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• Student ambassadors appointed in Christchurch

  “The Student Ambassador programme is one of several initiatives aimed at better supporting international students so that they make the most of their time in Christchurch and perhaps encouraging them to stay longer in the region,” said Richard Ashmore, International Student Pathway Coordinator with Christchurch Educated.

  “It is also a great personal development opportunity for the new ambassadors who will receive training and the chance to expand their own international networks.”

  The inaugural group of ambassadors is made up of 14 students from New Zealand, Australia, Afghanistan, India, China, Japan, Malaysia, Russia and the Philippines.

  “Some of the New Zealanders in the group benefitted from similar programmes during their own overseas study experience and want to help others in the same way,” said Richard.

  Izzie Guo arrived in Christchurch in 2009 totally unprepared for the shock of landing in a foreign environment with only a limited understanding of the language. She was fortunate to have amazing support from her homestay mum and senior classmates to help her adjust to a lifestyle, language and living environment vastly different to the one she had left behind in China. Now Izzie is looking forward to helping other international students faced with the challenges that come with embarking on a learning experience in a new country.

  “I have always wanted to help students new to Christchurch. I remember when I first arrived. I had many difficulties and so many people helped me in many ways. I want to give a little help and hopefully that can make a difference,” said Izzie.

  The student ambassadors are studying at mostly tertiary institutions including the University of Canterbury, Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology, Southland Institute of Technology, along with Middleton Grange and Kaiapoi high schools. 

  The student ambassadors were received into the programme by Christchurch Mayor Lianne Dalziel in mid-October. In addition to their mentoring duties, the ambassadors will represent Christchurch Educated and the city of Christchurch at official functions and international education visits and events. They will start in their roles as fully trained ambassadors in January 2015.

  Interest in the roles was so high that a second group of ambassadors will be inducted into the programme next year.

• Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Books

  New Zealand’s Guest of Honour presence at the Taipei International Book Exhibition (TIBE) had a strong education flavour as Education New Zealand staff and six education publishers participated alongside a cast of leading New Zealand authors and other New Zealand publishers.

  Education New Zealand contributed $100,000 to New Zealand organiser Publishers Association of New Zealand (PANZ) to support the participation of the Wendy Pye Group, ESA Publications; MJA Publishing; Lanky Hippo Publishing; the New Zealand Council for Educational Research; and Clean Slate Press at TIBE held over 11 – 16 February 2015.

  TIBE is the largest book fair in Asia and acts as a gateway to the region. In 2014, TIBE had more than 500,000 visitors, over 1,000 events for visitors or publishers, more than 700 domestic and international reporters and 423 international publishing houses in attendance. 

  This year TIBE brought in free entry for school-aged children, which was expected to boost visitor numbers as well as providing an expanded audience for Education New Zealand’s “Study in New Zealand” messaging.

  New Zealand’s Guest of Honour status ensured that we received prime positioning within the fair venue as well as enhanced interest and attention from media; Taiwan authorities; and industry representatives seeking to buy rights. 

  A wide-ranging programme included strong publisher presence, public presentations, kapa haka performances, carving by the New Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts Council/Ngā Kete Tuku Iho, a visiting author programme, and offsite events including an art exhibition. The eye-catching New Zealand Pavilion – in a design of three Māori tokotoko (orator’s sticks) – exemplified New Zealand’s “Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Books” theme.

  “Education New Zealand has previously supported our education publishers’ attendance at such key international trade events, as it gives them the opportunity to explore new markets and opportunities in a dedicated business setting”, said ENZ’s Business Development Manager, Adele Bryant.

  “Dame Wendy Pye was busy at her stand following up leads she attributed to attendance at Frankfurt 2012 where New Zealand was also Guest of Honour and ENZ supported education publishers.”

  

  Above: Dame Wendy Pye and a young Taiwanese student demonstrating one of Wendy’s education tools.

  While the delegation of education publishers represented a mix of experienced and new exporters, all were united in having high-quality products that represented New Zealand's reputation for innovation and quality education. 

  “ENZ support for TIBE and earlier scoping visits to Hong Kong and Seoul has helped profile our strengths in education publishing to Asian publishers. The New Zealand delegation has been able to understand how their product can better fit the market as well as meet new business leads”, said Adele.

  ENZ’s Regional Director – Greater China, Alexandra Grace, also delivered presentations profiling New Zealand as a high-quality education destination that fosters innovation and creativity in its students.

  “It was inspiring to deliver these presentations as part of New Zealand’s Guest of Honour programme”, said Alex.

  “Being part of a programme that included such creative and talented New Zealanders as Eleanor Catton, Witi Ihimaera, and Joy Cowley – not to mention our education publishers, who are seeking to inspire, delight, and educate children around the world with their innovative learning tools – was a real buzz. Their presence complemented perfectly the message I was seeking to make about New Zealand as a place where ideas and talent are nurtured and developed.”

  “I was also able to point to Eleanor Catton and Witi Ihimaera – both of whom teach at Manukau Institute of Technology – as being event-appropriate examples of how New Zealand delivers applied education in a way that is closely linked to industry.”

  Education New Zealand will continue to work with TIBE participants and other education publishers to assist them in finding opportunities to promote their products, skills and expertise offshore; as well as working to promote New Zealand as an education destination of choice to students from Taiwan.

  For further information on New Zealand’s participation at this year’s Taiwan International Book Exhibition, visit: www.publishers.org.nz

  To find out about other connections our education publishers made on their way to Taipei, read here. 

  Below: Inside the NZ pavilion ENZ Regional Director – Greater China, Alex Grace, presents on the strengths of NZ education publishing.

  

• International education growth – 376k investment

  Successful International Education Growth Fund (IEGF) recipients include Tai Poutini Polytechnic, who will develop of a range of study tour programmes for tourism professionals in China, and the University of Otago, who are developing ecology and sustainability papers for students studying the tropical ecosystems of East Malaysia.

  Two projects are focused on delivering masters qualifications offshore, while others relate to new products and programmes, marketing initiatives and exploring new channels to market.

  Educational publishers BIOZONE International and Kiwa Digital received co-funding to boost exports of digital learning resources. BIOZONE International are developing a digital platform for their high school biology resources and Kiwa Digital will be establishing a new distribution channel in North American market for their experiential digital books.

  The successful recipients are primarily focused on China and the US markets and includes universities, polytechnics, schools, private training providers, and the education technology sector.

  Education providers and businesses can apply for matched funding up to $50,000 from the International Education Growth Fund, which is administered by Education New Zealand.  In this latest round, 29 applications were received.

• Introducing ENZ’s new Board member, Victoria Spackman

  Victoria is Chief Executive, Director and co-owner of the screen and visitor experience company, the Gibson Group. You can read Victoria’s bio here but E-News put a few questions her way when she was in the office last week.

  How did you come to know about the world of international education?

  I worked with Education New Zealand on a Mandarin language TV series called Dragons in a Distant Land, which was all about Chinese students studying in New Zealand.  The series was launched by the Prime Minister in Beijing in April 2013 during the celebrations of the 40-year relationship between China and New Zealand, and screened on several TV channels around China. 

  What interests you about the sector?

  I am particularly interested in the fact that there are so many advantages to be had from a well-functioning international education system – advantages to the students visiting NZ, to the NZ students they learn with, to the schools and other providers, and to the wider economies in both NZ and, potentially, in the country that the student is from.  The strong personal and professional connections that are made through international education can help fuel lifelong relationships and opportunities. 

  What excites you most about your appointment to the Board?

  I’m looking forward to the opportunity to help the sector grow and help New Zealand take full advantage of its strong international educational reputation. 

  What challenges do you expect to face? 

  New Zealand is not the only country competing for international students and we are not the best resourced or the most famous.  So we have to differentiate ourselves and help what New Zealand has to offer stand out.  My personal challenges will include understanding the complex ecology of the sector as quickly as I can so I can make a full contribution. 

  What parts of your study/work/life experience do you think is most relevant to your role on the Board?

  I started my school life in the UK and, although I don’t think about it much, I expect that it has impacted on the person I am very much.  The company I own has pushed into several new export markets in recent years, including China, the US and Denmark.  The experience of persisting to reach those goals has taught me a lot about exporting and doing so in challenging markets.  I hope that that experience, as well as my broader experience, can help me be of the most assistance to the organisation and the sector. 

  As well as announcing Victoria’s appointment on 9 July, Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Minister Steven Joyce also announced the reappointment of Board Chair Charles Finny for an eighteen-month term, and Board members Philip Broughton, Richard Leggat and John Morris for three-year terms.

• New General Manager for ENZ

  Paul will shape and develop ENZ’s international marketing strategies and New Zealand education’s global brand, and oversee our channels to international markets, helping to realise ENZ’s business plan and strategy.

  An experienced General Manager, Paul joins ENZ from advertising agency FCB Wellington, where he has led the Wellington office for the past three years. He has more than 15 years’ experience in marketing strategy, digital marketing, international marketing and team management.

  Some of Paul’s recent award-winning campaigns at FCB include Inland Revenue’s Overseas Based Borrowers student loans campaign and the Electricity Authority’s What’s My Number campaign. He worked with the Ministry of Education to launch the inaugural Prime Minister’s Education Excellence Awards, and with the Open Polytechnic on their ‘Learning for an Open World’ brand repositioning campaign. Prior to these New Zealand-based roles, Paul worked for the Economist in London and then Asia, setting up the marketing department in Singapore and growing revenue from their publishing products. 

  ENZ Chief Executive Grant McPherson says Paul will work closely with ENZ’s international team and the industry in New Zealand to continue growing awareness of, and preference for, a New Zealand education in our target markets.

  “With the latest student visa dashboard showing first-time student visas are up 11% to date, Paul joins us at a time of continuing strong growth in international education.

  “His long-standing marketing experience will build on this momentum, taking our Think New education brand from strength to strength.”

• Introducing new GM Marketing and Channel Development, Paul Irwin

  Hannah Lee Darboe, who fulfilled the role of Acting GM for this team, returned to NZTE recently to take up the role of Director, Business Improvements.

  What attracted you to the world of international education?

  The GM Marketing and Channel Development role at Education New Zealand builds on highlights from previous roles in my career. Namely, international marketing in Asia with the Economist Intelligence Unit, advertising and communications consultancy to a range of education sector clients (Open Polytechnic; TeachNZ, Ministry of Education; and Agriculture ITO), and the ever-evolving world of digital marketing. Additionally, I’m really impressed with the contribution that international education makes to both New Zealand’s economy and our cultural ties with other countries.  

  What will you be doing as GM Marketing & Channel Development?

  I'll be helping shape ENZ’s international marketing strategies across brand, digital media, social, agents, events and whatever other opportunities we identify. My goal is to work with the marketing team and the rest of ENZ to build on their great work to date. Particular areas of interest are how we can continue to position the Think New brand against our competitors, increase our use of data for insight and conversion, and how we integrate and optimise all our activity, noting the different challenges of each particular market!  

  What’s on your to-do list for the next three months?

  First, to build my understanding of a very complex industry! ENZ and New Zealand’s education providers operate across a wide range of sectors and countries. From a marketing perspective, we use best practice digital marketing, events and agents, while also equipping the industry with a wide range of tools and marketing material.

  Second, to better understand the needs of the different education sectors (I really look forward to meeting you all in due course!).

  Third, to look to ways to “optimise” our activity, building on past learnings, fine-tuning to the different dynamics of each country and their student populations, and bringing my expertise in integrated marketing to ensure we have the best marketing mix to achieve our collective objectives.  

  What excites you most about your new role?

  I’m excited to be working in a role that delivers economic, social and cultural good. Equally to be working with such a large group of smart, passionate people across ENZ and the entire New Zealand education industry. It’s exciting to be working in an industry that’s part of the “knowledge economy”, which has really strong foundations but equally huge opportunity for innovation and further growth.  

  What challenges do you expect to face?

  There are many challenges in international education, but these are what make the role interesting and rewarding. There’s the complexity of the markets and diversity of sectors. Then there’s being on top of the fast-changing world of marketing today, driven by new digital technologies and channels and access to more and more data. As always, there’s the juggling act between global efficiencies and consistency and in-market tailoring of activity. And last, but not least, being mindful of each education institution’s particular needs, past learnings and future ambitions.

• NZ admissions staff key to sustainable industry

  There are relatively small numbers of people working in the area of international qualifications in New Zealand, so training and the sharing of knowledge is vital.

  To support this need for professional development, AUT and ENZ jointly hosted UK NARIC to run training sessions on 17 and 18 September for New Zealand admissions staff. The workshop also provided a valuable opportunity for admissions staff from around the country to share their knowledge and expertise.   

  UK NARIC is the designated United Kingdom national agency responsible for providing information, advice and expert opinion on vocational, academic and professional skills and qualifications from over 180 countries worldwide.

  The sessions were well attended and well received. Here’s some of the feedback, grouped under each of the four training session topics.  

  Evaluating International Qualifications.

  This session provided some guidance in the all-important area of qualification evaluation.

  • This session helped me to understand different models of education and evaluation process of international qualifications. Among the four traditional education models of: Anglo- Scottish, American, Humboldt and Napoleonic. The first two models are quite straight forward, unlike the last two!

  • Exercises in identifying which model to apply where, gave us better understanding of the entry requirements, duration, progression route and qualification comparison the various qualifications.

  • I now have a greater understanding on what to request and look for while checking and accepting documents.

  Degrees of Deception.

  This session looked at the worldwide problem of applicants presenting fraudulent documents to ensure a place in a learning institute.

  • The overview, general and brief as it was, gave me a starting point as to the kinds of alterations to look for when presented with a document for assessing.

  • A major part of an admissions staffer’s daily workload includes deciphering international documents and recognising the difference between acceptable and fraudulent qualifications. The NARIC training course has made me think twice and question things I may have otherwise not thought about.

  Education in China.

  This session gave an overview of the structure of the education systems in China.

  • As well as gaining a general understanding of the Chinese education system in different provinces, I found the session on numbers and dates in Chinese characters particularly helpful, as it helped me get a precise understanding of the course duration, start date and completion date in order to verify authenticity of the translation. Also, the exercise we did identifying Chinese characters to confirm the school and entry to higher education will help me to understand Chinese certificates more easily.

  • The other interesting exercise was identifying the authenticity of the certificate by looking at its serial number. After this session I am clear about how to read the transcript and the completion certificate.

  Education in North America.

  This session gave an overview of the structure of the education systems in North America.

  My top three takeaways from this session were:

  • There is no national qualifications framework in Canada, thus there is a lot of variation in education between the provinces.

  • There is also no national accrediting body in Canada to evaluate the quality of all degree programmes, although a number of regulatory authorities perform this function for programmes in professional subjects at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.

  • Many countries in the Caribbean have very few nationally accredited higher education institutions, so links with international universities to offer recognised qualifications are common

  Ways in which the training will change or improve the way I work:

  • More knowledge of the education systems in North America will make it easier and more efficient to assess applicants from this area, as less time will be spent looking up information.

  A particular challenge in my job that is now made easier since having the training:

  • The training provided specific information on the difference between vocational and academic Associate Degrees from the United States. This was useful as we only accept Academic Associate Degrees for University Entrance and it was previously not always easy to identify if the qualification was academic or vocational.

• International Student Barometer Results: school sector

  The results of the International Student Barometer (ISB) survey for the school sector are now in, and New Zealand has maintained very high overall student satisfaction.

  ENZ commissioned the ISB survey of students at schools to investigate the decision-making, expectations, perceptions and experiences of over 2,000 international students aged 16+. 

  Unlike the surveys of the other sectors, there is no global benchmark, because New Zealand is the only country which undertakes the ISB survey in the school sector. However, we can compare ourselves with our own performance in 2012, which was also very high.

  Ninety-four percent of school students surveyed were satisfied with their experience. This is on par with the 2012 survey. Students showing the highest satisfaction level were from France, Hong Kong, Germany, and Brazil.

  This is a great result for the NZ school sector – maintaining high satisfaction levels, while growing student numbers.

  Eighty-eight percent are happy with their life in New Zealand. Three out of four students would recommend their school to other students thinking of studying there.

  It’s worth noting that overall satisfaction levels vary noticeably by institution and by nationality. Most participating institutions have received their own results to analyse and help inform the development of services and support for their student cohorts.

  Generally speaking, the areas with lowest student satisfaction are around making friends with locals, and some aspects of arrival support – elements of which are issues for international students globally, not just in New Zealand.

  Education New Zealand will be using this data to identify follow-up actions and deliver professional development support to schools.

  One particular point to note is that, of those students who plan to stay in New Zealand after school (26 percent), two thirds intend to go to university. And, 26 percent of all students don’t yet know what they will do post-school – an opportunity for local tertiary providers.

  A point of comparison is Australia’s International Student Survey 2014, in which 82 percent of school students were satisfied with their overall experience.

  More in-depth results of the New Zealand survey are available in the ISB School Sector Summary Report 2015 and the ISB School Sector Presentation.

• Telling the whole New Zealand story

  We want to see the benefits of international education spread across all regions and sectors, so ENZ has boosted its team to better support international education growth in the regions.

  New appointees Sarah Gauthier, Sahinde Pala and Jo Keane join Christchurch-based Business Development Manager, Greg Scott, to ensure ENZ’s Regional Partnership Programme activities are well-supported by a team of highly-experienced international education practitioners.

  ENZ’s General Manager Business Development, Clive Jones, says, “I’m excited about starting 2016 with a strong regional team who are committed to helping our regions achieve growth. Greg and the team are passionate regional advocates, who are keen to get stuck in and work with regional providers and agencies to put plans into action.”

  Many of you will be familiar with the new Regional Project Managers:

  

  Sahinde Pala has joined ENZ from her role as Marketing Manager at  LSI Language Studies International Worldwide. Sahinde is based in Auckland.

  

  Sarah Gauthier moves back to ENZ after her recent work as ‎Export Education Coordinator at Dunedin City Council. Sarah will be based in Wellington.

  

  Jo Keane hops Cook Strait to join our Wellington office from her role as International Market Manager at Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology. Jo starts on 8 February.

• Farm Cove Intermediate and Luoyang International School: Sister Schools

  International education a priority

  At Farm Cove Intermediate (FCI) international education goals are included in our strategic documentation, as this is an area of high priority.  We recognise the importance of our FCI community becoming Asia-equipped with our Asian neighbours now such a significant part of our lives. However, our FCI links with Asia go far beyond obligation and responsibility as we get so much enjoyment from sharing with both students and teachers from other cultures.  Since our first group arrived from Japan 27 years ago, we have experienced the enormous value of celebrating cultural diversity through our hosting of international students from Asia.

  Sister School relationship established

  We’ve particularly enjoyed hosting students and teachers from our sister school, Luoyang International School (LYIS), which is in Luoyang City, Henan Province, China.  Our relationship with LYIS began with a surprise email from their Principal, Jason Tsai, in 2012.  He had visited our school when he was working in Auckland several years ago.  His aim was to connect with an Auckland school and he believed that we would be a good fit to host a group of his students for short visit. We learnt that LYIS was four schools in one, from pre-school to college, and that students boarded five nights a week.  This modern school of 2500 students was built only four years ago and has a focus on English language learning and using a variety of teaching methodologies.  Our planning all came together and, in less than a year, 15 students arrived for a four week stay, accompanied by the principal and a teacher.  The teacher spent her time working alongside our teachers, while the students mixed freely with their classmates and quickly became part of our school.  The visit went so well that they visited us again in 2014, when we signed a sister school agreement to further promote teacher and student exchange and broaden our educational horizons by adding a global perspective. We agreed to join hands as sister schools and seek opportunities for purposeful, genuine and authentic communication.

  

   

  Collaborative Poetry- a challenge but fun. Students were given Chinese names by the students.

  Sister school visit enabled

  After an initial scoping visit by four FCI teachers to LYIS, and with the blessing from our Board of Trustees we decided to take a group from FCI to China. Support from ENZ’s New Zealand China Sister Schools Fund enabled us to take two teachers on the visit.

  The trip far exceeded our expectations.  It provided amazing opportunities, was so much fun and changed us all.  There were many high fives, welcome to China hugs, hand-made gifts and songs sung as we mixed with the LYIS students.  They had spent months preparing for us.  We enjoyed lessons in practical science, calligraphy, Chinese music, English, Mandarin and physical education.  A night in homestays allowed our students to get a glimpse into Chinese life; the food was really yummy and the excursions to local points of interest were truly memorable.

  Our trip to LYIS really advanced our sister school relationship.  We have developed life-long friends and deepened our understanding of Chinese culture and the Mandarin language.  Our learning flowed out across our school and the wider community, as we shared our daily experiences through social media while we were on the road, and presented to our whole school on our return.  

  Relationship set to grow

  Planning is underway for a group from LYIS to visit us, and for a larger group from FCI to return to Luoyang in 2017. Short-term teacher exchanges are also being discussed.

  

  Students greatly enjoyed learning the art of calligraphy.

  Tips and insights

  If you’re thinking of establishing a sister school relationship in China, here are some things to consider.

  • Do you have the support of your school community for such a venture – including your Boards of Trustees, teachers, parents and the students?  You will need all of these stakeholders to support a successful relationship.

  • Are there good lines of communication between the school in China, or their agent, and your school?  This is essential, so that clear understandings and expectations are established and the potential for any misunderstandings minimised. 

  • How easy is it to travel to the Chinese school from New Zealand and for them to travel to you, and how long will it take to complete the journey? China is vast, and it can take three or more flights plus a lengthy train or coach trip to get to some districts. 

  • How much will it cost each participant?  The cost for families to send their child on the trip, plus the cost of sending the teachers, needs to be calculated. It is important that the group has a clear understanding of what is and is not covered by the trip budget.

  • What sort of preparation is required by students, teachers and parents? Good preparation – especially on the part of the students – is a critical factor as it underpins the success of the trip.  You can support the preparation for Chinese students to come to you by sharing facts, photos, videos and links through social media.  At FCI we put a lot of emphasis on teaching our students to be excellent hosts.  In our experience, students travelling to Chinese schools take about ten weeks of lessons and three family meetings to gain the knowledge and skills that will enable them to have a positive experience.

  • Will your students feel comfortable in the Chinese school environment and vice versa?  China is a very different culture, even more so as you get away from the big cities. Similarly, life in your community is likely to be a totally new experience for the Chinese student.  It is our view that children need to experience cultural differences, but not be challenged to the point where they are overwhelmed. 

  • What does the district around your school and their school offer which would be of interest for the students?  Visiting special points of interest in the local district adds significantly to the experience for the students.

  We really value our sister school relationship with LYIS in China.  By hosting them twice and visiting with both a staff group and later with a student group, we are recognising more and more similarities between our cultures, and learning to appreciate the differences.  Future exchanges will allow us to have more fun, too, as we develop an even greater understanding of one another.

  We are very much looking forward to FCI LYIS China Trip 2017.

  Linda Harvie, Principal - Farm Cove Intermediate School