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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:
Ask New Anything: The campaign in China
Ask New Anything, ENZ’s latest global, digital campaign, was launched worldwide in early October and a week later in China – after national holiday Golden Week. In China, the campaign leveraged ENZ’s strategic platforms with the help of our digital partner UMS.
So far, nearly 37 million Chinese have engaged with the campaign and ENZ’s following on WeChat has almost doubled as a result.
To celebrate the success of Ask New Anything in China, we’ve broken down four of our key platforms and explained why they are important when it comes to having a presence in this part of the world.
1. Zhihu
ENZ is the first international education agency in the world to have an official account on Zhihu. This puts ENZ in the company of other well-known international brands such as Audi and Airbnb.
Zhihu is the latest platform to be added to ENZ’s Chinese social portfolio. Like Quora and Reddit, Zhihu is known in China as a space for Q&As, making it a great fit for the Ask New Anything campaign.
Visit our Zhihu account to watch a campaign video developed especially for this platform.
2.WeChat
It was a natural choice to promote Ask New Anything on WeChat.
ENZ is one of the first education agencies in the world to utilise a premium format of WeChat Interactive Ads, and has engaged with 24 million users in our target groups since Ask New Anything began.
WeChat is a mobile app that does almost everything in China. It currently has over one billion active monthly users worldwide and is growing. In China, our audiences use WeChat to connect with brands, with each other, to shop, to order taxis, the list goes on.
ENZ has had an account on WeChat since 2014, and currently has more than 58,500 followers – including prospective Chinese students and their parents. Almost half of these began following the channel in 2019 as a result of a more targeted approach to our campaigns. Through this channel, users can explore what interests them most about studying in New Zealand.
3. WeChat mini-programme: My StudyNZ
ENZ added My StudyNZ to our WeChat portfolio in October 2018. This is a bespoke application developed for the platform.
The mini-programme delivers the same course-matching experience as our global My StudyNZ platform to Chinese audiences, via WeChat.
- Read more about My StudyNZ on WeChat
- To visit My StudyNZ on WeChat, scan the QR code below from your WeChat account:
4. .cn website
Earlier this year, ENZ launched a China version of the student-facing Study in New Zealand website with a China domain (.cn).
This new website overcame issues with accessibility, performance and loading speed in China, and is optimised for Baidu (China’s largest search engine).
- Visit the China website at studyinnewzealand.cn
- Read more about the China website
5. Weibo and YouKu
The Ask New Anything campaign also has a presence on Weibo, which remains one of China’s largest social media platforms, and on YouKu, the China equivalent of YouTube.
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.
Recognising Manaaki and Prime Minister Scholarship Programme milestones

ENZ took over operational management of the Manaaki New Zealand Scholarships Programme (MNZSP) from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade on 1 November 2022. The MNZSP is a key pillar of New Zealand’s International Development Cooperation commitments (formerly New Zealand Aid) and is the Government’s single-largest investment in international scholarships. The programme has a 70-year history and approximately 1,100 scholarships are awarded each year, to scholars from 112 developing nations.

Manaaki Scholarships Manager Julia Moore says the first 12 months has had a dual focus on bringing enhancements to the programme and ensuring it has a seamless transition into ENZ for scholars and providers.

“ENZ is working closely with tertiary education providers to understand their needs, build relationships and identify areas for improvement. As part of this mahi, we recently brought together providers for the first ENZ run Tertiary Education Providers workshop. It was a great opportunity for all parties to come together, track progress in the past year and plan for the future” she says.

ENZ is also working jointly with providers to bring the programme forward after disruptions that took place as a result of COVID-19 border closures, including clearing a pipeline of scholars who had been selected pre or during the pandemic and had been unable to start their programmes in New Zealand.

A suite of branded digital collateral and assets has also been developed for partners in the Manaaki Programme with easy-to-use tools and assets for their marketing efforts, which they can find on ENZ’s BrandLab.

Find out more about Manaaki New Zealand Scholarships Programme by visiting the website.

Prime Minister’s Scholarships

In April 2022 ENZ was delighted to award group Prime Minister’s Scholarships for Asia and Latin America (PMSA/PMSLA) to Māori whānau trusts for the first time in the 10-year history of the scheme. This is part of a wider programme of work to ensure the scholarship programme delivers on our Te Tiriti obligations and is more accessible to all New Zealanders over the age of 18.

The Prime Minister’s Scholarship programme aims to strengthen New Zealand’s ability to engage with key Asian and Latin American trading partners, improving the internationalisation of indigenous communities, New Zealand tertiary institutions, showcasing the strength and quality of New Zealand's education system and enhancing inter-cultural awareness and connections between New Zealand and other countries. The scholarship offers flexible funding to support both short and long-term programmes including study exchange, internships, postgraduate study, and language programmes.

The Erana Kaunga Tuhura Whānau Trust was one of the 2022 group scholarship recipients. The group travelled to Indonesia to learn about sustainable living systems and building techniques, they produced a video to capture their time there.

Director Scholarships Carla Rey Vasquez says she’s humbled to see the video the trust put together.

“It is a great demonstration of how ENZ is effectively partnering with whānau Māori to achieve global citizenship outcomes and transform the way that international education delivers with and for Māori” she says.

ENZ is eager to continue partnering with iwi, marae and whānau groups to raise Māori participation in the Prime Minister’s Scholarship programme. The next round of Prime Minister’s Scholarships will open for group applications at the start of next year.

Find out more about the programme and sign up for updates by visiting the Prime Minister’s Scholarships website.
Thank you to NZIEC KI TUA 2024 Partners

This year’s conference was attended by 449 delegates and saw 31 sessions delivered over two days by 96 speakers, including expert panellists.

It was a pleasure to have India as our Country of Honour and the support of the High Commissioner of India to New Zealand, Her Excellency Ms. Neeta Bhushan and the High Commission of India.

To our NZIEC KI TUA 2024 partners; CANIE: Climate Action Network for International Educators, Edified, Education USA, ETS TOEFL, Flywire, Hiremaster, Host Families NZ, ICEF, IDP Education Ltd and IELTS Official, Immigration New Zealand and NZQA, Pearson, Streamliner Productions, Studentsafe (Allianz Partners New Zealand), The PIE, ByteEd, Chasing Time English, JIX Reality and Pipi Learning, Touchprint, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa Massey University and Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington - thank you for your support.

ENZ Manager, Global Events and Agents, Janine Huxford says, 'We are so appreciative for the fantastic support from our suppliers and partners who went above and beyond to help us achieve our vision.”

“The conference wouldn't have been possible without you" Janine added.

The High Commission of India provided the entertainment for the gala dinner, with the Natraj Dance Company and Shivam dance company dance groups delivering dazzling performances to delegates.

To highlight the country of honour’s unique culture, henna artist Saburi Kesharwani adorned delegates with henna tattoos in the Experience Garden.

There were many other engaging activations in our Experience Garden, which was a place delegates could do just that – engage, connect, and experience.  

Education USA helped attendees uncover their inner superhero. Teacher Tapahia Heke is New Zealand’s only ‘superhero reader’ and was at the conference to help delegates find their superhero alter-ego – right down to the outfit. Graphic designer and animation professional Pita Mei brought the readings to life, providing delegates with a personalised superhero illustration to take home.

Delicious refreshments were key in the experience garden. Delegates enjoyed locally made ICEF-cream provided by ICEF and barista-made coffee from Student Safe.

Thanks to IDP Education Ltd there was a dedicated breakout space for conference attendees. The IDP IELTS lounge was a space to network, learn about the latest international education insights and catch up on their emails.

Thanks to Touchprint, who created the ‘Touchprint School Yard’, a space for the school sector delegates to connect and share.

The Pearson photography headshots activation was a hit, with just under 100 photos taken by local professional photographer Rebecca McMillan.

Delegates got the opportunity to try out some of the cutting-edge technology that some of our New Zealand EdTech companies offer. Pictured here is Dr Anatole Bogatski, Executive Director of QTI trying out the mixed reality prototype that ENZ is testing as part of its innovation and growth programme. Next to him is JIX Founder Sakthi Ranganathan trying out the tool that he has helped develop. Other New Zealand EdTechs also found in the Experience Garden included Pipi Learning, ByteEd and Chasing Time English.

Much appreciation goes to our partner Flywire as the Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland office now has a new piece of artwork based on insights from attendees for their office wall.

NZIEC KI TUA 2024 was not just about nurturing the relationships within our sector. Thanks to our conference partner Edified, it was about nurturing our whenua (land) too! In our commitment to sustainability; for every delegate registration, Edified planted a native tree, fostering a greener future for generations to come. 

449 native trees were planted over the weekend after conference.

We’re grateful for the local hāpu, iwi and community who got stuck in and helped with the planting. Part of the team was international student Momone Akiyoshi, who’s from Japan and is currently studying at Paraparaumu College. Her host sister Marion Daste (left) and host mum Jo Picot (right) brought her along because they thought it would be nice for Momone to be part of regenerating the land and having the opportunity of planting native trees while in New Zealand.

Thanks to all our 2024 partners in making this year’s conference a great one! 

Check out the photo highlights reel from NZIEC KI TUA here. 
PM’s Scholarships for Asia announced
The Prime Minister’s Scholarships for Asia cover overseas study, research or internships ranging from six week to two years at undergraduate or postgraduate level at top Asian institutions.
At an event to mark the programme’s first year, Prime Minister John Key and Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Minister Steven Joyce congratulated recipients.
Successful recipients include a student from Otago University, who will study chemistry and pharmacology at the National University of Singapore, and a group from the New Zealand Institute of Fashion Technology who will deepen their design and manufacturing knowledge working on a collaborative project with Indian students at a partner institution in Tamil Nadu.
The inaugural awards were made in December 2013, with many recipients still completing their studies throughout Asia. This next round of scholarships will enable 103 people to study overseas.
Peter Bull, Education New Zealand’s General Manager International, says the scholarship programme was established to give New Zealanders the opportunity to experience what it's like to operate in a different country and culture, and build all important people-to-people networks with our trading partners.
“Listening to returned students talk about their experiences; it’s clear it’s an opportunity that’s had a significant impact on those involved. One recipient got in touch recently to report her experience studying in Hong Kong had an immediate impact – helping her to secure a job with a top law firm who were very interested in her overseas experience.”
“I’m delighted at how quickly people have leaped at this opportunity to develop their international outlook and act as ambassadors for New Zealand education in parts of the world where there’s generally very low awareness about our country, let alone our way of thinking, learning or teaching.”
Mr Bull says the scholarships demonstrate reciprocity in New Zealand’s education relationships, something that’s very important as ENZ works to intensify education recruitment, business development and government relations activity throughout the region.
Applications are open for the next round of the Prime Minister’s Scholarships for Asia and close 28 September 2014. Applications can be made by individuals or groups.
Mr Bull says overall, the quantity and quality of applications greatly exceeded expectations; a fantastic outcome for a programme that’s only just begun.
“I encourage future applications to take the time to prepare high quality applications – the bar is only going to go up.”
Manawatu hosts agents
“A successful famil tour provides a holistic experience for the agents, and gives them first-hand knowledge and experience from which to recommend Palmerston North and Manawatu to prospective students and parents,” said Lesley McDonald, Co-Chair of International Education Manawatu (IEM).
“We decided that we would split the agents into two groups – those focussed on the tertiary sector and those on the secondary sector. That way, the agents in each group could focus on their specific sector and spend more time at the relevant institutions,” said Lesley.
The agent visit was timed to coincide with the Massey University graduation ceremony, demonstrating the successful outcome of study.
To give them a taste of the Manawatu student lifestyle, the agents stayed with homestay families in the region.
“We recognised that international education is more than the study experience – it also includes a safe lifestyle, leisure activities, internship and part-time employment opportunities which lead to residency and employment.”
“The agents saw the Royal New Zealand Ballet perform at the Regent Theatre in Palmerston North and had a trip to Wellington. One agent even stayed on an extra day to take part in a tour of Wairarapa wineries!”
For the visiting agents the visit was an immersion in what it’s like to live and study in Palmerston North and the Manawatu region, and for the education providers it was a chance to showcase the best their institution and the region has to offer.
For both, it was an invaluable relationship-building experience.
“We have received very positive feedback from the visiting agents who wish to build on the relationships with the educational providers that they met and interacted with”, said Lesley.
To fund the agent visit a cross-sector group of education providers – all members of IEM – pooled their resources, with some additional funding was provided by Education New Zealand’s Regional Agent Funding programme.
Student voices celebrate the NZ-ASEAN relationship
ENZ has been running Student Voice since 2012, providing a platform for international students to share their experiences and views on studying in New Zealand.
This year’s event was jointly run by ENZ and the MFAT, and domestic students were also invited to take part, in recognition of the 40^th anniversary of diplomatic relations between New Zealand and ASEAN.
Thirty international students representing all 10 ASEAN countries joined with the 10 New Zealand students who were recipients of the Prime Minister’s Scholarships for Asia, Understanding South East Asia programme. Together, the students took part in an interactive two-day programme aimed at better understanding the student experience. They heard from sector experts including Simon Chu from the University of Otago around the importance of alumni networks; Lester Khoo from Auckland University of Technology on how a New Zealand education can launch careers in ASEAN; and Jimmy Walsh from Beca on the value of ASEAN-NZ links in business.
The students also had the opportunity to talk informally about their experiences. We will share more on this in a later edition of E-news, but here are some of the comments for starters:
“Only when you are out of your comfort zone will you understand and learn many things, not just about your degree, but everything. It’s hard to not fall in love with New Zealand."
“Studying in New Zealand has opened up my soul. The past two years at the University of Otago had a significant impact on my character building. The University of Otago has moulded me into a more expressive, responsible, and confident person. New Zealand has also taught me to seize the opportunities whenever you have a chance because you will never know where that opportunity might lead you.”
My participation in ASEAN Student Voice 2015 only reinforced my belief that studying in NZ gives me that well-rounded academic experience that I can take home to enrich my contribution to Indonesia's development."
A real community has built up around this year’s Student Voice, and participating students set up a Facebook page to keep their connections going.
The programme culminated in an evening reception attended by around 100 people, including Hon Steven Joyce, the students and their host institutions, officials on the English Language Training for Officials programme, Heads of ASEAN missions and government representatives as well as people from ENZ, MFAT and the Asia New Zealand Foundation.
Students from Wainuiomata High School’s Kapa Haka Group, Te Tira Whakaau, brought New Zealand’s powerful cultural history alive with a performance at the reception. Te Tira Whakaau finished first overall in the regional secondary school Te Awakairangi ki Wairarapa Kapa Haka competition last month.
A school trip from Tauranga to Yantai
The group travelled with support from Education New Zealand’s (ENZ) New Zealand China Sister Schools Fund.
Deputy Principal, Kathy Colville, who accompanied the students along with International Student Coordinator, Annemieke Hart, said “very strong bonds were established”.
“Our students met many challenges,” she said, but “they rose to the occasion and took everything in their stride.”
The students attended school and stayed with local families. An exhibition of Tauranga photos was held as part of the sister city celebrations, and the group enjoyed giving their hosts an insight into Tauranga life. The group also spent a day in Shanghai.
Kathy said the students – all of whom learn Mandarin at school – were carefully chosen.
“It was an extremely difficult task but we chose some that had travelled with us [overseas before]. We knew that we could rely on these students to be great ambassadors of our school, city and country.”
There were lots of differences at school in Yantai, the principal one being the long school hours. The school day starts at 7.15am and ends at 5.30pm in China, with students then staying up till 11pm to complete homework.
“The long school hours were a bit daunting,” said Riley Bartosh.
The students also enjoyed learning calligraphy, and doing physical exercise Chinese-style – always carried out in groups.
The students said the experience had made them more independent and opened up their minds to further travel in the future.
“Now I’m more open to different cultures and how others live,” says Riley Bartosh.
“I am interested in pursuing a career that involves communication with other countries. China has opened up opportunities that would never have been available otherwise,” says Stephanie Austin.
“I’ve been on school trips to Portugal, Amsterdam and Turkey since I’ve been at this school,” says Ngawaka Ririnui. “It’s inspired me to travel more and experience how others live.”
“I am going to continue learning Mandarin at our school so that I can speak three languages – English, Maori and Mandarin,” says Te Wairere Te Moana.
Annemieke said Tauranga Intermediate School has offered biannual overseas school trips to its students since 2000. The school reinvests some of the revenue it receives from international students to fund these trips.
She said that in Term three, a group from Yantai Number two Middle School was making a reciprocal visit to Tauranga.