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• 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

• Getting ready to celebrate 25 years

  2016 celebrates 25 years of New Zealand International Education conferences being held. During the conference, we’ll be celebrating some of the highlights of our industry’s journey.

  If you’re joining us in Auckland, make sure you check out the history display in the exhibition hall. We traverse a handful of key highlights as the industry has developed and evolved over the past 25+ years.

  If you’re not able to join us in Auckland, you can follow the conversation on Twitter at #nziec and on Weibo at #2016新西兰国际教育年会NZIEC#.

  ***

  Here, Richard Smith, founding director of Auckland Institute of Studies (AIS), reflects on his time in the industry, outlining how AIS has evolved over the years.
  
  

  

  Blazing a trail over 25 years ago

  
  Richard Smith talks about his experience in the international education industry.

  “In the late 1980s, I was involved in business between New Zealand and China in both the public and private sectors, and regularly received enquiries about education in New Zealand.

  So in 1990, my two business partners and I set up AIS. We were based in the Downtown Centre, Auckland, initially as an English language school, starting with a single class of international students. In our second year, we added business studies, then travel and tourism courses, and appointed marketing officers for Japan and China. AIS quickly grew to more than 200 students. 

  

  The entire roll of AIS could fit in one room back in 1991.

  In the first five years, we worked seven days a week, putting in huge hours. I was on the business development and admin side, doing everything from paying staff, processing student applications, and signing up agent representatives.

  In 1992, we brought in new business partners from Taiwan and Japan, and bought the old St Helens maternity hospital, set on 10 acres in Mount Albert. It had been empty for two years and was very rundown. Moving from the city to the suburbs was a good move as it allowed for expansion. Being in a residential area meant easy access to homestays for students. We also converted the old nursing home into student accommodation. In 1993, the doors of the new campus opened after a year of refurbishment. 

  

  AIS was reborn at the old St Helen’s maternity hospital.

  The following year we launched our first degree, the Bachelor of International Business, becoming the first private business school at degree level in New Zealand. In 1995, we started delivering an MBA programme. Then in 2002, we opened our second campus, the Asquith Campus, where we developed new degree programmes in tourism, hospitality and information technology.

  Over the years, more than 20,000 students have studied at AIS. Today, we cater for around 1,500 students from all around the world.

  Looking back, we were like trailblazers really, starting from scratch alongside other new organisations like New Zealand Qualifications Authority and New Zealand Education International Ltd, and putting in the hard yards. In 2015, we celebrated our 25^th anniversary.”

  

  AIS students celebrate graduation, 1993.

• What happens after graduation?

  “While the majority of international students are taking their New Zealand university education into the global workplace, it is positive that nearly half are staying here - at least for a period of time,” says Grant McPherson, Chief Executive of Education New Zealand.

  “It suggests that there are opportunities in New Zealand for young skilled people, and is great news for employers who will have a more diverse pool of  graduates to draw from in order to meet any skill shortages.”  

  Highlights:

  • 48% of international graduates returned to live in their country of origin
  • 43% of international graduates remained to work in New Zealand
  • 9% international graduates currently live elsewhere overseas

  Nearly 9,000 final-year university students participated in the baseline survey in 2011, and 70 per cent of these completed the first follow-up survey in 2014.  Some nine per cent were international students.

  

  The survey is part of the Graduate Longitudinal Study New Zealand (GLSNZ) which aims to determine how the lives and career goals of students are progressing. Over 80 per cent of the participants say they are currently employed.

  The study was commissioned by Universities New Zealand with funding support from the  Ministry of Education and Ministry of Women’s Affairs.  It  is being carried out by the Dunedin-based  National Centre for Lifecourse Research.

  The researchers will complete further follow-up surveys five and 10 years after graduation.

• The EAIE 2016 builds partnerships

  The EAIE conference took place last month in Liverpool, with more than 5000 participants from over 80 countries in attendance. This included ENZ, which coordinated a branded New Zealand pavilion that showcased six universities and four Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics.

  ENZ’s Regional Director Americas and Europe, Lisa Futschek, says that partnerships such as NMIT’s confirm how important EAIE is for New Zealand providers wanting to work with overseas institutions.

  “Face-to-face relationship building is invaluable in this industry, allowing providers to discuss opportunities in a friendly but focussed environment,” she said.

  “Each year EAIE brings together not just European, but global key industry players. It therefore provides a perfect platform for New Zealand industry to establish new and develop existing international partnerships.”

  In light of its new partnership, NMIT will begin on-campus promotion of the exchange opportunity to Kiwi students in 2017.

  The EAIE is not a student-facing event, similar to its North American counterpart, NAFSA (Association of International Educators) but an important business to business event on the annual international education calendar.

  

  Left: Will Tregidga, International Development Manager from Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology (NMIT) with Silke Bochow from Cologne Business School.

  On the eve of the EAIE conference, ENZ hosted a New Zealand networking function, A Taste of New Zealand in the heart of Liverpool, for New Zealand institutions along with their existing and potential European partners. The New Zealand High Commissioner in London, Sir Lockwood Smith, officially opened the event, delighting guests with his passionate promotion of New Zealand as an international education destination.  He shared with the crowd his pride at having introduced the world-leading integrated Qualifications Framework as Education Minister in the late 1980s.

  Sir Lockwood brought the evening to a fitting close by leading Ngati Ranana Kapa Haka group in a spontaneous and rousing rendition of “Now is the Hour”.

  

  Sir Lockwood Smith at A Taste of New Zealand in the heart of Liverpool

• Talking international education in Berlin

  The get-together provided an opportunity to hear different views and perspectives on New Zealand, its education system and motivating factors for German students to study there.

  It was also a chance for IEC Online to showcase its activities, particularly as education agents are a main recruitment channel for German students to New Zealand.

  ENZ’s Senior Market Development Manager Ute Haug said New Zealand is a very popular English language study destination for German students.

  “In Germany, New Zealand is seen as offering high quality and globally-recognised qualifications in a supportive, welcoming and safe learning environment – with the bonus of great lifestyle opportunities.”

  Haug added that New Zealand’s appeal goes beyond tuition, and that international students are drawn here because of support networks in place too.

  “Even childcare options can be motivating factors for students as we’ve seen with Sina. She will be undertaking her study at Massey with her baby and partner in tow, so she’s happy to know that she will be supported in this regard.”

  In the discussion with Dr Mary English, whose family has hosted international students over the years, Haug said it became clear that it is not only international students who benefit from the New Zealand experience, but also Kiwi kids who gain insights into other cultures and learn about other parts of the world.

  Germany is the largest source country for European international students to New Zealand and New Zealand’s seventh largest education market worldwide – some 3,300 German students studied in New Zealand in 2015.

  IEC Online is one of Germany’s largest education agents sending German tertiary students to New Zealand. IEC cooperates with all the eight New Zealand universities and with five Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics (ITPs).