Search

Showing 10 of 1931 results for how to register international groups

• Education New Zealand welcomes new Board member

  Daniel was appointed to the Board on 13 December 2019 by Minister of Education Chris Hipkins.

  ENZ Board Chair Steve Maharey says the Board is delighted to welcome him to Education New Zealand.

  “Daniel comes to us from the school sector with a wide knowledge of education, experience in governance and a passion for international education. We are looking forward to his contribution at what is a challenging and exciting time,” Steve says.

  Daniel began his career as a music teacher in Auckland. He has been the principal at Nayland College since 2015, where he has overseen a transformational shift in the school’s pedagogy and learning environment. His work was recognised at the 2019 Prime Minister’s Education Excellence Awards, when the school was selected as one of four national finalists in the ‘Excellence in Leading’ category. The awards panel credited the school for initiating a “values-based learning revolution”.

  Under Daniel’s leadership at Nayland College, international student enrolment has increased by 40 percent. In 2020, the school will host 80 students from around the globe.

  Alongside his role at Nayland College, Daniel is also the lead principal and governance chairperson for the Top of the South Trades Academy. In his spare time, he is an accomplished brass musician, playing trombone in a variety of musical groups around Nelson and serving as president of Nelson City Brass.

• Fun and games at Christchurch student welcome

  The event was held at the Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū, and offered free food, games – including jenga, table tennis, and a Rugby 101 workshop led by the BNZ Crusaders – as well as a number of live music and cultural performances such as kapa haka, Indian Bangara dancing and a traditional Chinese lion dance. 

  Canterbury’s community groups and tourism operators were also on hand to greet new students, alongside Christchurch Deputy mayor Andrew Turner, who gave a welcome speech.

  ChristchurchNZ International Education Programme Manager Bree Loverich was pleased to see such a strong turnout.

  “This event was a fantastic opportunity to bring together new students, international education staff, homestay families and volunteers to celebrate our different cultures and showcase all there is to see and do in Christchurch and Canterbury,” said Bree.

  

  

  

• 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.

• 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.”

• Students around the globe join New Zealand summit

  Kicking off this week with seminars on the space economy and mechanisms for social change, and the human cost of climate change, the online global workshop connects a diverse group of potential international students to help them connect, collaborate and shape their future.

  ENZ’s Deanna Anderson, Business Development Manager says the project offers ENZ a great opportunity to learn more about the motivations of learners from new markets while offering the students involved a unique digital engagement with New Zealand.

  “It’s a two-way learning experience that explores the futures of our next generation of learners while offering them a window into New Zealand’s unique way of problem solving.

  “The aim is to create an inspiring initiative that engages hundreds of students and allows us to use their insights to better understand the future of our next generation of learners.

  “Each student has the ability to offer insight that could help shape a more personalised, meaningful, relevant and uniquely New Zealand education experience.” 

  The summit involves 12 expert speakers who are presenting six online seminars on topics ranging from sustainable design to social entrepreneurship to climate change.

  “After the seminar series, the students will be involved in a co-creation weekend where they will work as part of 65 online challenge groups to discuss solutions to some of the planet’s most pressing issues such as energy production, waste as a resource and the future of human survival.”

  Deanna says this pilot research project will provide invaluable insights for New Zealand’s international education sector that will inform the direction of future industry innovation.

  For more information or to join the webinars, visit https://www.emergingfutures.co.nz/

• 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.

• Brazilian science scholarship opening

  Education New Zealand is now working with New Zealand Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics (NZITP) on an agreement to include ITPs the SWB programme.

  The inclusion of New Zealand universities in the national call for applications for the SWB Scholarship follows the signing of an agreement between Universities New Zealand and the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) which was witnessed by Prime Minister John Key and Brazilian President Dilma Rouseff, during Mr Key’s visit to Brazil in March 2013. 

  The SWB programme aims to send 100,000 Brazilian students on undergraduate “sandwich” courses; PhD “sandwich” courses; full PhD and post doctorates programmes to study science, technology, engineering, mathematics and creative industries at top universities around the world.

  The SWB also offers opportunities to foster relationships between institutions under a Special Visiting Researcher scholarship scheme. This scheme aims to attract recognised international researchers in priority areas set by the SWB programme to conduct projects with Brazilian research groups and visit Brazil for up to three months each year over a period of two to three years. 

  Information and applications for study at New Zealand universities is now available to Brazilian undergraduate and postgraduate students at this link.

• Brazilian university professors visit

  Last month Education New Zealand and MFAT joined forces with Latino New Zealand to host representatives from top Brazilian universities on a visit to New Zealand. The visit aimed to establish institution to institution links between universities of the two countries, to increase the Brazilian institutions’ understanding of our universities and to raise our profile in the Science Without Borders programme.

  Eight Brazilian universities participated in the visit, including State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG) and Paulista State University (UNESP), all ranked in the top 500 in world.

  The visiting professors met with representatives from all eight of our universities as well as with ENZ, UNZ and the Brazilian Ambassador in New Zealand. 

  This is the first significant contact between the universities of the two countries and all of the participating universities were very keen to establish long-term research linkages with New Zealand institutions. Most of the Brazilian universities represented are well resourced in various areas of research, particularly in areas such as agriculture and plant and animal sciences.

  As a result of the visit, ENZ has received invitations to present to some of the universities and one of the professors also offered to join the New Zealand SWB presentation at his university to share his positive experience in New Zealand. Most of the visiting professors have also uploaded photos of their trip on Facebook and their university pages where they will be widely viewed by their contacts and university communities.

  Brazil is New Zealand’s largest source country for international students in Latin America. Traditionally Brazilian students come to New Zealand for short-term language courses, but in recent years we have seen an increase in the number of students from the school sector, mainly due to the Pernambuco state’s Win the World scholarship programme.

  Since New Zealand joined the Science without Borders (SWB) scheme in 2013, more than 170 Brazilian students have studied in New Zealand under the undergraduate sandwich programme.

  Although the undergraduate sandwich (study abroad) awards take up the majority of the SWB funding, the programme also funds full PhD and sandwich PhD studies. A new Masters programme has also been established and ENZ and UNZ are currently working on New Zealand’s inclusion in this programme.

  SWB also provides the following awards:

  • Inbound Fellowships which aim to bring early-career researchers and senior scholars to Brazilian universities and research centres.

  • Young Talent awards fully fund one to three year research stays in Brazil with an attractive package including round-trip tickets, relocation expenses, a tax-free highly competitive lecturer-level monthly allowance, a contribution toward research costs and funding for research assistantship.

  • Special Visiting Researcher Programme for joint projects with research groups in Brazil and work in the country for up to three months every year over two to three years. A generous grant is available to researchers including round-trip tickets for every annual visit, a tax-free highly competitive senior-level monthly allowance, a contribution toward research costs and funding for a sandwich PhD at home and a Post-doctoral Fellowship in Brazil.

  • Offshore Technological and Innovation Development awards that support the participation of Brazilian researchers, specialists and technicians in development and training activities overseas.

• Kiwi scholars tour India

  Eight business students from Ara Institute of Canterbury and 20 fashion, textile and business students from Massey University are currently spending four to six weeks in India. The PMSA programme is funded by the New Zealand government and encourages New Zealand students to study in Asia to experience the benefits of international education.

  John Laxon, ENZ’s Regional Director – South East Asia and Middle East, said the PMSA reinforces the New Zealand Government’s commitment to India and our education relationship.

  “These scholarships build on New Zealand’s status as a top destination for Indian students, creating partnerships with prestigious Indian education institutions and between the future leaders of both countries.” 

  

  Ara cohort with faculty from Jaipuria Institute and Acting High Commissioner Suzannah Jessep (centre in blue)

  As part of the PMSA programme, eight of Ara’s business school scholars will spend six weeks attending a series of classroom lectures at Jaipuria Institute of Management in Noida and KCT Business School in Coimbatore to develop a better understanding of the business environment in India. This will focus on aspects like entrepreneurship and the Indian rural economy. While in India, they will also visit local business establishments including dairies, textile mills and start-ups.

  In January, ENZ hosted the Ara students at the New Zealand High Commission for an interactive session about New Zealand’s relationship with India, and the engagement opportunities available. The session was chaired by Acting High Commissioner Suzannah Jessep, and was also attended by faculty members from Jaipuria and Ara Institute.

  

  Runway on the High Commission lawn

  Following this, ENZ also hosted a project presentation at the New Zealand High Commission called ‘Closing the Loop’ for the Massey awardees, based on India’s circular economy strategy to phase out land filling of recyclable materials by 2025.

  The Massey students teamed up with 20 creative arts students from National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), New Delhi, to produce an outfit made from sustainable and organic materials sourced in India.

  Students worked in groups mixing their textile, fashion and business talents, and even created a sustainable ‘business plan’ to accompany their outfits. The High Commission lawns were then transformed into a makeshift runway for the students to showcase their garments to the senior faculty members from Massey and NIFT in attendance. 

  Sue Prescott, Senior Lecturer and Major Coordinator for Fashion Design at Massey University said the event highlighted the potential for fashion to address real world issues such as over-consumption, global warming and ethical production processes.

  “Through studies in fashion supply chain, traditional fashion industry methods are challenged, and team design and production projects like this help lead to innovative and sustainable thinking.”