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  • Et4e registrations open

    The impressive line-up of international speakers includes Frank Catalano of Intrinsic Strategy, who will bring a US-based view of edtech trends, and Hong Kong and Japan-based Allison Baum of Fresco Capital who will cover edtech investment in the high growth Asian region. 

    Of equally high calibre are the local speakers and panellists: Frances Valintine of The Mind Lab by Unitec will inspire delegates with her use of technology and global approach, and Education Perfect’s CEO and 2014 Internet Entrepreneur of the Year, Craig Smith, will contribute to the panel discussion on developing products and services in response to demand. Sharing tips on how to tackle export markets will be the focus for two panels made up of experienced exporters such as South Pacific Press, ADInstruments/Kura Cloud and more recent entrants to the world of exporting such as Kiwa Digital, as well as successful start-ups such as Boardingware.  

    The diverse and entrepreneurial edtech community is made of up education publishers, game developers, ICT companies and educationalists and the et4e conference provides great opportunities for making connections.  Delegates are often on the lookout for new ideas and partners to collaborate with.  An educational publisher who attended the first et4e conference in 2013 was inspired to form a new company with a game developer. In the space of two years, this has led to the launch and export of a new early childhood literacy product, Bud-E Reading. 

    Et4e is organised by Education New Zealand and Grow Wellington in recognition of the edtech sector’s growing contribution to export growth in international education. New Zealand’s high quality and innovative education system, combined with its entrepreneurial and creative culture, is the perfect ecosystem for the development of leading-edge edtech products and services.  Huffington Post recently cited the Hamilton-based company, CodeAvengers, as one of its top ten online learning sites to watch in 2015.  CodeAvengers founder Michael Walmsley Jr. will be a panellist at this year’s conference.

    Educational Technology is an exciting and growing sector – it is currently worth $86 billion globally and is forecast to grow to $257 billion by 2017. Find out more about et4e 2015 and take advantage of the early bird tickets. 

  • Learning on the land – Semillero Rural students arrive

    Semillero Rural, the Chilean Ministry of Agriculture's scholarship scheme for vocational students from the regions of Chile, enables students from agricultural schools to learn new skills, develop their English language capabilities and apply their new knowledge by working on a New Zealand dairy farm or in fruit production.

    Students then return to apply their new skills at home.

    This year 18 students are enrolled in programmes at the National Trade Academy (NTA) and 14 students are studying at Otago Polytechnic in Cromwell.

    “The 18 students enrolled with NTA are participating in an English plus Agriculture Programme,” says Craig.  “The programme consists of six weeks of learning English, including agriculture terminology, and developing knowledge of health and safety, milk production, fencing, animal husbandry, pasture management and more.

    “The students enjoy visiting local farms, learning to ride motorbikes and quad bikes, and learning new fencing skills. The biggest difference between farms in Chile and here in Canterbury is the scale of farming. In spite of New Zealand being a much smaller country, our farms are much bigger in terms of land area, the number of cows milked and the use of technology to improve production.”

    During trips to recruit students and build the programme, Craig’s learnt to build relationships first and to be flexible.

    “You can’t just take a programme over to Chile and say this is it. We need to be flexible and ask what would work for them,” he advises.

    “The other point is to be patient. Nothing happens overnight as there is a process that has to occur. However, once you get final approval it will happen quickly so, as a business, you have to be ready to act. Feedback is also important and you will need to visit the market more than once to build relationships and trust.”

    “In my view it is better to look for partner organisations, such as institutions with similar courses, who can promote NZ study opportunities to their graduates, who can then follow up with agents as to enrolments. Chilean parents are fully involved with the whole process and they like to be able to know who they are dealing with,” he adds.

    In 2008, NTA contracted a person in Chile to act as their representative, a move that has expanded their network of contacts and proved highly successful.

    “The support of New Zealand Trade and Enterprise and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade in the early years was critical, as is the more recent support of ENZ as they understand the market and can assist with introductions that we likely couldn’t make ourselves.”

    The ‘Semillero Rural’ scholarship was the pilot for the Primary Sector Training Visa recently approved in New Zealand for Chile.

  • Doing the business

    Included in that count were representatives from all eight New Zealand universities, four ITPs, and ENZ Chief Executive Grant MacPherson along with Lisa Futschek (Regional Director for the Americas, Japan and Korea) and Amy Rutherford (International Market Manager for China and the US).    Whilst there is a full conference programme at NAFSA each year, the real focus is on the exhibitions’ hall which has been described as a ‘massive speed dating event'.  Resembling any large international trade fair, hundreds of upmarket booths house service providers, national umbrella organisations, individual education institutions and agents looking to do deals with one another in the Study Abroad market. 

    New Zealand institutions had full agendas throughout the week, exploring new business opportunities with partner institutions from the US and around the world and maintaining and developing existing relationships. 
    ENZ met with a range of organisations keen to work with us in promoting New Zealand as a study abroad destination, including the US Department of State, Education USA, Institute of International Education, STA travel, GoOverseas and a number of third party providers (akin to agents). 

    The New Zealand networking function was once again a highlight on the NAFSA agenda, with more than 200 of our closest partners enjoying an evening rich with New Zealand wine, food and culture, including an impressive haka performed by Laken Whitecliff, a young New Zealand artist based in New York, who was displaying his work at the venue.  It was an evening to be proud of and an excellent way to thank our many partners in the US and globally.

    The US Study Abroad market is buoyant, with much untapped opportunity for New Zealand. A range of government agencies have substantial budgets to assist US students on Study Abroad experiences in support of a government goal of doubling to 600,000 the number of US undergraduates studying abroad by the end of the decade.  New Zealand has a very positive image in the US, although our profile as a high quality study destination remains comparatively low.  But US students choose us rather for lifestyle reasons, our outdoor adventure, incredible landscapes, lord of the rings legacy and being a ‘bit different’ and off the beaten track.

    On the back of profile-raising campaigns ENZ led in conjunction with IIE and GoOverseas in the latter half of 2014, there has been considerable growth in the number of US students seeking visas.  The first quarter of 2015 is 25% up (221 visas) on the first quarter of 2014.  A great start to the year!

    If you’d like more information about the US market, please email Lisa.Futscheck@enz.govt.nz or Amy.Rutherford@enz.govt.nz

  • A media education

    In late May I had the great pleasure of taking five journalists from South East Asia on a tour of New Zealand. The journalists – two from Thailand, two from Viet Nam and one from the Philippines – all have a special interest in education, and were part of a bigger group who were hosted by NZ Inc as part of a range of events to mark the 40th anniversary of the relationship between New Zealand and the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN).

    While the other journalists went on a trade and tourism circuit, our group travelled on their own education-focused itinerary. Apart from meeting up with the others at a cocktail event held by the Prime Minister at Auckland Museum, we did our own thing.

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    Above: The journalists were engaged right from the get go!

    Most regrettably, a blizzard interfered with our plans to visit Dunedin and Queenstown, but the hastily-arranged alternative schedule of Canterbury-based events made up, in some measure, for the missed opportunities further south.

    Once we got the basics – such as dressing appropriately for the cold – sorted, we were on a roll and the week raced by in the intense, humour-filled, lost-in-translation way they do with such visits, and with a good measure of sheep shearing, eye-dog marvelling, pie eating and hobbit-home wonderment thrown in.

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    Above: They saw cakes being iced in Canterbury…and a robotic guitar in Wellington.

    From schools to English language centres, ITPs to universities the journalists were impressed by the range and quality of the programmes and facilities, intrigued by the Intermediate School concept, very interested in our homestay set ups and excited by the many opportunities to hear directly from students currently in New Zealand.

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    Above: They met with a group of Thai health professionals undergoing executive development in Waikato...and rubbed shoulders with the Prime Minister in Auckland.

    For my part, it was a hugely informative trip – providing me with valuable insights into the three South East Asian countries via the journalists, as well as me to make connections with members of our industry and to become more familiar with what you have to offer. Many thanks to those who took part, and arranged tours and gathered students to talk to the journalists.

    As I bid farewell to them all at Auckland airport, Nirunsak, one of the Thai journalists who had been a bit of lone wolf during the week, but who I discovered was a music-loving, short story-writing romantic, said:  “I will carry New Zealand in my heart with a song.’ Magic.

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    And yes, we went to Hobbiton!

    The follow up questions are coming through now and we look forward to the stories in their media that the visit will generate.

  • 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.

  • Focus on Regional Growth

    This is at the heart of our Regional Partnership Programme, currently involving 13 active regional groups and supporting a wide range of activity, from development of strategies and implementation plans to innovative collaborative marketing and shared services models.

    Earlier this year, regional coordinators from across the country participated in a workshop to share ideas and identify priorities. Common themes included; strategies for working together with local and regional government, the need for robust regional leadership and governance, and the benefits of developing shared services and resources.

    “Regional collaboration is a natural platform for innovation and adding destination value for our customers,” says Greg Scott, Business Development Manager. “There is an enthusiasm across the country for working together and some exciting new developments.”

    Two examples from the South Island of initiatives funded by the Regional Partnership Programme recently are:

    • a Work Ready Programme being piloted by Study Dunedin, working with Enterprise Dunedin, to offer a six-week seminar based programme at the University of Otago, designed for international students who want to find employment in New Zealand after graduation;

    • an India Skills Scholarship Programme developed by Christchurch Educated, working with the Canterbury Development Corporation offering graduate tertiary qualification pathways to employment. One of the first successful graduate engineers has just finished with an A-grade average and is working for construction company, Ganellen, on the Christchurch rebuild.

    Enquiries about the Regional Partnership Programme are welcome at any time, and can be made by emailing greg.scott@enz.govt.nz.

  • New Zealand education hits the airwaves in Brazil

    A radio competition was the latest initiative supported by ENZ to do just that in Brazil.

    The competition saw Latino International Studies partner with Radio Rock 89FM, leveraging the latter’s 30th anniversary celebrations to give the promotion a “30” theme: Comemore os 30 Anos da Rádio Rock na Nova Zelândia (celebrate Radio Rock’s 30th anniversary in New Zealand).

    To win: contestants needed to convince the judges – in a maximum of 30 words – why they were the most worthy recipients of the 30-day trip to New Zealand.

    The prize: was 30 days of English language learning course at Language Schools New Zealand in Queenstown including accommodation, insurance, air tickets and NZD1,000 in spending money.

    The lucky winner was Carolina Sant’ Ana, a 24-year old dentist from São Paulo. Her winning sentence was exactly 30 words in Portuguese and translates as: “I would use 30 words to convince LAE International Studies that 30 days in New Zealand would yield 30 years of memories and stories, as the 30 years of the Rock Radio.”

    An overjoyed Carolina received her prize at the New Zealand Consulate on commenting, “I can’t wait to visit New Zealand, to meet its lovely people and see its natural beauties. Definitely, it is a dream coming true”. She is planning to travel to New Zealand at the end of October.

    The results: The campaign ran from 21 May to 17 June and during this time:

    • New Zealand education was promoted to more than 2 million listeners
    • Two interviews were aired with the director of Latino International Studies, Sao Paulo to explain the competition and promote study in New Zealand
    • Almost 1,000 people from several Brazilian states entered the competition.

    Campaigns such as this offer invaluable opportunities to reach and engage with a huge audience of prospective students.

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    Above: Carolina Sant’Ana and her family holding her prize

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    Above: Carolina Sant’Ana and Guy Hughes (Language Schools New Zealand)

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    Above: Carolina Sant’Ana holding her prize

  • Hamilton accelerates industry growth

    Feedback both on- and off-line was positive, with 94 percent of attendees rating the conference good to excellent. Of those, 52 percent rated the conference very good and one in five rated it excellent. And 83 percent of delegates agreed or strongly agreed that NZIEC 2015 added value to their organisation.

    Here’s what you had to say about Conference:

    • “After going to these conferences for so long, they can be a bit repetitive but I really thought you did a brilliant job. You had really interesting sessions with fantastic speakers so I feel as though I definitely learned something from being there.”

    • “I found it informative, pitched at the right level, useful, entertaining, professional.”

    • “A great way to appreciate trends, see the bigger picture, and network extensively.”

    • “A super, snappy, and interesting conference.”

    • “The food was fabulous, could not be better. I liked the mix of inspirational addresses and best practice examples with solid information on markets and other useful information. Good to have special time just for schools and school issues, including SIEBA. The dinner was great, good food, good entertainment; thanks to the sponsor. Thanks ENZ you do a good job. The venue was great and the venue staff very helpful. It was good for us to have it in Hamilton.”

    • “It was the best NZIEC conference to date! It was all perfectly balanced between great speakers, excellent venue and dinner, and the chance to catch up with colleagues.”

    If you missed the conference, you can view all the presentations on the conference website. If you would like a copy of the Return on Investment templates that Komal Narayan presented in her sessions, email intelligence@enz.govt.nz.And, you can get up to speed with the Lightning Innovation session courtesy of The Waikato Times.If you didn’t manage to buy one of Catherine De Vrye’s books before they sold out, you can order them from Fishpond.co.nz. Search for Hot Lemon and Honey, Hope Happens, and Hope as My Compass.

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  • Alumni Voices showcase NZ education across South East Asia

    The 10 filmed or ‘hero’ interviews have been a large focus, with the clips having premiered at a range of ASEAN 40 events celebrating 40 years of diplomatic relations between New Zealand and ASEAN. They’ve also screened at numerous ENZ events, including some high-profile media events in Vietnam during Minister Joyce’s recent visit, as well as various organised media gatherings across our four target markets in the region.

    Through speaking more closely with these alumni to arrange the 40 interviews, an added bonus is that we’ve been able to really strengthen our relationships with them and have brought a lot of them on as unofficial ENZ ambassadors. We’ve organised plenty of in-market media interviews and as of early September, have achieved over $200,000 worth of PR value with each individual sharing some awesome testimonials of their time spent studying in New Zealand – something that’s proving to be a really powerful message for prospective students.

    The 40 individuals were selected from a range of ASEAN countries and provide a strong mix of age, gender, industry and institutions.

    We have the likes of Dr Mazlan Othman, Project Director of the Mega Science 3.0 project in Malaysia, who became her country’s first astrophysicist after graduating from the University of Otago in 1981 and once held the position as Director of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs.

    There’s Singapore’s Dr William Tan, a Massey and University of Auckland graduate who credits his time in New Zealand for launching his career which has earned him the titles of Paralympian, cancer survivor, marathon runner and neuroscientist.

    Then we have H.E Chea Serey, a Victoria University of Wellington graduate who is currently the Director General of the National Bank of Cambodia.

    Across all interviews, we found a number of common themes: New Zealand’s encouragement for critical thinking, the freedom to choose their own course of study and the warm and welcoming society.

    Click here view the videos.

  • Relationship building with sister schools in China

    The visit enabled the school to explore potential sister school relationships with schools in China and gain some understanding of the complexities of working within the Chinese education environment.

    To make sure they got the most out of their visit, Janine joined forces with Terry Holding, Relationship Manager from Belmont Intermediate’s pathway partner on Auckland’s North Shore, Takapuna Grammar. Terry’s depth of experience in China was invaluable to Janine, who was embarking on her a first marketing-focused trip to the country.

    Janine says, “Going on the visit with Terry meant plenty of opportunity to discuss how we might collaborate more, and for me to see how I might use his school’s networks for our own marketing.”

    The Sister Schools’ funding covered Janine’s travel costs, with Belmont Intermediate School paying for accommodation and other expenses.

    “The funding allowed us to accompany Takapuna Grammar on their full marketing trip, which included visits to schools and agencies in Beijing, Xi’an, Kunming and Shanghai.”

    Janine is aware that cultivating relationships takes time and patience, but there are some encouraging early signs, including:

    • Sister school relationship agreed to in principle with Shanghai Far East School.

    • Signed an agreement with an important agency.

    • Visiting the parents of two students currently studying at Belmont Intermediate, thereby elevating the status of the school and reinforcing the school’s brand as trusted partner.

    • Getting a good overview of the full range of Chinese schools – from primary to high school, and both private and government-run.

    • Securing four short-term students for Belmont, all of whom have the potential to become full-time students for the school next year. This effectively paid for the other costs of the trip so as making the venture cost-neutral for the school.

    • Setting tentative dates and sketching out plans for reciprocal school visits.

    • Engaging with several students and parents that may lead to future enrolments.

    • Gaining a deeper understanding of Chinese culture and approach to business.

    • An appreciation of the way the New Zealand primary school curriculum can be adapted and run in parallel to the traditional Chinese curriculum, was just one of the valuable insights Janine gained during her trip. One thing that came as surprise to Janine was the high level of English language competency of many of the students and general population.  

    “The idea of sending intermediate-aged children to New Zealand is a relatively new one for many schools and education bodies in China, and I’ve learned to be comfortable with the fact that it may take several years for some of the relationships to bear fruit.”

    Janine says, “I benefitted enormously from visiting China. There are so many things – big and small – that you just can’t grasp unless you go there. Although I was only able to skim the surface on my short trip, it all contributes to a greater understanding of the cultural and educational environment our Chinese students have come from and our education partners, such as agents, teachers and schools and are operating in.”

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