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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.”
New Zealand commended for inclusivity and humanity at APAIE
A New Zealand delegation featuring all eight universities attended APAIE 2019 as part of a planned strategy to build New Zealand’s presence ahead of the 2021 conference which will be hosted in Auckland.
The 2019 conference, themed “Diversity and inclusivity in higher education”, attracted more than 2,500 delegates between 25-29 March.
Discussions centred around the role that international education could play to enable disparate cultures and communities to embrace diversity and difference.
This theme had particular resonance in the wake of the Christchurch terrorist attack, and New Zealand’s response earned high praise from University of Oxford-educated Her Majesty The Permaisuri (Queen Consort) of Johor, Raja Zarith Sofiah Binti Almarhum Sultan Idris. (Johor is a state in the south of the Malay Peninsula and shares maritime borders with Singapore and Indonesia.)
In her opening address of the conference, Raja Zarith Sofiah said: “While we at this conference speak about diversity and inclusivity as part of academic discussions and presentations, the New Zealand Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, and all New Zealanders, from students to biker groups, have shown what inclusivity truly means when it is more than just words and promises, but are acts of great kindness, acceptance and humanity.

“Indeed, the way that the schools and universities there showed their respect and empathy prove – beyond mere words – that the breadth and depth of diversity and inclusivity transcends all levels, giving everyone equal opportunities at being heard and being understood,” said Her Majesty.
New Zealand’s 2021 conference theme is “Innovation for sustainable futures” and will focus on building links between APAIE and universities in the South Pacific region.
With 2,500 – 3,000 delegates and at least 300 exhibition booths, it is expected to be the largest international education event to be held in New Zealand to date. It will be held in Auckland at the New Zealand International Conference Centre (NZICC), which is currently under construction.
“Over the next couple of years, ENZ will work with the New Zealand sector to build our presence at the APAIE conference British Columbia in 2020, so that the 2021 conference delivers for our education providers and showcases the best of our international education sector to the world” said Grant McPherson, ENZ Chief Executive.
Grow your business with the Skills Lab
At the heart of the Skills Lab is project-based learning. These projects are designed to give you top tips and advice that you can consume in bite-size pieces. The Skills Lab also allows you to post your own comments and share your top tips so we can develop a professional community.
Collaboration at the heart
The Skills Lab was born of industry feedback. In the 2015 Industry Survey, you expressed a desire for more professional development support, and in particular asked for online support in order for you to access content at a time and location that suits you.
We’ve since co-developed the Skills Lab with multiple groups of industry representatives, having taken into account your advice on the structure and features of the website, as well as on key content areas. We’re already working on a range of refinements that you’ve suggested, including on individual projects and website functionality.
Helping grow your business
The Skills Lab is already proving useful. Robbie Pickford, International Director of Takapuna Grammar School, told The PIE News at the New Zealand International Education Conference that the Skills Lab helped her institution learn about new markets.
“I’ve been in the industry for a long time and there hasn’t been that go-to place that I could get intel about the market, the country or the culture. The Skills Lab also encourages industry collaboration, with users able to upload their own information and expertise. There’ll be more and more information available for the sector. It keeps us growing and thinking towards the future,” Pickford said.
Kirstyn Mawdsley, Director International of St Hilda’s Collegiate School, also told The PIE News that the Skills Lab would be of particular benefit to New Zealand’s regional and smaller providers.
“We don’t have the same budget available as bigger programmes, and often we’re working in very small departments. Trying to keep up to date with everything and find professional development opportunities is quite complicated. The Skills Lab helps with that and also alleviates the distance barrier,” she said.
Content examples from the Skills Lab

But wait, there’s more!
The current version of the Skills Lab is just the beginning. We’ll continue to roll out new content, so stay tuned for more case studies and international education-specific content over the coming months. We’re planning more detailed and useful projects that will help you in your specific organisational context.
We’ll also be partnering with individual industry experts to bring you case studies and projects based on their successes. If you have suggestions on content, or would like to offer some of your expertise and contribute to a case study or project, please email us at skillslab@enz.govt.nz.
Sign up and participate
You can access the Skills Lab at skillslab.enz.govt.nz or from the ENZ website.
Make sure you watch the introductory video to learn how you can use this exciting new tool.
Note that only approved New Zealand education providers are able to access the Skills Lab and its content.
If you are experiencing any difficulty in signing up to the Skills Lab, please email skillslab@enz.govt.nz.
Introducing Sharon-May McCrostie, ENZ’s new Director Sector Engagement
Can you tell us about your professional background including the role you had prior to joining ENZ?
After graduating from the University of Waikato with a Bachelor of Management Studies specialising in Japanese and International Business, I joined the primary export sector. I held a range of sales, marketing and business development roles in the seafood and horticultural sectors with a focus on Asian markets, including with ENZA (the NZ Apple and Pear Marketing Board) in Singapore. My first job was in Bluff, exporting live lobster!
Prior to joining ENZ, I spent 20 years with New Zealand Trade and Enterprise in a range of roles supporting NZ exporters to realise their international growth ambitions. In my last role there, I was Customer Director where I led a team of customer managers supporting digital technology and services exporters across the central New Zealand region.
What are your thoughts on your new role so far?
I feel I have joined ENZ at the perfect time as the team here comes together to co-create next year’s business plan. Early in the role, I was catapulted into focus groups with sub-sectors to understand their priorities and ensure we focus on the right opportunities and challenges to enable the international education sector to flourish. Providers were generous in sharing insights and setting expectations for ENZ, providing important input into the business planning process.
As we work through the process, I have been incredibly impressed with the knowledge of my team and the wider ENZ team, and admire the depth of passion and ambition to ensure we make a difference to the sector.
What do you see as the challenges and potential opportunities for our sector?
The market for international learners is hyper competitive, and our main competitors are driving hard to win market share in the face of ongoing global uncertainty. New Zealand has an excellent reputation for education, but we must be smarter and nimbler to maintain an edge over our competitors and attract quality learners to NZ.
We must continue to build brand awareness and enable agents and providers to provide a compelling case for choosing a NZ education. As the sector shifts from recovery to rebuild, it is an opportunity to think differently about how we partner with the sector to co-create a robust, resilient, and innovative sector that meets the needs of the future learner: I am excited to be part of that conversation.
Outside of work, what do you like to do?
Wellington is blessed with rolling hills that embrace the harbour, and I love running its trails and taking in the soaring views. I also love to swim – mostly in a pool, with the occasional plunge in the ocean. Otherwise, I love to read, rummage through op shops for vintage china and linen, and hang out with my daughters who are my biggest teachers.
Meet the team: John Goulter
Could you please outline your own role and the role of the Stakeholders and Communications team?
The Stakeholders and Communications team looks after the part of ENZ’s work that intersects with key external groups – such as other government departments, Ministers, Parliament and, through our various channels, the people of New Zealand.
We try to get all those influences lined up in support of international education. Right now, thanks to COVID-19, there is more external focus on international education than there has been for years. We try to ensure it’s well-informed.
How has COVID-19 impacted your team’s work, and what work do you have ahead of you with the recovery?
Sometimes it seems like we have done nothing else since COVID-19 appeared on the horizon way back in January.
It has brought to the surface some long-running issues about international education. It’s an opportunity for us to show leadership in outlining the future role of the sector, and developing interesting new approaches.

John with ENZ Field Director - North America Lewis Gibson in Washington DC.

Can you tell me a bit about your professional background?
I was a journalist for a long time, mainly reporting politics from the Press Gallery in Parliament.
I loved that at the time but I moved into public affairs roles because after a while in journalism I wanted to be influencing the way things happen, rather than just writing about them.
Journalism is now changing totally, like many sectors are. Some new models are emerging, but it’s a struggle in a country the size of New Zealand.
What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
I like running and travelling and live music. So I’m not having a great year. Most running events have been cancelled or postponed, and so have all the concerts I had booked for.
I listen to some podcasts, mainly about running and politics in the United States. It is hard for us to fathom the depth of the COVID-19 crisis they are going through.
I actually liked a lot about our lockdown. It was good being a little family unit at home. I loved running on nearly empty roads. I took up Zoom yoga classes with my daughter in Christchurch. I wonder about what the new reality is going to look like for us all.
South Canterbury welcomes Thai agent
What was the purpose of Pear’s visit to South Canterbury?
Education South Canterbury is working on developing an MOU with Thai schools introduced to us by Pear. She was in South Canterbury specifically to familiarise herself with our schools and to experience the region as the students do. She visited each of Education South Canterbury’s member schools and met with students at each one.
How did Pear’s visit fit in with Education South Canterbury’s goals?
Thailand is a focus market and an important and valuable partner for Education South Canterbury.
In the Education South Canterbury strategic plan we are working to develop capability and support the government goals for 2025.
As we are developing an MOU with schools in Thailand that Pear works with, we felt that the familiarisation visit would give her a strong understanding of the educational experiences offered by institutions and the student lifestyle here in the region.
Education South Canterbury was delighted to give Pear a first-hand experience of the region, so that she can support and promote the special features of the programmes that we offer.
What did Pear see and experience during her visit?
Pear’s visit started with a welcome dinner with the members of Education South Canterbury and included a lunch hosted by the Mayor.
We wanted to give Pear the opportunity to experience the activities that our students take part in while studying in the region – she went to a country cafe complete with farmyard animals, and mini golf and afternoon tea with Thai students currently studying at a local school and Aoraki Polytechnic.
Pear visited the Te Ana Rock Art Centre and was very impressed with the cultural history of the region
Unfortunately, the planned trip to Tekapo for a jet boat ride had to be cancelled due to gale force winds! So, that gave her first-hand experience of New Zealand’s changeable weather patterns.
Pear stayed in Geraldine and Timaru, getting a taste of both town and country lifestyles, and experiencing both homestay and motel accommodation, further strengthening her insights in to the student and parent experience.
What did Pear enjoy most?
Pear really enjoyed the chance to meet all of the Education South Canterbury members and develop relationships with the International Directors at each of the institutions.
She loved meeting the current students and felt their enthusiasm and honest feedback was really valuable.
In Geraldine Pear loved looking at the stars after we had been out for a meal. With no light pollution she had some great views of the Milky Way – the clear night air almost magnifies the vista. This is something Pear just doesn’t get to see in the large cities of Thailand.
What did you learn about Thailand from Pear?
All Education South Canterbury members are familiar with Thailand and have visited regularly, so we were especially pleased to get specific information about the schools we are dealing with and the expectations around our MOU from the Thai schools’ perspective. We really appreciated Pear’s forthrightness in working through the specifics of the process.
How are you maintaining the relationship now that Pear’s gone home?
We have been in regular email contact with Pear since her return to Thailand, and we are planning an Education South Canterbury group delegation visit in early September to see Pear and visit NZ Study.
What do you see as unique about South Canterbury education and culture?
In South Canterbury we don’t just do international education, we internationalise our education.
South Canterbury offers an authentic small town Kiwi experience, where all students are known in the school and warmly embraced by the wider community. Students get an individual and intimate experience – they are all made to feel special and develop lifelong friendships with Kiwi students and homestay families.
The experience is very much a two-way exchange between the international students and the Kiwi students. The visiting students opened our Kiwi students’ eyes to their lifestyle, culture and life experiences… so becoming the educators of our students!
South Canterbury is “New Zealand at your back door”. We offer beaches, mountains, rivers and diverse landscapes – outdoor excitement with a sense of security. In South Canterbury, you can travel from the Southern Alps to the ocean in two hours or less.
Students in Education South Canterbury schools learn in the environment. Field trips and outdoor pursuits take them out into the real New Zealand and they are immersed in the environment they are learning about.
Students in South Canterbury schools can embrace the arts – music and theatre, orchestras, brass bands and sing in New Zealand award-winning choral groups.
No matter what students want to pursue, South Canterbury offers the opportunity!
L – R: Julie McLean, Pear and Mayor of Timaru, Damon Odey
Felix Loh: kūwaha a symbol of enduring ties to New Zealand

Now chief executive of the stunning and expansive botanical attraction that is Singapore’s Gardens by the Bay, Felix is delighted that it was selected as the site for a Māori kūwaha, or carved doorway, which feels personally symbolic to him.

Recently unveiled by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, the kūwaha celebrates the long-standing friendship between Aotearoa New Zealand and Singapore. “New Zealand has a special place in my heart, and I am honoured to host this precious Māori artefact. I hope the kūwaha will be a symbol of our friendship for many years to come.”

New Zealand now feels like a second home to Felix, but he shocked his parents and perplexed the scholarship selection committee back in 1988 when he told them he wanted to study horticulture at Massey University.

“I knew that Massey was well-known as an agricultural centre of excellence, and that horticulture was a very popular course,” he says. “But they were puzzled and asked me why I wanted to be a farmer in an urban city state like Singapore.

“My Dad did not speak to me for a few years, because Asians all want their kids to be lawyers, engineers, and doctors, and I chose to be a plant doctor instead. But I never regretted that decision.”

Felix says he felt welcome from the moment he arrived in New Zealand and enjoyed his four years as an international student so much he would have stayed on if he could. But the terms of his scholarship meant he needed to return to Singapore.

The Māori kūwaha recently unveiled at Gardens by the Bay.

No such thing as a stupid question

A less formal approach to education, with an emphasis on inquiry and collaborative learning, proved an initial challenge for Felix but ended up being one of the reasons he rates his New Zealand education experience so highly.

“At my first class we were told that we were expected to ask questions. This was the first time that I heard the phrase ‘there’s no such thing as a stupid question’,” he says. “That shook me, because in Singapore in those days nobody answered a question in class unless they were sure they had the right answer. For the first time, someone was willing to explore an alternative point of view.”

He turned up to English classes thinking it would simply be language tuition but discovered it was all about writing for your audience, with essays to be critiqued by classmates. “I initially questioned why fellow students would judge my work, but I quickly understood the value in taking on board a diversity of views to refine an idea or get a better product.”

And group project work certainly provided a life lesson for Felix, who had been conditioned to individual success based on exam results. “Not only did we have to work in groups, but we couldn’t choose our project partners,” he says.

“I’ll never forget the lecturer telling us that when we get to the workplace, we cannot choose our boss or even our colleagues, so we need to be able to work with different people. I learned that New Zealanders place people at the centre of what they do, and that we need to learn to appreciate the input of others.”

“I learned that New Zealanders place people at the centre of what they do”

Felix says his New Zealand education set him up for life-long learning which has helped to drive his career success. “You’ve got to learn and unlearn throughout your whole lifetime. It’s not so much about the content, but about being curious and knowing where to go for the answers.”

Friendships lead to enduring ties

It is through the people he met that he has forged an enduring relationship with New Zealand. Fellow churchgoers and schoolmates became life-long friends and “a moral and emotional support base” over the years. He has returned to New Zealand many times and stays in touch with former lecturers and teaching staff, some of whom are now plant suppliers for him in his role at Gardens by the Bay.

Felix at Gardens by the Bay.

“When I took on this job, one of my first trips was to go back to New Zealand to source new plants for our temperate Flower Dome. I visited a number of nurseries, just knocking on their doors, and I was made to feel so welcome. It just felt like I was at home.”

The world is a very different place from what it was in the 1990s, but Felix says the value of international education remains as important as ever.

“International education helps us to understand other perspectives better and demystify misconceptions we have about each other.

“In today’s uncertain world it is always good to have friends in other places. You discover that we have more things in common than set us apart.”
Market insights from Japanese media
The journalists represented a range of Japanese news media with audiences of various interests, ages and social groups:
- Sachiko Habu, Editor-in-Chief of Nikkei DUAL, a digital magazine for working parents
- Ryo Fujii, Deputy Editor of CNET Japan, focused on technology and innovation news
- Yuko Okumura, a freelance journalist for Glolea!, promoting study abroad for Japanese students.
The journalists visited secondary schools, English language schools, early childhood education (ECE) providers and government agencies involved in technology-focused start-ups.
Misa Kitaoka, ENZ’s Senior Market Development Manager – Japan, said New Zealand’s approach to education was considered very forward-thinking in Japan.
“They realised that education in New Zealand is not about only acquiring knowledge, which is still the case in Japan, but about what one can do with the knowledge in dealing with the uncertainties that come with the accelerated globalisation and digitisation in society.”
New Zealand’s world-first education ranking for instilling future skills resonated with the journalists, as did the Government’s push to enable innovation in the private sector, its tertiary qualifications framework for ITPs, and unique ECE curriculum.
Government-led initiatives such as CreativeHQ were very attractive to the journalists as well.
“In Japan, it’s usually the private sector that drives innovation so seeing a government-led initiative in New Zealand really made an impression,” said Misa.
The journalists were interested that some New Zealand schools offered the International Baccalaureate (IB), which could be a pathway to tertiary study options in Japan, New Zealand, US and the UK.
“IB is a hot topic in Japan at the moment, with the Japanese government promoting international education and introducing international curricula such as the IB diploma to Japanese schools,” said Misa.
The journalists enjoy a Kiwi classic - hokey pokey ice cream.

The topic of Japanese parents bringing their pre-school children to an English-speaking country like New Zealand for a short-term immersion – the ‘barefeet study abroad’ experience, as one journalist put it – was also of interest. The journalists appreciated the “unique learning environment” offered by the New Zealand ECEs they visited.
“They were impressed to see children immersed in nature while learning how to be independent and resilient,” said Misa.
New Zealand’s high quality of life, healthy work-life balance and the flexibility of “work from home” also made a good impression.
Creating a China-first digital ecosystem
Western websites and social media platforms have issues with accessibility, performance and loading speed in China, so ENZ has had to create bespoke digital technology to share the New Zealand education story with Chinese students.
ENZ carried out focus groups with Chinese international students to gather insights while designing the website to ensure it met the needs of a Chinese audience.
Its new website has a China domain name (.cn), has been search engine-optimised and is tracked with Baidu analytics (China’s equivalent of Google).
The site has also been integrated with ENZ’s database marketing system, enabling ENZ to follow up leads and capture marketing data. Having a .cn domain name enables ENZ to run a marketing campaign to boost its search rankings in Baidu.
The site works strategically with ENZ’s account on WeChat, China’s most popular social media app with more than one billion users.
ENZ has had an account on WeChat since 2014, and now has more than 53,000 followers.
In October last year, ENZ brought My StudyNZ to WeChat. My StudyNZ provides personalised study matches for international students exploring study in New Zealand.
Three-quarters of people using My StudyNZ on WeChat browse their study matches for almost two minutes, which is a good level of engagement.
Students using My StudyNZ in China are more likely to fund their own studies than students globally (76% compared to 33%) and more likely to have tuition budgets of more than $30,000 (30% compared to 15%). Ten percent are interested in studying at a school, compared to 3% of students globally, which illustrates the high value of this market.
ENZ’s International Social Engagement Specialist, Nicole Baird, said ENZ has a frequent calendar of social media posts to engage with its WeChat audience.
“We are also increasing our capabilities to segment our WeChat audience to direct content specific to each follower’s needs,” Nicole said.
ENZ’s Digital Programme Manager, Lucia Alarcon, said ENZ’s bigger and more robust ecosystem offers useful insights to help inform its marketing strategy.
“We are able to strengthen and increase our data capabilities and gain insights to inform our marketing decisions.”
Visit the China site here. Read more about My StudyNZ on WeChat here, or take a look at it by searching for its official Chinese name on WeChat (新西兰留学规划) or by scanning this QR code:
Enhancing diversity in the student experience
A number of education and diversity-related professionals from around the world attended GIIL, including a cohort of 11 visiting US professionals from international education, student affairs, education abroad, faculty development, and diversity and social justice programmes.
At the conference, delegates had the chance to network and gain skills and resources to better support diversity and inclusion initiatives on campus.
Hayley Shields, ENZ’s Director Student Experience, said the turnout at GIIL reflected the growing interest in diversity on Kiwi campuses.
“When it comes to the international education industry in New Zealand, we’ve tended to view diversity from a recruitment perspective as meaning market diversification,” said Hayley.
“However, New Zealand – and in particular, Auckland – is a very diverse society and sets a great example of inclusivity and openness to other international educators around the world.”
Hayley spoke at the panel on ‘Multi-sector perspectives on diversity and inclusion in New Zealand,’ alongside panellists from the University of Auckland, Auckland Council, Ministry of Education and Niesh, a student-run, student services enterprise.
Breakout group discussions focussed on diversity in the student experience, local and central government policies, and professional development opportunities for faculty, staff and students.
Hayley said with more than 220 recorded ethnic groups living in Auckland, and with the location of the conference at the University of Auckland’s Fale Pasifika, the setting helped emphasise the importance of diversity and inclusion on New Zealand campuses.
GIIL was co-sponsored by ENZ and the University of Auckland, and coordinated through the Diversity Abroad network.