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Showing 10 of 1954 results for NARSC 2016 conference registration fees student pre advance late July 2016
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PIF Recipient: Chasing Time English
Across the world, there is a vast market for English language learning. To put a number on it – around one billion learners. In many countries, though, English is taught through repetitive, mostly grammar-based content. The result is two-fold: students become disengaged and disinterested, and they advance in writing and reading skills at the expense of speaking skills.
Chasing Time English is a New Zealand company on a mission to make English language learning engaging, exciting, and effective for educators and students around the world. How? Through video. The team at Chasing Time English believe that English language classes should excite and inspire students to learn more, and decided video was the best medium to achieve this.
Chasing Time English uses engaging video story content to educate learners.
Through original, live-action-drama videos, Chasing Time English brings intrigue, humour, surprise and suspense into learning. Redrawing the line between education and entertainment, the short videos produced by Chasing Time English are designed to stand alone as quality entertainment, with strong learning outcomes embedded throughout.
To achieve this feat, the company brings together a team of English language educators, applied linguists and filmmaking professionals, who collaborate to create compelling, narrative-based drama content backed up by a cutting-edge pedagogy.
While other education publishers also produce English language learning video content, this is often lower quality video with limited learner appeal and retention. By creating professional quality drama content, Chasing Time English has become a market leader in English language video learning. Captivate learners, and the learning will follow.
Chasing Time English is one of the successful recipients of funding from the International Education Product Innovation Fund, a New Zealand Government-funded initiative to support pilot projects that reimagine and rethink what a New Zealand education experience can look like and mean for global learners. Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao (ENZ) is the government agency responsible for international education and is managing the Product Innovation Fund.
ENZ will work in a partnership approach with each successful recipient, sharing skills, expertise and resources to help each pilot succeed and develop into a self-sustaining education offering. The lessons learned through the pilot projects will be shared for the benefit of New Zealand’s entire international education sector, with a view to encouraging innovative, new offerings for international learners to experience a New Zealand education.
The Product Innovation Fund award will enable Chasing Time English to design, develop and deliver a new set of programmes for high beginner to elementary English language learners and educators. Target audiences include New Zealand education institutions with offshore partners, high schools in Japan and the Netherlands, and English language teachers at the post-beginner level.
Across two programmes of 10 weeks each, learners will be able to access up to 100 hours of engaging resources, including Chasing Time English’s distinctive video content, along with other audio and video resources and communication-based activities. The new set of programmes will incorporate a strong New Zealand theme, sharing New Zealand storytelling and themes of environmental sustainability and innovation. The original video content will also showcase New Zealand’s spectacular natural scenery, helping inspire learners and build a connection with New Zealand, wherever they are in the world.
With the support of ENZ through the Product Innovation Fund, Chasing Time English is set to continue growing its impressive offering for English language learners around the world. Already setting the bar for the quality of its learning resources and pedagogy, this Kiwi education provider is showing that online learning can be fun and effective, while also showcasing New Zealand’s landscapes, people and values to learners wherever they are.
More information:
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Applying for visas online
The new system, Immigration ONLINE (also known by its project name as the Immigration Global Management System or IGMS), enables a student to first create a profile and an account that’s unique to them, and then answer questions or provide information to make a visa application in the following tabs: Identity > Contact Details > Study Details > Financial Support > Health Details > Character Details > Education & Work History > Other details.
A student is then able to upload documents relevant to their application, pay online, declare what they have provided is accurate and true and then submit their application.
Behind the scenes, the online application process is ‘situationally aware’, only serving up questions relevant to the user. For example male applicants won’t be asked any health questions relating to pregnancy.
There’s also the ability to answer questions via drop-down lists; populate qualifications-related fields with information driven by New Zealand Qualifications Authority data; and auto save as you go - so you can come back and finish the application later.
Further functionality includes contextual ‘help’ information if users need more information about a specific question, and alerts to prompt the user to complete any missed mandatory information.
Applicants can upload their photo which will be run through the new face biometric matching engine in Immigration ONLINE.
The online application will result in more complete applications being submitted, removing some of the issues experienced with paper based forms, such as unanswered questions or missing supporting documents.
From the INZ side, Immigration Officers will be able to see the online application and supporting documents on AMS and the new Document Management System. If further information is required, the Immigration Officer can email the applicant and request the information. The applicant then returns to their account and uploads what’s been requested.
People who are unable to apply online will still be able to apply via a Visa Application Centre or by mail onshore.
INZ’s next step will be to demonstrate the student visa online application to a representative set of end users building on feedback already received. The goal for these sessions will be to verify usability and seek feedback on surrounding business processes.
While the online student visa application service was scheduled to go live in late-2013, it will now be rolled out in 2014 (exact timing to be confirmed) so the system can be further tested and refined to ensure the end product is highly secure, robust and effective.
For further information, please read the frequently asked questions for education providers here.
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Haere ra Afiqah, Haere mai Vikram
We spoke recently with the former NZISA National President for 2021, Afiqah Ramizi, and with the National President for 2022, Vikram Selvaraj.
Afiqah Ramizi, NZISA National President 2021
Afiqah has been in New Zealand since 2015, when she left Malaysia to undertake tertiary study here. After completing a foundation course at ACG (now known as UP International College), Afiqah started on a six-year medical degree at the University of Auckland (UoA) and is now in her final year.
Afiqah’s advocacy work started during her time at ACG, when she was selected to represent the college under an International Student Ambassador programme, run by the New Zealand Police in Auckland. The main focus was to support engagement with the student community, and lift students’ understanding about how to keep themselves safe in a foreign country and what support is available.
At university, Afiqah joined the Malaysian students’ association and became Vice President. In 2019 and again in 2020, she was elected as the International Students Officer for the UoA Students Association. During these years, she became involved with NZISA through their multiple lobbying efforts and community engagement. Afiqah was elected NZISA’s Vice President in 2020, before being elected National President in 2021.
Looking back on her experience at NZISA, Afiqah says she is proud to have been involved in making sure that the voices of international students were heard as New Zealand responded to COVID-19, amongst many other achievements of NZISA since 2017.
“Last year we were successful in lobbying for temporary changes to international students’ maximum working hours, so they could work more during alert levels 3 and 4,” Afiqah says. “This was really important for students at a time when their studies were disrupted, and some students were facing financial hardship. This temporary increase was also appreciated by local employers, as they were needing more people able to work full-time, to keep their businesses running.”
In her role as National President, Afiqah was involved in supporting the groups of international students coming back to New Zealand while the border was closed. Her team’s continuous advocacy to government bodies saw more international student cohort border exceptions announced, which meant more international students were able to return and resume life in New Zealand.
“Staying in managed isolation and quarantine was a big extra cost for these students, and we know many hesitated to return because of that. By talking with the institutions involved and advocating for subsidies, we were able to encourage them to cover part of the costs for their returning students. This was a win-win for both the universities and the students.”
Supporting students over the holidays was another key focus for NZISA during the past two summers, primarily to help onshore students who couldn’t reconnect with their families while borders were closed.
“We worked with ENZ and our regional networks to encourage summer internships, to remain connected in the international community and to indulge in the real Kiwi summer,” Afiqah said.
Afiqah herself spent the last summer at the coalface of the COVID-19 response work, drawing on her medical knowledge to support public health. She was initially working to find the source of COVID-19 when contact tracing was a key focus, and through the Omicron surge, she has learned other public health skills as the nature of her work changed from eliminating to managing COVID-19.
Now it’s time for her to pass on the baton to the 2022 President, and an opportunity to focus on her final year of medical school!
Vikram Selvaraj, NZISA National President 2022
Now in the final semester of a Bachelor of Criminal Justice degree at University of Canterbury, Vikram came to New Zealand in 2018 from Singapore with his partner and began studying here the following year.
“The Bachelor of Criminal Justice was a new degree, and I realised it was exactly what I wanted to study,” Vikram says. “It combines law with a range of other subjects, all related to criminal justice.”
Vikram is the eldest of three siblings and the sole breadwinner for his family, having lost both parents. His two siblings are still living in Singapore, and Vikram has continued to run a hairdressing salon there during his years in NZ. It’s more than three years since Vikram last saw his family in Singapore, but he isn’t planning a trip home any time soon, because of the risk that border settings might change again.
Vikram brings a range of relevant experience to his new role as NZISA National President. At University of Canterbury (UC), he was a UniLife Leader, the first to be in charge of mature students, both domestic and international. It was his role to support them, provide pastoral care and a voice on the issues they were facing. His work was recognised with a Blues Award from UC Students Association in 2021, for Outstanding Achievement in Community Engagement.
Vikram is excited about his new role as NZISA National President. He was elected in December and took up the role in late January, along with an all-new executive team of eight students.
“We’re planning a number of projects for the year ahead,” Vikram says.
UC joined NZISA last year and continuing to increase membership will be one of the priorities for Vikram and his team this year.
“We also have ideas for a range of projects for students that different members of the team will lead during the year. This includes working with NZ Police to help students understand the risks of scams and online gambling; supporting students with resources to combat racism and discrimination; and empowering women.”
Vikram says it’s his belief that he can do something that has brought him to where he is today. He’s very conscious of the challenges faced by many international students, for example when their financial situation changes, and they find it hard to get the support they need.
“Kiwi students aren’t always aware that international students are paying a premium price for their studies,” he says.
“Sometimes students feel homesick, or experience racism – whatever the particular challenge, it’s important for them to know that someone is listening to them.”
Fun fact about Vikram: Vikram has a Japanese Spritz dog called Tiger that he brought with him to New Zealand.
Sahinde Pala, ENZ’s Director Student Experience & Global Citizens, says ENZ sets great store by our relationship with NZISA.
“We have really valued the contribution Afiqah has made during her years with NZISA, and we look forward to working closely with Vikram and his team over the coming year,” Sahinde says.
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Driving student interest in Indonesia through strategic co-funded initiatives
ENZ and SUN Education delivered a jam-packed programme of student recruitment events in Surabaya and Jakarta in late May to drive student interest and connect New Zealand providers with potential partners for academic collaboration.
Surabaya
The activity began with an introductory meeting between Universitas Airlangga’s International Office and visiting New Zealand providers to explore opportunities for academic collaboration between our two countries.
The meeting was attended by representatives from the University of Auckland, Auckland University of Technology, the New Zealand Honorary Consulate in Surabaya and SUN Education.
Discussions centred on potential areas of partnership, including articulation pathways, staff exchanges, guest lectures, and joint research initiatives.
The following day, providers met with prospective students at the Study in New Zealand Exhibition in Surabaya.
The exhibition featured the University of Auckland, Auckland University of Technology, University of Waikato, UP Education, University of Otago, Le Cordon Bleu, the Southern Institute of Technology and Lincoln University.
The event attracted around 200 students and their parents.
Study in New Zealand exhibition attendees learning about tertiary education options in New Zealand.
Jakarta
Over to Jakarta, ENZ organised an exhibition featuring a strong line-up of New Zealand institutions, comprised of all eight of New Zealand’s universities alongside the Southern Institute of Technology, Le Cordon Bleu, University of Canterbury International College and UP Education.
The fair attracted approximately 250 students and parents, all eager to explore the diverse study options and world-class education opportunities that New Zealand has to offer.
To close off a busy student recruitment period, a mini exhibition was hosted at Universitas Indonesia, the top-ranked university in Indonesia.
The exhibition was specifically for LPDP Affirmative Scholars and students interested in postgraduate-level study.
As part of the event, ENZ Market Manager, Naluri Bella, delivered a ‘Study in New Zealand’ session, which attracted around 100 enthusiastic attendees.
The session provided insights into New Zealand’s high-quality education system and scholarship opportunities, helping to raise awareness and inspire future postgraduate study pathways.
ENZ’s Regional Director (Asia) Ben Burrowes said the activities were designed enhance agents’ and students' awareness of New Zealand’s world-class education offering.
“These collaborations help position New Zealand as a competitive and credible choice for Indonesian students,” he added.
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