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Smart waste management idea sees students take out top spot in KIWI Challenge Indonesia finals

The theme was “Reforming Indonesia’s mobility and smart cities using AI technology”. This year’s initiative hosted 59 teams from across 37 schools for a total of 269 student participants, the highest ever at the KIWI Challenge.

The groups were required to submit video entries to a judging panel made up of AUT academics and ENZ representatives, who reviewed the submissions and selected finalists. Participants received mentoring from a New Zealand university academic through the process and took part in workshops to refine their business plans. They were given a taste of New Zealand’s learning environment along the way and built an understanding of our tertiary education offering for future planning. 

The participating academic was Dr Taghreed Hikmet from AUT, a Senior Lecturer in International Business, Strategy, and Entrepreneurship who has expertise in smart cities and is passionate about mentoring and inspiring young future leaders.

The finals were held on Saturday 25th November, where six shortlisted teams from across Indonesia presented their ideas to a panel of judges made up of Dr Hikmet (AUT), Ben Burrowes (ENZ’s Regional Director, Asia), and Indonesia Embassy staff (representing Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade), Hira Trisnoputri.

UniSadhuGuna International College took first place with their ‘Greenlight’ business idea, a smart waste management enterprise which aims to create a sustainable waste management system that actively involves households, businesses, and the government. UniSadhuGuna International College received a voucher worth 10,000,000 Indonesian Rupiah for winning the competition. 

Winners! The team from UniSadhuGuna international College took out first place with their ‘Greenlight’ business idea.

Dr Hikmet reflected on the KIWI Challenge warmly. “It has been truly rewarding, observing the outstanding progress and growth in the finalists' projects, presentations, and overall confidence.

"It was a privilege to engage with high school students across Indonesia, contributing to the vibrant entrepreneurial spirit fostered by the competition. Excitement brews within me for the potential of future collaborations and initiatives,” Dr Hikmet concluded.

Following the finals, Ben Burrowes and Dr Taghreed Hikmet participated in an Instagram Live session with KOMPAS TV, the leading media network in Indonesia. This Instagram Live generated a total of 3.4k views and the highest number of people watching online was 348. You can watch the Instagram Live here: Part 1 and Part 2.
Hong Kong happenings
Regional Director for Greater China Alexandra Grace reports Hong Kong has recently received heightened attention from Education New Zealand’s China team, particularly following Secretary for Education Peter Hughes’ visit with a sizeable delegation last October. Minister Steven Joyce also met with Hong Kong’s Secretary for Education Eddie Ng in Wellington in March (at the time of the International Summit on the Teaching Profession), and education was also discussed during the Prime Minister’s visit to Hong Kong in March – the first visit by a New Zealand head of government since 2006.
Discussions between Minister Joyce and Secretary Ng focused on ‘doing more in education’, including sister-school relationships, study abroad options in New Zealand for Hong Kong students, and joint programmes between education providers.
In addition to these high-level discussions, officials have been working closely together on the ground. This includes a delegation from the Hong Kong Education Bureau visiting New Zealand to learn about school-based management, and a formalised arrangement between the New Zealand Qualifications Authority and the Hong Kong Education Bureau for the development of qualifications frameworks. This sits alongside a broader education cooperation arrangement between our Ministry of Education and the Bureau.
On the profile-raising and student recruitment front, Guangzhou-based Education Manager, Felix Ye, attended a key education and careers expo in February. Enrolments at New Zealand education institutions by Hong Kong students have dropped in recent years – a trend also reported by Australia, which ascribes the decrease to the high exchange rate. Immigration New Zealand worked alongside Felix at the Hong Kong Trade Development Council Education and Careers Expo (800 exhibitors from 18 countries) – providing a ‘one stop shop’ for students inquiring about study and employment options.
Felix reports many of the students were seeking study opportunities that included internships and other employment options. “Their inquiries reflect a broader interest expressed by students across Greater China and is a key driver that New Zealand institutions will need to address.”
The China team will be talking further with the Hong Kong Education Bureau and Hong Kong education providers about opportunities for stepped-up collaboration. Alexandra Grace also says they will be doing more work to raise awareness of New Zealand education in the market: “people need to know about us to consider us, and awareness is not currently that high in Hong Kong”.
She adds the team would be glad to hear from New Zealand institutions about their relationships in Hong Kong, and how they would like to strengthen and expand these -- email china@enz.govt.nz.
You can see the wider overall China market overview here.
Tauranga-based group visits Korea
E-News caught up with one of the organisers of the visit, Education Tauranga’s Anne Young.
What led to the decision to visit Korea as a group of institutions?
Education Tauranga’s 2013-2017 strategy focuses strongly on collaboration between member institutions. We find that we can make more of an impact in a market as a group, and, with a diverse range of institutions participating in activities, we can demonstrate the pathways that exist within our region to cater for all levels of education.
Korean students are enrolled in the full range of education institutions in Tauranga – from primary right through to tertiary. This is one of the reasons Education Tauranga’s Korean student numbers have continued to rise in 2015, while declining in New Zealand overall. We also attribute our success in Korea to the fact that we have committed local agents, strong local government support, highly effective links with the Korean community in the Western Bay of Plenty and institutions that provide excellent education and care to all international students, including those from Korea.
In choosing Korea as our group visit destination, we were able to further capitalise on our already strong position in that market.
What are the advantages of a group visit such as this?
The main advantage of a group visit is that it’s easier to get noticed and to secure meetings than when you’re an individual institution travelling on your own. Promotional costs can be shared, too. In our case, 21 institutions were pitching in, meaning our advertising dollar went a lot further, resulting greater numbers of prospective students at our fairs and good attendance of officials at other events.
Having trip organisers taking care of all the planning, organising and bookings meant it was a much more efficient process for everybody. It also alleviated stress for some first time travellers to Korea who didn’t have to face many of the challenging ‘unknown factors’ that can pop up when organising your own recruitment trip.
What are the downsides?
I don’t think there are any particular disadvantages to marketing as a group offshore. However, there are challenges in the logistics of dealing with such a large group, such as transport arrangements and getting everyone to where they need to be on time, as well as ensuring that planned activities are of benefit to all institutions from a range of sectors.
What were the highlights?
We attracted over 400 prospective students through our fairs which was a great success for one small region of New Zealand. The students who came along were already pretty well informed about Education Tauranga’s education offerings, demonstrating that the effort that we put into advertising prior to the events hit the mark!
Several alumni families also attended the events, and it was wonderful to see them engaging with prospective students and their families and giving their perspective on what studying in our region is like.
The support of big New Zealand brands such as Zespri was also fantastic; their product promotion at our fair went down really well.
Being hosted at the New Zealand Residence by the Deputy Head of Mission to Korea and Education New Zealand was also a highlight as we were able to recognise the contribution they had made to ensuring our activities were a success.
Are there any outcomes on the horizon or promising connections made?
We’re hoping our visit will result in an increase in student numbers from Korea in 2016. The signs are promising so far, with many new students expressing an interest in coming here. Time will tell however!
We have also strengthened relationships with Tauranga’s ‘friendship city’ of Ansan, with a larger study tour group coming in 2016 than came in 2015.
What would you do differently next time?
The visit to Korea was our second regional group visit (we visited China together as a group in March this year) so we already had experience in what did and didn’t work and were able to iron out any issues prior to this trip.
Any hints and tips for together groups thinking of undertaking this sort of group visit?
I think undertaking a visit of this kind is very effective for regions or groups of institutions. My top tips for making your visit a success are as follows:
- Do your research and have a plan. Know exactly what activities you want to do and why
- Involve all participating institutions in the planning process
- Make sure you have support from local councils and your Economic Development Agency
- Enter the market with a strong brand that all participants believe in
- Make sure you have translated materials and have translators who know your product/region
- The work you do prior to arrival is just as important (if not more than) as the work you will do while in country
- Work with ENZ and local Embassy staff
- Leverage your alumni
- Follow up with the people you met with during the visit!
Chilean delegation visits New Zealand
A Chilean delegation visited the Waikato, Otago and Manukau Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics (ITPs) recently.
The delegation included officials from the Chilean government scholarship scheme ‘Tecnicos para Chile’ (Technicians for Chile) and was hosted by Education New Zealand. The purpose was to enable the Chileans to see first- hand the New Zealand ITPs who are receiving Chilean students under their government’s scheme, to meet staff and view the facilities.
The Tecnicos para Chile scholarship programme, was established in 2010 by the Chilean government with the aim of upskilling technicians and providing economic and social benefit back to Chile. The scholarship focus is different in each receiving country with the New Zealand programmes focusing on sports, shipping-logistics, agriculture and sustainability.
Three hundred scholarships are awarded annually for international study, for up to two years, including attending English language classes. Since 2011, up to 20 Chilean scholarship students have studied in New Zealand annually. Applicants apply for a vocational training course approved by the Chilean agencies, with the pre-requisite that they must have already completed a degree and have two years’ work experience.
The Chilean students currently study at Waikato Institute of Technology and Otago Polytechnic both of which have partnership agreements in place with the Chilean Ministry of Education. As a result of the visit, a new partnership agreement has been signed with the Manukau Institute of Technology (MIT) which will receive Tecnicos para Chile students in the future. The delegation were very impressed with what they saw at all three ITPs during their trip. “Highlights included the quality of the technical training and the innovation in New Zealand’s teaching methodology,” said Carmen Luz Farias, Director, Tecnicos para Chile.
In future, these scholarships will be expanded to include a programme aimed at improving and enhancing the skills of Chilean teachers delivering the agriculture curriculum at secondary school level. This ‘Train the Trainer’ programme will be run by Otago Polytechnic.
“Otago Polytechnic has been grateful to have the Tecnicos para Chile delegation visit both our Dunedin and Cromwell campuses. The students who participate in the scholarship programme are of a high standard. We highly value this market and it is a great fit for Otago Polytechnic,” says Alex Huffadine, International Director, Otago Polytechnic. “We are looking forward to the increased number of programmes in the future with Tecnicos para Chile, and in particular ‘Train the Trainer.”
If you would like to know more about Tecnicos para Chile contact Javiera Visedo Javiera.Visedo@enz.govt.nz
AT OTAGO POLYTECHNIC CROMWELL CAMPUS. LEFT TO RIGHT - ALEX HUFFADINE DIRECTOR OTAGO POLYTECHNIC, WILLIAM PEREIRA CHILEAN SCHOLARSHIP STUDENT, SIU YIN ANDREANI INTERNATIONAL COORDINATOR AND CARMEN LUZ FARIAS DIRECTOR
ENZ launches inaugural education showcase in Saudi Arabia
The event followed Trade Minister Todd McClay's visit to Saudi Arabia to discuss several education initiatives, leading a trade delegation with five education organisations.
The New Zealand Showcase covered New Zealand’s expertise in teacher training, school management and operations, and early childhood education delivery. The event was hosted in Riyadh at the Saudi Ministry of Education, chaired by the Minister of Education, Ahmed Al-Issa, with the support of New Zealand Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Hamish MacMaster. The event included representatives from the University of Waikato, Cognition Education, and Little Schools.
Saudi Arabia is implementing education reforms, a response to lower oil revenues, with a focus on growing private education capacity in the country. Saudi officials and investors have shown a particular interest in partnering with New Zealand to set up new school and early childhood education networks, and to raise the performance of existing private schools.
ENZ’s Middle East and Acting South Asia Regional Director, John Laxon, says initiatives such as the showcase are an excellent way to bridge any gaps in knowledge, and promote what New Zealand organisations have to offer.
“The showcase has created a great awareness of New Zealand’s world-class education system, and established partnerships to address some of the common education challenges faced by Saudi Arabia and New Zealand,” said Mr Laxon.
“We are very grateful for the support of Minister Al-Issa and the Ministry of Education in Saudi Arabia, and the New Zealand organisations who supported the event.”
Ambassador Hamish MacMaster and Minister Al-Issa chair the New Zealand Education Showcase
Japan and New Zealand celebrate long education partnership
To acknowledge the 25th anniversary of the first school visits by four Japanese schools, ENZ partnered with Air New Zealand and Tourism New Zealand to host a reception in January, thanking the schools for their continued support of New Zealand. The event received positive media interest in Japan and resulted in almost 30 articles.
The event was opened by a powerful kapa haka performance by local group Nga Hau E Wha to showcase Māori language and culture.
Nga Hau E Wha performing a kapa haka

Misa Pitt, ENZ’s Senior Market Development Manager – Japan, said Māori language and culture has been a popular subject for school trips to New Zealand.The event was opened by a powerful kapa haka performance by local group Nga Hau E Wha to showcase Māori language and culture.
“I learned that Yokohama Senior High School has its own kapa haka group,” she said.
After the performance, Misa officially welcomed the guests before Stephen Payton, New Zealand Ambassador to Japan, and awarded the school representatives a certificate of appreciation, signed by ENZ CE Grant McPherson. They also received plaques and airline tickets from Clovis Peryer, General Manager of Air New Zealand Japan.
Both Ambassador Payton and Clovis emphasised that New Zealand is a safe and welcoming environment for international students, with Misa adding that support starts from a government level.
“I explained our code of practice for the care of international students, assuring them that New Zealand has a robust support system for the well-being of students,” said Misa.
Ambassador Payton also noted that both the upcoming Rugby World Cup and 2020 Tokyo Olympics are opportunities to further promote an education exchange between the two countries.
“We look forward to continue working closely with the awarded schools to promote New Zealand as a study destination,” said Misa.
Ambassador Payton awarding representatives of the Japanese schools.

The Japanese schools awarded were:
Osaka Kunei Senior High School – 25th anniversary
Have sent 3,800 students on an academic study programme
Tama University Hijirigaoka High school and Junior High School – 25th anniversary
Have sent 2,770 students on an academic study programme
Urawa Reimei Senior High School – 20th anniversary
Have sent 5,000 students on a school excursion
Yokohama Senior High School – 25th anniversary
Have sent 690 students on an academic study programme
Sister schools go from strength to strength
Tip

Sister-school relationships are a great way to connect on a personal level as well as a professional one
The sister-school agreement was officially signed back in 2015, and since then, the schools have alternated sending a cohort of students and staff to each campus.
Representatives from Chaotian Elementary School, including principal Kong Hong, visited New Zealand for the first time in 2016. During their visit to Owairoa Primary School, they discussed and compared educational philosophies, school management issues, teaching strategies, curriculum and cultural differences, as well as potential synergies and future co-operation between the schools.
Last month was Owairoa Primary School’s turn to travel to Guangzhou to share ideas with the principal and Board of Trustee members at Chaotian School. The Chaotian students were on hand to present musical numbers, martial arts, stories and art works for their guests – as well as drone acrobatics.
Principal of Owairoa Primary School, Alan McIntyre, said the Chaotian students were proud to perform for the Kiwi visitors, and were looking forward to having their turn to go abroad again.
“The Chaotian students couldn't contain themselves about the prospect of visiting us in New Zealand later this year – they were so excited.”
The visit also gave Alan an opportunity to try out principal Kong’s office chair for size, and the two talked about the possibility of a school principal exchange in future.
As part of the ongoing relationship, negotiations are currently underway to set up an Owairoa classroom at Chaotian school, and a Chaotian classroom at Owairoa school.
L-R: English Teacher/International Co-ordinator Sherry Xie, Principal Alan McIntyre, Principal Kong and Felix Ye, ENZ Education Manager Southern-Western China & Hong Kong.

However, Alan said the key to a strong sister-school dynamic is finding lighter moments in each visit to humanise their relationship.
“In New Zealand, we refer to a person by their first name and then surname, so in China where the names are reversed, we were addressing Principal Kong Hong as Principal Hong Kong!
“This cultural difference allowed us the cheeky opportunity to present her with a Miss Hong Kong sash and crown. The hilarity of the moment really helped cement our schools’ friendship and did so much for China–New Zealand relations,” said Alan.
Welcoming ENZ’s new Manager – Agents
As Manager – Agents, Dan will be responsible for relaunching the ENZRA programme and engaging with agents and providers.
Areas of focus in his role will include reviewing our online training for agents, developing ongoing communications to agents, reviewing marketing and other support provided to ENZRA agents, evaluation of agent performance, and ensuring agents are setting the right expectations for students to have a positive experience.
Dan’s new role will see him joining ENZ’s Student Marketing team in Wellington.
Over the last two years, Dan has worked with Immigration New Zealand in India and was a key contributor to ENZ’s rebalancing the market, lifting the quality of student applications and agent performance. Dan has worked closely with ENZ’s India team, attending education fairs and other education events, and also has strong industry relationships.
Dan has also worked offshore for Immigration New Zealand in South Africa, Thailand and Singapore so he brings a strong understanding of a range of markets and the role of NZ Inc offshore. His in-market experience, passion for the education sector and understanding of education agents will be a huge asset to ENZ in his new role.
Dan officially joins the team on 9 October.
Bringing ideas to life in China
Ideas to Life took place at the University of Auckland Innovation Institute in Hangzhou – an area known as the Silicon Valley of China for its reputation as a leading innovation and technology hub.
The conference showcased the University of Auckland’s work in several areas relevant to the Chinese market. These included digital health, high value nutrition, light metals research, advanced materials and manufacturing, and clinical trials and drug development particularly in oncology.
Leading education experts from China and New Zealand also attended an education industry-specific session at the conference. Organised by the University of Auckland English Language Academy, the presentations provided an overview of international education in New Zealand, updates on programmes including customised services for groups of students, and shared expertise in academic learning and research.
Julie Haskell, Director at the English Language Academy, said the session provided an opportunity for collaboration, networking, and knowledge sharing between academics, agencies and university officials from both countries.
“The education day provided an excellent opportunity for us to showcase the Institute and the opportunities offered by the English Language Academy.
“We look forward to hosting future events at the Innovation Institute in Hangzhou.”
New Zealand education tours Latin America
From 3-20 March, ENZ joined more than 25 New Zealand education providers and 150 agents for the 5^th annual South American Roadshow.
The roadshow kicked off in Bogota, Colombia, with the first New Zealand Ambassador resident in Colombia, HE Lucy Duncan officially opening the New Zealand pavilion at EduExpo.
ENZ’s busy welcome desk at Eduexpo Bogota

Over two days, the pavilion had more than 12,000 visitors and was profiled on national television, proving Colombians’ growing interest in studying in New Zealand. The Bogota agent seminar attracted 120 agents.
For the first time, the roadshow included an agent seminar in Mexico, in response to industry demand to include the Central American country. Some 19 institutions and 24 agents attended, which Javiera Visedo, ENZ’s Senior Market Development Manager Colombia, said was a great start for the new market.
“It was a perfect opportunity to start business connections, and all agents were very pleased to know more about what New Zealand can offer their clients,” she said.

New Zealand Ambassador to Mexico Mark Sinclair at NZ Inc presentation in Mexico City

Brazil was the next stop with a two-day agent seminar attended by 25 institutions and 78 agents from across Brazil followed by involvement in EduExpo Sao Paulo.
Ana Azevedo, ENZ’s Senior Market Development Manager Brazil, said the agent seminar went very well and there were several highlights.
The Agent Seminar session at EduExpo Sao Paulo with New Zealand alumnus Ricardo Mendes speaking.

Also of note was a preview presentation of the 2018 BELTA Market Survey which is co-sponsored by Education New Zealand. Among the results was this figure – 82% of agents interviewed confirmed growth in interest among Brazilian students for study in New Zealand.New Zealand Ambassador to Brazil, Caroline Bilkey, participated in all activities on the first day, and agents and institutions held an impressive 412 meetings over the two days. “The agent seminar had a New Zealand alumni panel with alumni sharing their views on New Zealand education, which was very well received,” said Ana.
“This was extremely pleasing,” Ana said.
The New Zealand Pavilion at EduExpo Sao Paulo attracted 9,717 visitors over the weekend, and institutions were very pleased with the quality of the visitors and are already expecting to grow their current student numbers over the next 18 months.
The roadshow ended in Santiago, Chile with 18 agents (including two from Argentina) and 14 institutions participating in an agent seminar.
At the networking function, Chilean-Kiwi alumni attended as did Peter Chrisp, Chief Executive of New Zealand Trade & Enterprise (NZTE), who was very impressed to hear their stories and to see how proud they are of their time in New Zealand.
Ana and Javiera said the success of the roadshow was due to participation of many NZ Inc colleagues.
“For the first time, an NZ Inc presentation was part of the Agent Seminar, providing key insights to agents and providers of the different approaches and priorities of each New Zealand government entity present in the region.
“In particular, we would like to thank Immigration New Zealand for allowing two immigration officers to participate in the events, providing training sessions to agents and to give advice to students during the fairs.”