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Showing 10 of 1954 results for NARSC 2016 conference registration fees student pre advance late July 2016

• A school trip from Tauranga to Yantai

  The group travelled with support from Education New Zealand’s (ENZ) New Zealand China Sister Schools Fund. 

  Deputy Principal, Kathy Colville, who accompanied the students along with International Student Coordinator, Annemieke Hart, said “very strong bonds were established”.

  “Our students met many challenges,” she said, but “they rose to the occasion and took everything in their stride.”

  The students attended school and stayed with local families. An exhibition of Tauranga photos was held as part of the sister city celebrations, and the group enjoyed giving their hosts an insight into Tauranga life. The group also spent a day in Shanghai.

  Kathy said the students – all of whom learn Mandarin at school – were carefully chosen.

  “It was an extremely difficult task but we chose some that had travelled with us [overseas before]. We knew that we could rely on these students to be great ambassadors of our school, city and country.”

  There were lots of differences at school in Yantai, the principal one being the long school hours. The school day starts at 7.15am and ends at 5.30pm in China, with students then staying up till 11pm to complete homework.

   “The long school hours were a bit daunting,” said Riley Bartosh.

  The students also enjoyed learning calligraphy, and doing physical exercise Chinese-style – always carried out in groups.

  The students said the experience had made them more independent and opened up their minds to further travel in the future.

  “Now I’m more open to different cultures and how others live,” says Riley Bartosh.

  “I am interested in pursuing a career that involves communication with other countries. China has opened up opportunities that would never have been available otherwise,” says Stephanie Austin.

   “I’ve been on school trips to Portugal, Amsterdam and Turkey since I’ve been at this school,” says Ngawaka Ririnui. “It’s inspired me to travel more and experience how others live.”

  “I am going to continue learning Mandarin at our school so that I can speak three languages – English, Maori and Mandarin,” says Te Wairere Te Moana.

  Annemieke said Tauranga Intermediate School has offered biannual overseas school trips to its students since 2000. The school reinvests some of the revenue it receives from international students to fund these trips.

  She said that in Term three, a group from Yantai Number two Middle School was making a reciprocal visit to Tauranga.

• Regional Partners’ workshop a triumph

  In August, Ms Favaloro joined an Education New Zealand regional partners’ workshop to lead sessions on pathways, stakeholder engagement and the art of visual storytelling.

  The 15 regional education organisations represented shared their insights, learned about regional education trends and heard about Study Melbourne’s initiatives and success.

  “It was absolutely inspirational to spend time with Jane. She really gave me a sense of what we should be aspiring to and how we might get there,” said Bree Loverich, Programme Manager for Canterbury Leadership Accord and Christchurch Educated.

  Study Melbourne was established in 2006. For over 10 years, international education has been Victoria's largest services export industry, generating more than $46 billion for the economy. Victoria is now considered Australia’s designated ‘Education State’ with over 175,000 students studying there annually.

  Greg Scott, Regional Programme Manager for ENZ, believes there are many reasons for providers to connect with their regional education organisations, chief among them:

  1. Regional growth offers real benefits for education providers, regional economies, communities and students.

  2. Education providers can grow their international programme by sharing regional marketing economies of scale, and gaining greater access in international markets using regional partnerships.

  3. Regions offer distinctive opportunities for students to align their learning to employment opportunities and pathways to skilled residency.

  "It was a pleasure to spend time learning how teams can convert a 'barrier' into an 'opportunity' when put into a room for a day and encouraged to engage,” said Jane Favaloro about the workshop.

  “I look forward to hearing of the successes and, in the not so distant future, creating a superior student experience that targets specific international markets and enables mobility between Victoria and New Zealand."

  Find out more about the Regional Partnership Programme here.

• Whānau 4 Life: New Zealand to Vermont

  The pedestrians in Burlington, Vermont USA had no idea they would stumble upon haka and poi performances as they strolled up Church Street on a recent Saturday evening.

  The North American Whānau Council held its second annual event which included a BBQ, a hike up Mt. Philo and a dinner with waiata (songs) before taking its performance to the streets of Burlington. There was also an emotional ceremony, where the co-presidency was passed to two successors.

  The North American Whānau Council is an organisation that sustains the relationship between North Americans who have been positively affected by Māori culture during their study abroad experience at Auckland University of Technology. The relationships are re-established each year through the North American Whānau Council Weekend, which continues the cultural exchange between alumni and their Māori whānau, or family.

  

  Teaching poi to the next generation of AUT Whānau at Mt. Philo

  The initial concept of the Whānau Council was started by AUT alumni in Denmark, and soon expanded to other countries in the region to create the European Whānau Council. Members are AUT alumni who took classes offered by the Faculty of Māori and Indigenous Development, and participated in the Noho Marae, a three-day event held at Ngā Wai o Horotiu Marae where AUT introduces international students to Māori culture, customs and the concept of ‘whānau’ or family.

  Last year, two students from the University of Vermont (UVM) started the North American Whānau Council. AUT partners with two institutions in the Burlington area, which is one of the reasons why AUT whānau is so strong in Vermont.

  The University of Vermont and AUT also have a partnership between their education departments. UVM students enrolled at AUT participate in a teaching internship at a primary school in Auckland, gaining a new perspective from the international setting. There have been more than 40 students in the programme over the last six years, with this year containing the largest cohort so far.

  Dr Ellen Baker, head of UVM’s education department, says the international exchange has many benefits.

  “Students can continue their professional trajectory, which is enriched by their experience in New Zealand. AUT has welcomed them through the orientation and the Noho Marae experience – students immediately feel a part of the community.”

  

  Jason King, Senior Lecturer of the Faculty of Maori & Indigenous Development, AUT with the North American Whānau Council on top of Mt. Philo

  Dr. George Burrill, Trustee to Champlain College and the Honorary Consul from New Zealand to Vermont, encouraged Champlain College to offer scholarships for a reciprocal exchange between Champlain and AUT students. At a recent awards luncheon, Connor, a scholarship student from Champlain College, told how despite his busy academic schedule at AUT he also coached a boys’ basketball team, and was also able to find time to explore New Zealand where he “geeked out for a few days and was a hobbit in Middle Earth,” exploring all the way down to Queenstown. Connor ended his speech with gratitude for the scholarship opportunity.

  “I thank you once, I thank you twice, I thank you a thousand times for helping me in my journey. This opportunity has truly changed my life and the memories I made will not be forgotten.” 

  Thank you to the North American Whānau Council and the AUT staff for allowing me to join the Whānau in Burlington for the weekend. 

  Key takeaways

  • Alumni are very eager to share their stories and participate in alumni events.

       “I never get sick of talking about New Zealand.” – Monica

  • Before students leave New Zealand, ask them how they will stay connected. The education graduates at UVM are developing a unit on Māori history and culture to teach in their classrooms.

       “Most incredible semester I’ve ever had.” – Megan

  • Connect your alumni with your contact at their international office so they can talk to prospective students during orientation, info sessions or a study abroad fairs.

  Students are the driving force of alumni events abroad. Even when US students only come to New Zealand for one semester, their connection to Māori culture and the people of New Zealand lasts a lifetime thanks to the welcoming and positive learning culture.

• Wellington schools team up for international education

  Samuel Marsden Collegiate School, Chilton Saint James School and Scots College will market collectively as the Wellington Private Education Network, and will jointly fund an office in China where an onsite Marketing Manager can grow key relationships in the market.

  The model has already seen a positive return, with Scots’ international student numbers more than doubling in the last 18 months. The schools are looking to develop a similar model in Thailand.

  “This collaboration project sees us able to fully utilise shared resources which no single school could do on their own. Given we all offer the same world class education experience, it makes sense,” says Graeme Yule, Scots College Headmaster.            

  The collaboration will also implement StudyCare, a pastoral care programme to enhance the experience for international students that will also “help welcome and support new students to Wellington,” says Kathy Lloyd Parker, Principal of Chilton Saint James.

  The programme has been developed by students and will be shared across all three schools.

  Jenny Williams, Principal of Samuel Marsden Collegiate School is excited to see how the initiative will impact the wider community.

  “The reaction been very positive and we have already seen an increase in interest for placement at our schools. Wellington has a wonderful offering for international students. There is real benefit to our current students and the wider Wellington community in increasing international numbers and internationalising our city.”

  John Goulter, ENZ's General Manager, Stakeholders, Communications and Intelligence, is supportive of the collaboration.

  “This initiative is a great example of regional collaboration to bring more international students in to Wellington. As a capital city, Wellington has so much to offer international students, and this is a great step to round out the region’s appeal.”

• From Chile to Christchurch: Mauricio’s life at Lincoln University

  Mauricio is an international student from Chile, now in the last few months of a PhD project with the Bio-Protection Research Centre at Lincoln University.

  With a keen interest in biodiversity, conservation biological control and scientific research in farmlands, New Zealand seems like an obvious choice for his studies. However, it wasn’t until Mauricio discovered the work of Lincoln Professor Steve Wratten that he began to consider New Zealand as a study option.

  Steve would become Mauricio’s PhD supervisor at Lincoln, a relationship that Mauricio has found invaluable during his studies. His Kiwi approach to learning has had a huge impact on Mauricio, and is one of the main reasons he has enjoyed being at Lincoln.

  “In Chile, when I would ask my professor questions, like ‘why do we apply pesticide? What would happen if we did something naturally?’ I was laughed at. That kind of thinking wasn’t considered scientific, whereas in New Zealand when I ask my supervisor those same questions, he’ll say ‘yes, why do we do this? What would happen if?’ I think the curiosity behind science is better understood in New Zealand.”

  If his time in New Zealand allows, he hopes to explore the South Island, having already explored the North Island on a road trip with friends.

  Looking back, Mauricio says the success of his time in New Zealand comes down to a few things,  mainly that his studies were such a good fit for him.

  “New Zealand was ideal because I found a research topic that suited my area of expertise. I also love how safe it is here. That, combined with the friendliness and openness of the people has made it an amazing experience.”

  That said, Mauricio admits there are a few cultural differences that can’t be helped.

  “Being from Chile, I love to go out and dance to Latin music with friends, and use proper coal on my barbecues – little things like that are different, but nothing too serious!”

  Click the link below to read more about Mauricio’s research, Beetle pest deterred by mussel shell mulch: http://www.lincoln.ac.nz/News-and-Events/Beetle-pest-deterred-by-mussel-shell-mulch-/

• Making New Zealand’s roads safer for students

  The Visiting Drivers Project is aiming to do just that. The project is a collaboration between the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) and its road safety partners, including the Automobile Association (AA), and rental vehicle operators and tourism operators across the country.

  The focus for the project is the Otago, Southland and West Coast regions where visiting drivers make up a large proportion of traffic. On roads in these regions, safety improvements such as centre-line rumble strips, “keep left” arrows, “no-passing” markings and new signage have been installed. Road safety information has also been made more accessible and user-friendly, with resources available in different languages and formats, including interactive videos and apps.

  Over summer, during the regions’ peak visitor season, an education campaign will be run to help visiting drivers understand and prepare for driving in New Zealand.

  Jim Harland, NZTA’s Regional Director, Southern, says the strength of the project has been in the shared objective of ‘host responsibility’ and a partnership approach that ensures visitors are helped at every stage of their journey.

  While the project is largely aimed at tourists, it will benefit all newcomers to New Zealand, including international students.

  “We want all visitors who are driving on our roads, including students, to make good decisions based on correct information about travel times, speeds and conditions,” he said.

  “It’s our responsibility as New Zealanders to help our visitors have a safe and enjoyable time.”

  The Visiting Drivers Project initiatives also include the following, many of which are available in different languages.

  • AA’s online Visiting Driver Training Programme, which includes video footage of New Zealand driving scenarios.
  • Apps with road safety messaging such as CamperMate.
  • Air New Zealand’s 'Driving in New Zealand' in-flight app (available on long-haul flights) and videos on all international flights about driving in New Zealand.
  • A 'Driving in New Zealand' leaflet available from rental vehicle and other tourism operators, and can be downloaded here.
  • Providing road safety information to successful applicants for student visas.
  • Guidelines for accommodation providers to provide practical driving advice to their guests.
  • A Rental Vehicle Operators’ Code of Practice.

• Asia NZ report highlights 'huge scope' for NZ ties with India

  The report – India and New Zealand: Growing our connectivity – was written by Graeme Waters, a former high commissioner to India, and highlights the way New Zealand’s cultural landscape is being enriched by our growing ties with India.

  Mr Waters said he was impressed how dynamic the Indian community in New Zealand was, and how it continued to grow.

  In talking about education, Mr Waters said that recent issues with the Indian student market meant New Zealand authorities needed to deal firmly with students and agents who breached standards, but longer term the "answer seems simple - quality not quantity".

  "The growth in the number of Indian students has been impressive, but it is now in both countries' interest to focus higher up the education value chain."

  Among the individuals profiled in the report were Indian twin sisters Tashi and Nungshi Malik, who are studying sport and exercise at Southland Institute of Technology. Both sisters are accomplished outdoor adventurers including having climbed Mt Everest.

  Mr Waters argued for better airline connections between India and New Zealand, which would bring more tourists and open the door to better trade connections.

  He made the point that New Zealand's trade with India was only about 10 percent of our trade with China.

  “It's a bit humbling to look at the stats compared to China and to realise that we're only operating at about a tenth of the level we do with China, so huge scope for advancement and lots of cultural advantages in doing so," he told Radio New Zealand.

  Along with the main report, Mr Waters has also written India and New Zealand: The Ties that Bind Us, which looks at the historic relationship between the two countries.

• Minister Joyce in Chile and Colombia

  During his time in Chile, Minister Joyce attended a Chilean Kiwi alumni reception held at the New Zealand Residence, where he met Chilean students who studied in New Zealand – some who are now currently working with New Zealand companies in Chile. The Undersecretary of Education, Valentina Quiroga, also attended the event, chatting with alumni and the Minister. 

  ENZ’s Senior Market Development Manager, Javiera Visedo, said that the relaxed and friendly nature of the event meant alumni were comfortable speaking with the Minister – with some even taking selfies with him.

  “It was great to see so many young people engaged with Minister Joyce, talking fondly about their time studying in New Zealand. It shows that alumni events are a great opportunity to network and build people-to-people connections.”

  From there, Minister Joyce went to Colombia to discuss education with Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Patti Londoño. Minister Joyce highlighted that the education relationship between the two countries has strengthened thanks to the establishment of a permanent Education New Zealand presence in Bogota from October 2015, as well as the opening of the Prime Minister’s Scholarships for Latin America, in which Colombia is one of the priority countries.

  The Minister also used his Colombia visit to give a guest lecture at the Universidad de los Andes, titled “New Zealand, an innovative economy” and answered questions from audience members interested in studying in New Zealand. The Minister highlighted New Zealand’s innovation and the Kiwi “can do” attitude, using the example of Peter Beck, the EY Entrepreneur of the Year who helped New Zealand launch its first rocket into space.

  Javiera Visedo said the Minister’s visit also provided the perfect opportunity to launch four new videos of alumni stories for ‘My New Zealand Story – Chile and Colombia’. The Chilean stories were launched at the Kiwi Alumni reception, while the Colombian stories were launched at an NZ Inc reception.

  “The videos were the highlight of each event in Chile and Colombia, as it gave guests a glimpse inside the student experience in New Zealand. I’m really pleased to have launched them during his visit.”

  

  Minister addressing alumni in Chile

• Letter from the CE: $4.28 billion valuation a great result

  This places international education (onshore and offshore delivery) as New Zealand’s fourth largest export industry, and puts us well on the way to achieving our goal of a $5 billion economic value by 2025.

  This achievement belongs to our education providers for delivering high-quality education programmes, the government bodies who work together and keep student well-being at the heart of the industry, and the Kiwis who welcome young people from around the globe into their homes and communities. This is what keeps bringing students to our shores.

  As we know, economic contribution is just one aspect of international education, with the social and cultural benefits (though harder to quantify) being equally important.

  International education connects New Zealanders with the world in a personal and meaningful way, and provides a global perspective to our institutions and communities. International students bring a rich cultural diversity, and allow Kiwi students to learn about the world by bringing the world to them. Students are exposed to different ways of thinking and looking at things, helping them to become more outward-looking and accepting of other cultures.

  Of course, international education is a two-way flow. While New Zealanders are increasingly aware of the benefits of having international students here, there is ample opportunity for young Kiwis to go out into the world and experience the benefits of international education for themselves. This, I hope, will be a growing focus for the industry.

  The new valuation is a clear reflection of New Zealand’s successful approach for both providers and students. It also demonstrates that great things that can happen when we work together. Let’s keep working together for the benefit of all.

  Grant McPherson 

  Chief Executive, Education New Zealand

   

   

   

  The Economic Impact of International Education Report for 2015/16 and its key findings can be found here.

• Earthquake communications - 1

  ENZ Auckland and Christchurch are open for business today. Senior Wellington staff are working remotely as ENZ’s office building undergoes building safety inspection. All Wellington staff have been told the office is closed today. 

  The earthquake was not centred near areas of high population density, and initial reports suggest damage has been superficial rather than serious or widespread.

  We have received no indications of injury to any international student.

  New Zealand’s national senior secondary school NCEA examinations are currently underway. Some schools have cancelled today's examinations because of the requirement for building safety inspections. In these cases, an emergency derived grade process is available to reduce any disadvantage to students. See NZQA’s website for more information.

  We will provide updates as soon as they are available.