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• New student forum for NauMai NZ WeChat mini programme

  Education New Zealand’s NauMai NZ platform is designed to inform, support and empower international students.

  A WeChat mini programme – an app designed for the WeChat ecosystem popular with Chinese students – has extended NauMai NZ’s reach, attracting over 12,000 users in its first year.

  The NauMai NZ WeChat mini programme helps students make the most of their New Zealand experience, with advice on everything from finding a part-time job and knowing their rental rights to looking after their wellbeing and understanding Kiwi English. There are also stories from students about their lives – for instance, people sharing ideas on what to do during their summer in New Zealand.

  “We know that Chinese students prefer to connect with each other in their language, on the WeChat channel they trust,” says Faymie Li, Senior Advisor for Student Experience at ENZ.

  “We’re delighted to see how much they enjoy this digital platform and how quickly it’s growing. It’s great to be able to connect Chinese students to each other and to people who’re willing to help them out.”

  The WeChat mini programme has now run six livestreams hosted by experts, alumni and current international students on topics including employability, how to grow your network, and mental health and wellbeing. Students tuning in to watch can use the chat feature to ask questions.

  The livestreams have attracted a total of nearly 3,000 live views with over 18,000 engagements during the live events and, so far, more than 1,000 views afterwards.

  The WeChat mini programme has now added a new forum so that Chinese students and alumni can better share their life and study experiences and support one another. The text-based, moderated forum allows students to have their questions answered by their peers.

  A group of international students have signed on as ambassadors for the WeChat forum, including alumni from the Prime Minister’s Scholarship for Asia programme. One of the forum ambassadors, Mengdi Zhang, says she’s looking forward to connecting with newer students.

  “I am excited to be a student ambassador so that any students with unresolved questions can reach out. I can see my own past in the students’ questions, and I hope to help them through to a better experience in New Zealand,” she said.

  If you would like to know more about the NauMai NZ WeChat mini programme, contact faymie.li@enz.govt.nz. You can share it with others using the WeChat QR code.

• New Zealand to begin opening up to vaccinated foreign nationals from 30 April 2022

  COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins says New Zealand will be removing the requirement to go into managed isolation and quarantine (MIQ) for most travellers in stages, but they will have to self-isolate for seven days, with pre-departure and post-arrival testing.

  Travellers will be able to enter New Zealand without going into MIQ in three steps:

  • Step 1 – opening to fully vaccinated New Zealand citizens and those residence-class visa holders and other travellers eligible under our current border settings, from Australia, from 11.59 pm on Sunday 16 January 2022, provided they have been in Australia or New Zealand for the past 14 days.
  • Step 2 – opening to fully vaccinated New Zealand citizens and those residence-class visa holders and other travellers eligible under our current border settings, from all but Very High-Risk countries, from 11.59 pm on Sunday 13 February 2022.
    
    
  • Step 3 – opening to fully vaccinated foreign nationals, possibly staged by visa category, from Saturday 30 April 2022 onwards.

  The Very High-Risk classification for Indonesia, Fiji, India, Pakistan and Brazil will be removed in early December 2021 and travellers from these countries will be able to enter New Zealand on the same basis as travellers from most other countries. Papua New Guinea will continue to be classified as Very High-Risk. 

  The three steps are a medium risk pathway. Those who do not meet the requirements for a medium risk pathway, but are still permitted to enter New Zealand under current border settings, will continue to enter MIQ upon arrival under the new regime of seven days in managed isolation, followed by three days of home isolation. This will include those who do not meet vaccination requirements, including unvaccinated New Zealand citizens and those from Very High-Risk countries.

  All travellers not required to go into MIQ will still require:

  • a negative pre-departure test
  • proof of being fully vaccinated
  • a passenger declaration about travel history
  • a day 0/1 test on arrival
  • a requirement to self-isolate for seven days, and
  • a final negative test before entering the community.

  “It’s very encouraging that as a country we are now in a position to move towards greater normality,” Minister Chris Hipkins said.

  “We always said we’d open in a controlled way, and this started with halving the time spent in MIQ to seven days. Retaining a seven-day isolate at home period for fully vaccinated travellers is an important phase in the reconnecting strategy to provide continued safety assurance.

  “These settings will continue to be reviewed against the risk posed by travellers entering New Zealand,” he said.

  “There continues to be a global pandemic with cases surging in Europe and other parts of the world, so we do need to be very careful when reopening the border.”

  Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao Chief Executive Grant McPherson has welcomed the New Zealand Government’s move towards opening the borders to international students.

  “This news is a great boost for the international education sector. We will keep education providers and international students up to date as we learn more on the detail of how the changes will work,” he said.

  The New Zealand Government will release further details on how self-isolation will be implemented in December 2021. There will be guidance on how people can travel from their arrival airport to their location of self-isolation and requirements for the places where they can self-isolate.

  For more information, read the media release from COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins – Reconnecting New Zealand – the next steps.

  For the latest official New Zealand Government information and advice, go to covid19.govt.nz

• From the Chief Executive: Meri Kirihimete and Happy Holidays

  While I am optimistic about the New Year, the impact is real, and as we have seen today, the uncertainty is likely to be ongoing. There is much to do as we rebuild our sector through 2022 and into 2023.

  Over the past 12 months, we have all had to adjust to an ever-changing environment. A good example is the growth of online and offshore-based courses, and programmes that offer pathways to onshore study or blended learning. These options are helping to hold the interest of students who want to study with New Zealand.

  At Education New Zealand, our focus has been on supporting our students and our sector, diversifying products and services and protecting New Zealand’s education brand. In each area, we have made progress.

  Our contribution to the development of border class exceptions has seen the return of some international students to our shores. We have enjoyed welcoming them back and look forward to seeing more students over the coming year.

  In August 2021, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced the Reconnecting New Zealanders to the World framework. ENZ has been working with the Ministry of Education, Immigration New Zealand, the New Zealand Qualifications Authority and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade to ensure that government agencies are ready to respond to a phased reopening of the border. 

  I would like to acknowledge the efforts being made across government agencies and within the international education sector to engage and respond with fresh ideas and momentum. There will no doubt be further developments in the New Year.

  We have just launched a new website and brand materials in line with our latest campaign – Study with New Zealand. This is the next evolution of New Zealand’s education brand, designed to appeal to students who want to explore our new, flexible study options. 

  The shift from studying in New Zealand to studying with New Zealand is the result of a lot of careful work to protect our brand.  Alongside the efforts of our teams at virtual events and trade fairs, including the upcoming Expo 2020 Dubai, this work is helping to keep our brand alive as we move towards reconnecting with the world.

  A pilot project with global learning platform FutureLearn is a good example of our work to diversify our products and services. The initial results have demonstrated the potential for marketing online courses from New Zealand to new audiences around the globe.

  With more to do as we move into 2022, I hope there is an opportunity for all of us to rest and recharge with family and friends over the summer break.

  I would like to wish everyone involved in international education across the world a Meri Kirihimete and Happy Holidays. 

  On behalf of all at ENZ, thank you for your open and honest support. I look forward to working with you all in 2022.

  He waka eke noa
  We’re all in this together.

  Grant McPherson
  Chief Executive, Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao

• Education sector delegation for Dubai Expo

  The delegates from ENZ, the University of Otago, the University of Waikato, Victoria University of Wellington, Te Pūkenga - New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology and private sector education technology companies ByteEd and ARA Journeys will be in Dubai between 22 and 25 January 2022.

  Expo 2020 Dubai is a global trade fair currently being hosted by Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates. It was scheduled to get underway in 2020 but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.    

  ENZ Chief Executive Grant McPherson said the New Zealand Government’s recent announcement that it will relax border requirements for fully vaccinated New Zealanders and foreign nationals in stages next year was a clear signal of the country returning to more normal times.

  “The prospect of more open borders in the coming year is a timely reminder of the opportunities that exist to build awareness of New Zealand’s unique education offering,” said Mr McPherson.

  “The Expo is a great platform for New Zealand’s education sector to kick start this process at a global event.”

  Mr McPherson said the involvement of two leading education technology companies was particularly pleasing as both were introducing leading-edge augmented reality (AR) products to the Expo audience.

  ByteEd will be drawing on its web-based platform for teachers and students and introducing AR software to kits for STEM subjects – science, technology engineering and mathematics.

  ARA Journeys will profile its award-winning games, which will stream into the New Zealand Pavilion from the company’s Auckland headquarters to offer the full interactive experience to visitors.

  “Technology is a core building block for future education initiatives and a key element of the country’s international education strategy,” Mr McPherson said.

  “The participation of ByteEd and ARA Journeys at this major international event is a reflection of the forward-looking strategies of both these companies.”  

  While in Dubai, the delegation aims to foster government and institutional connections and build relationships with agents and students. 

  The four-day programme, facilitated by ENZ, will centre on Expo 2020 Dubai’s International Day of Education on 24 January 2022. It will include a networking function, seminars and face-to-face meetings with key stakeholders hosted at the New Zealand Pavilion.

  Find out more about Expo 2020 Dubai.

• New Zealand – South Korea digital student exchange

  From September to December 2021 more than 300 New Zealand students from a range of primary, intermediate and secondary schools joined with more than 700 students from elementary and middle schools in Seoul and Gangwon in digital classroom cultural exchanges.  

  Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao worked in partnership with two education organisations in South Korea, Gangwon International Education Institute and Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, as well as with NZ-based Learn English Live, to deliver the programme.  

  The sessions included conversation in English, peer-to-peer teaching and learning, cultural learnings and sharing, and interactive games.  Student responses to the programme across both countries highlighted how much they enjoyed meeting people from different cultures and learning to respect different views. Around 70% of New Zealand students said they made a South Korean friend through the digital exchange forums while South Korean students highlighted the improvement in their English language skills, with 70% saying they would like to come to New Zealand. 

  Parents and teachers also shared heart-warming comments about the how the programme had built their child’s confidence and given them a leadership opportunity. In a survey conducted at the completion of the programme, parents of Lara, a nine-year old New Zealand girl, shared their experience. “It’s been excellent to observe Lara’s leadership ability shine through. I never realised how confident she is and her ability to teach and interact with kids from a different culture…  Lara has become more aware of other cultures and appreciates the diversity around her.”

  Teachers were also impressed, with one from Manurewa Intermediate commenting, "I want my students to be a part of this programme because it teaches them so many skills."

  Following the success of the initial programme, the digital student exchange is set to continue in 2022, expanding to more New Zealand schools and implementing new ideas from students to meet their growing interest in other cultures and languages.  New Zealand schools interested in joining the 2022 digital culture exchange can contact William Clarke at Learn English Live: William.h.clarke@hotmail.com

  Education cooperation initiatives with ENZ, such as the Global Competence Certificate and this programme of digital culture exchanges are supported by the Arrangement on Education Cooperation that was signed by ENZ and Gangwon International Education Institute in November 2021.  A similar agreement was reached with Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education last March.   

  The digital student exchange programme is in line with ENZ’s goal to develop global citizens as part of the New Zealand International Education Strategy 2018-2030.

• Fourth cohort of 5,000 international students as a border exception

  The students will be able to enter New Zealand from mid-2022 as a border exception, through a centrally managed process.

  Student places will be allocated across the sector, based on the proportion of international students who were attending each type of education provider pre-COVID in 2019:

  • University 1,450 
  • Te Pūkenga 700
  • School (year 9 and above) 1,000
  • PTE (including pilot training) 850
  • English Language School 1,000 

  ENZ and the Ministry of Education are currently consulting with the peak bodies for universities, Te Pūkenga, PTEs, ELS and schools, on a draft implementation framework. The framework will include information on the allocation of places to providers, criteria for nomination of students to these places and all related processes. If you are an education provider who is not aligned to a peak body, you can request a copy of the draft framework by emailing c4@enz.govt.nz.

  The implementation framework is expected to be finalised by 14 March 2022, and more information will then be made available for prospective students and the wider education sector. 

  Education providers will be responsible for determining eligible students to fill their allocation of places, and submitting information on these students to education agencies. Education agencies will confirm with providers that the students meet the criteria, and nominate these students to Immigration New Zealand. 

  As with previous border exceptions, students who are interested should talk to their prospective education providers and indicate their interest.

  Expected timings are as follows:

  • Mid-March 2022 – decisions begin to be communicated about the allocation of places to individual education providers
  • Mid-late March 2022 – education providers begin nominating students 
  • 13 April 2022 – the border exception visa application process opens for cohort 4 students
  • From mid-2022 – students are in New Zealand ready to begin their study.

  We appreciate that the timings are tight, and everyone involved will need to work closely together so we can make the most of this opportunity.

  Students will need to meet the same living cost requirements as the previous cohort, namely funds of $15,000pa for school students and $20,000pa for other students. 

  Students will also need to comply with the vaccination and other health requirements that apply at their time of travel. Read more about travel to New Zealand on the Unite against COVID-19 website: Travel to New Zealand

• Strong interest in Aotearoa New Zealand from Latin America

  Students ranked New Zealand second highest as a destination of interest for a future international education programme.  The top factors influencing their decisions post-COVID-19 were visa processing, accommodation costs and the academic quality of the institution.

  The top decision-making factors for agents were course costs, border settings and airfare costs. 

  New Zealand ranked highly for competence in managing the pandemic and health control, but it ranked fourth for agents on adequate infrastructure for the reception of international students in the near future.  Both agents and students said face-to-face was the preferred mode of study. 

  Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao sponsored the survey run by the Brazilian Education and Language Travel Association (BELTA) across Latin America, to measure the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the international education sector.

  ENZ’s Latin America team shared the BELTA Latin America 2021 survey results with around 50 industry representatives and agents at a virtual forum in December 2021.

  The event also celebrated ENZ’s Recognised Agencies (ENZRA) for their contribution to maintaining the visibility of New Zealand’s education brand during the pandemic. 

  You can view the webinar and related materials on Intellilab here.

• From the CE: Telling the world New Zealand is open for business

  Our purpose was to promote New Zealand’s world-class education and share the message that New Zealand is open again for international students. Travelling with the Minister opened many doors for us and led to useful media coverage in all three partner countries.

  In Denver, USA, Minister Hipkins spoke at the plenary session to open NAFSA, the world’s largest international education conference. Te Pūkenga used the NAFSA event to launch its international education strategy, and ENZ launched the sector’s I AM NEW global marketing campaign. We met with senior officials to reaffirm New Zealand’s partnership commitment to the Gilman scholarships, which enable students of limited financial means to study abroad. We also met with NZ EdTech companies, including ImmerseMe, which uses virtual reality to teach languages. The company signed a 7-year partnership agreement with schools in the area during our visit.  

  The next stage of the trip was Brazil. In São Paulo we explored the possibility of English language study in New Zealand for school students with government Ministers; met with the São Paulo Research Foundation to support the growing NZ- São Paulo research engagement; and met with key education stakeholders from three São Paulo Universities: USP, UNESP and UNICAMP. 

  New Zealand is celebrating 50 years of diplomatic relations with Chile this year, and our visit to Santiago included meeting with Chile’s Minister of Science, Technology, Knowledge, and Innovation, and with Kiwi alumni. We signed two separate Education Cooperation Agreements – with Chile’s Minister of Education, and with the Council of Rectors of Chilean Universities. We also visited Universidad Diego Portales, which has a long history of collaboration with NZ EdTech company, ADInstruments, whose technology has been implemented as part of the university’s educational model. 

  We were warmly received everywhere, and there was a high level of interest in New Zealand. It was great to reconnect with Kiwis offshore, and with alumni, agents and others who have a genuine interest in building relationships with New Zealand – and to be able to support their efforts in person at a wide range of events.  

  In other news, the recipients of the recent round of Prime Minister’s Scholarships to Asia and to Latin America are close to being finalised. That round of scholarships, which was solely open for group applications, will soon be followed by the opening of a second round of awards, this time focussed solely on individual applicants. Again, we will be seeking to encourage applicants from a wide range of backgrounds particularly Māori and Pasifika applicants. In anticipation of the next round, we encourage everyone to check out the alumni stories and other useful information on our scholarships website here.

  Whāia te mātauranga hei oranga mō koutou – Seek after learning for the sake of your wellbeing. 

  Grant McPherson

• Digital skills and global citizenship at #NZAsiaTech Code Camp

  A team of six students from Te Kura Māori o Porirua, a predominantly te reo Māori medium school in Porirua, interacted with school students in Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Viet Nam, Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia.   

  The overall theme was tourism, seen through the lens of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) - a theme that is highly relevant for the Asia-Pacific region. Students were given the task of profiling their home country’s SDG initiatives, with a focus on sustainable tourism.   

  

  Team Enterprise 12 from Viet Nam work on building website project during #NZAsiaTech Code Camp 

  The North Asia Centre of Asia-Pacific Excellence partnered with educational coding programme Code Avengers and Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao to deliver the event. 

  “With New Zealand’s borders having been closed for more than two years, it’s crucial that the next generation of students still have opportunities to build cultural competencies and make connections across the globe,” says Education New Zealand’s Regional Director for Asia, Ben Burrowes.   

  “The #NZAsiaTech Code Camp was an opportunity for Kiwi students to re-establish connections with students in other countries, while gaining critical digital skills to prepare them for the future. 

  “It also also gave a taste of New Zealand’s education offering to prospective international students from the Asia region, who might consider enrolling in high school or tertiary study in New Zealand in the future.”  

  Code Camps can help to generate subsequent visits by interested students to New Zealand. For example, the Code Camp held at Waseda Jitsugyo School in 2021 and at Waseda University Junior and Senior High School in 2022 has led to Waseda’s group students’ programme sending around 50 students from three schools to New Zealand for three weeks in March 2023.  Code Camp served as a great opportunity for students and teachers from Waseda University affiliated schools to experience our world-class digital education first-hand. 

  Honam Jeon, the Education Manager at Gangwon International Education Institute said the programme helped increase awareness of New Zealand: 

  “South Korea is very interested in international engagement and exchange programmes for school students. The #NZAsiaTech Code Camp was a perfect example we want to continue to join. Thanks so much again to ENZ for organising the well-structured programme.”    

  The online programme included team building exercises, English learning, HTML coding lessons, and the creation of a website by student teams, to demonstrate their understanding of the importance of sustainable tourism.   

  “As our students look to enter an increasingly globalised word, developing cultural connections and transferable skills is so important,” says Te Kura Māori o Porirua school principal, Whāea Evelyn Wharehinga.  

  “The Code Camp has been an exciting growth experience for our students, who have extended their digital literacy skills while having the chance to connect with students of different ethnicities and cultures across the Asia-Pacific region.”   

  

  Team Indonesia was the winning team after presenting their newly developed website on Sustainable Tourism to a virtual panel of judges. 

  The students presented their sustainable tourism-themed websites to a panel of expert judges at the awards ceremony on 2 July 2022, with students from Indonesia winning the top prize.  

  Steve Budd of Code Avengers, a global edtech company based in New Zealand, said it was a great programme to participate in.  

  “It was a privilege to gift all participants a one-year free subscription to the Code Avengers site as part of our mission to build lasting digital capabilities for educators and young people, and bridge the digital divide,” says Budd.    

   

• Engaging personally in Viet Nam

  People generally seem tired of online meetings and webinars, preferring to meet and attend events in person. In recognition of this trend, Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao (ENZ) has actively engaged with different stakeholders in recent months, to maintain our in-market promotion and explore new opportunities for New Zealand providers. 

  

  A workshop for counsellors from private and international schools to connect with recruitment representatives from NZ universities.

  In late June, ENZ organised workshops to help connect recruitment representatives from New Zealand universities with selected counsellors from private and international schools in Ho Chi Minh City and Ha Noi. At the workshops, we asked about Vietnamese students’ current attitudes towards a New Zealand education, discussed the opportunities and challenges for each New Zealand provider, and identified any topics they wanted to explore further.  

  ENZ and in-market representatives of some New Zealand providers have also participated recently in commercial fairs, organised by key education agencies in Viet Nam. These fairs look and feel just like they did in the past, with multiple booths for institutions from various countries, and high numbers of students and parents coming to talk directly with recruitment staff. 

  As New Zealand reopens the border for international students, it is critical we communicate directly with students and partners that we welcome students coming to study here. We are looking forward to the Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City - Agent Seminar and New Zealand Fair in late October. 

  - Van Banh, ENZ’s market manager based in Ho Chi Minh City