Zealand students, many from low-decile schools, to develop their language skills and engage in cross-cultural relationships with their international peers. This is done through Zoom sessions using quizzes and other interactive activities, where students can share aspects of their life. Facilitated, student-led discussions in small groups are another key feature of the programme.
In all, 654 students from 12 New Zealand schools and 16 South Korean schools participated in the programme, attending sessions once a week for seven weeks – 102 sessions in total.
Students who participated in the programme represented the following schools across New Zealand:
Sylvia Park School, Rotorua Intermediate, Raumati Beach School, Finlayson Park School, Tauranga Boys College, Taupo Intermediate, Cambridge High School, Waimea Intermediate, Tokoroa Intermediate, Solway College, Rowandale Intermediate, Auckland Grammar.
Each school assigned at least one of their classes to take part in this programme, with teachers recommending the initiative to their colleagues for future sessions.
Within the Seoul and Gangwon regions in South Korea the following schools took part:
Seoul Schools: Dongguk Middle School, Wonmyoung Elementary School, Nonhyun Elementary School, Sinseo Middle School, Soongeui Elementary School, Topsan Elementary School, Gajaeul Elementary School, Seoul Kyodong Elementary School, Hansan Elementary School, Seoul Anpyeong Elementary School, Singa Elementary School, Buksung Elementary School, Songwon Elementary School.
Gangwon Schools: Gangreung Haeram Middle School Buron Middle School Namchuncheon Girls' Middle School.
A total of 339 children from South Korea were digitally connected with children in New Zealand.
The 2022 programme has provided many positive benefits for schools, teachers, children, and the wider community both in New Zealand and South Korea. In a world where in-person exchange and cultural opportunities remain constrained, the programme has continued to enable school children to connect with their international peers and develop long-term connections.
Feedback from teachers in New Zealand highlighted the enthusiasm that children in the classroom showed towards the programme.
The incorporation of a hybrid STEM-based and cultural-based exchange model was especially welcomed and enabled the promotion of unique aspects of Māori culture, in a modern format, on the international education stage.
New Zealand teachers also gave the programme the thumbs up. Given their high workloads, they appreciated that they did not have to organise the content or facilitate the sessions, as this was taken care of by the Learn English Live (LEL) team.
The programme provided the opportunity to indirectly promote a New Zealand school education to a South Korean audience. Students there were reported to be highly engaged throughout the exchange. The ENZ team will give a presentation on the programme at the Australia International Education Conference (AIEC) in October 2022: The session will explain the programme evaluation and survey methodology and how the results are being used by ENZ and LEL to continue to enhance the digital exchange to benefit students. The presenters will also discuss how they overcame challenges relating to language barriers, as one of the main goals of the exchange is to support Korean students with learning and practising English.
Contacts for more information
New Zealand representatives attending AIEC can attend the ENZ session or contact our South Korea team to receive a copy of the presentation slides after the conference (Alanna Dick).
Know of a New Zealand school interested in the next round of NZ-Korea digital student exchange? Please contact Learn English Live (William Clarke).
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
Caroline plays her part in Christchurch rebuild

But she is now a qualified quantity surveyor as comfortable working on building sites as she is back in the office crunching the numbers.

Caroline says it is not a profession she would have contemplated in China, where she grew up, but Christchurch’s rebuild inspired her to pursue a career in the construction industry and she is grateful for the freedom to be able to achieve her ambitions.

“It has been very rewarding to be part of the rebuild and to see the changes in the city. Bettabuilt, the company I work for, specialises in school rebuilds. When we finish a new school, you feel like you’ve done something you should be really proud of.”

And her parents are proud too. They have backed her career choice and know that the bold decision they made to send their only child to New Zealand for education was the right one.

New Zealand a safe place to study

Caroline says they had travelled widely as a family before making the decision that she would come to Burnside High School Te Kura o Waimairi-iri in Year 11. “They wanted me to be open-minded and take on new experiences and cultures,” she says. “They decided it would be good for me to study in another country with a different culture and chose New Zealand because it was a peaceful and safe country.”

Before she arrived, Caroline was set up with a “buddy”, a student from her school in Beijing who was already studying here and helped provide insights into life in New Zealand. She also took an online course prepared for international students.

“This made me feel more confident and familiar with what I was coming to which was important, because the culture and environment is quite different from my home country.”

But there were still some big adjustments to be made when it came to schooling. “All courses in China are set by the Education Department. In New Zealand, you have freedom to choose your own courses,” she says. “At first, I was a bit overwhelmed by the options available to me because I didn’t know exactly what I should take. But it was good that I had the opportunity to try courses that I was interested in.”

She also had to get used to a self-directed approach to learning. “It allows you to study in a way which suits you best, which was positive for me. And it means when you start work you have the ability and discipline to study by yourself. I have used methods I learned in high school and university to build my knowledge in the workplace.”

With more free time in her life, Caroline had the opportunity to play sport and even take on a part-time job which she says would not have been possible in Beijing. “That job really helped me because I got to practice English and gain more confidence talking to local people.”

New career opportunities

It was all part of an international education experience which Caroline believes is about much more than study.

“When you’re an international student, you quickly acquire life skills and become much more independent.

You also learn about other cultures because you are mixing with people from many different backgrounds. It was quite an eye-opener for me, but I enjoyed it.”

Once she determined her career choice, Caroline chose Ara Institute of Canterbury as the next step on her education pathway. Starting with a Diploma in Quantity Surveying, she followed it up with a Bachelor of Construction. Job and internship opportunities were regularly shared by their programme leader, illustrating the close ties with business.

The decision to study in New Zealand has taken Caroline on a journey she couldn’t have imagined when she arrived. “In China I would not be working in construction. I would probably have been working in finance or management,” she says. “The environment here changed me and gave me career options I would not have considered at home.”

In the past few months Caroline has secured residency and bought her first house, giving her a real sense of belonging. “I enjoy my work and my life in New Zealand. I love Christchurch and I’m proud to be contributing to the rebuild of the city.”

“I feel really happy that I came here.”