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Changes to visa services get underway
“Online processing is a feature of the recently announced new Immigration New Zealand operating model,” said Celia.
In early 2018, the change programme will move into full gear. First will be the closure of Hong Kong and the removal of visa processing functions in Dubai. Comprehensive transition plans are being prepared for each of the offices that are closing and for the transfer of work to receiving offices.
Under the new model, visa processing offices will specialise in particular visa types, thereby increasing the depth of knowledge Immigration Officers will have on the visa type being processed in their office. For the education sector, work in future will be shared between three offices: Mumbai, Palmerston North and Beijing (for Chinese students).
In the event that a student needs to be interviewed as part of the application process, this will usually be carried out by the relevant processing office. This process may also utilise the new risk and verification network.
INZ is confident that the new model will not lead to a drop in customer service standards. The new model recognises the importance of maintaining market knowledge and will see the implementation of a risk and verification network with a physical presence in Manila, Bangkok, Dubai, Pretoria, Washington DC and London.
There are many countries in the world where INZ has never had an office yet visa applications, including online visa applications, have been successfully dealt with.
As the new model is introduced over the next two years, INZ will be keen to receive feedback on how the implementation is going from the providers’ perspective. Formal checks on the progress of implementation will take place every six months and if further changes are required these will be explored.
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SIEBA membership grows to over 300 schools
Throughout 2017, SIEBA held 29 professional development workshops around the country for approximately 430 attendees, ranging from principals to international directors and homestay co-ordinators.
Jennifer Kirkham, SIEBA’s Professional Learning & Development Operations Manager, said the high level of interest in SIEBA’s professional development programme reflects the growing interest in a strategic approach to international education.
“Through these events, attendees learned about Code interpretation, good business practices and management skills, and had the opportunity to talk to each other, share their concerns, questions and best practices.
“We also hosted seminars on strategic planning where we encouraged schools to use their business plans for goal setting and self-review as a means to protect and grow their international business.”
As well as supporting education professionals, SIEBA also introduced information mornings for onshore agents. More than 60 agents attended the sessions in Auckland and Christchurch, and were appreciative of the opportunity.
“We informed agents of new responsibilities for schools as a result of the new Code, and the implications for agents in order to help agents and schools to work effectively together and manage risks to both of their businesses.”
John van der Zwan, SIEBA’s Executive Director, said the key event this past year was the SIEBA Hui, which saw participation from 120 international directors and principals, and was a wonderful opportunity for collegial sharing and future thinking on how to grow the sector.
“Most of the presenters were international directors from within the sector. As well as it being a great professional learning opportunity, it was a chance to get together and celebrate our sector and the people within it.”
John said SIEBA is already looking ahead to 2018, with more workshops and seminars lined up as well as another hui.
“The Second SIEBA Hui will take place in May at Te Papa in Wellington, and we have some exciting industry speakers lined up who will share their insights and expertise.”
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Education features at Mayoral Forum
Held at Te Papa in Wellington, the forum comprised business seminars, “matching” sessions and presentations from notable authorities including Sir Richard Taylor – all interwoven with banquets, cultural performances and a welcoming powhiri.
Ten Mayors and Vice Mayors from China and 38 New Zealand Mayors attended.
Charles Finny, Chair of the ENZ Board and moderator of the Education Exchanges, said the forum was a great way to put key insights in front of New Zealand regions seeking partnerships with China.
“This forum is now a well-established part of our New Zealand – Chinese partnership and provides a useful platform for regions to advance their education objectives in China,” he said.
“Chinese Mayors hold overall responsibility for education in their regions, so the forum was an opportunity to connect them with New Zealand regions, and to show them the strength and consistency across New Zealand’s education system.”
Education featured on both days of the forum. This included an ENZ-led breakout session for some 50 delegates, during which panellists Jason Cushen (University of Otago), Michael O’Shaughnessy (Massey University), Jan Fitz-Gerald (Institute of Global Engagement) and Dan Milward (Gamefroot) spoke about innovation in New Zealand education before an engaging Q&A session with the audience.
In addition, a number of New Zealand and Chinese Mayors and Vice Mayors engaged in formal exchanges, with New Zealand Mayors presenting on education partnerships, sustainability, innovation and entrepreneurialism in their respective regions.
Ross Fisher, ENZ’s International Market Manager – China, said the variety of presentations was impressive.
“The presentations provided a fascinating cross-section of the specific initiatives New Zealand regions were championing to prove New Zealand’s standing as a high-quality education provider,” he said.
“Nelson Mayor Rachel Reese stood out for her particularly insightful articulation of how her region offers ‘holistic education’ opportunities that fuse sustainability with innovation, science and technology, and investment.”
In turn, Chinese Mayoral representatives presented on their cities’ respective education priorities.
- Chen Zhiying, Vice Mayor of Guangzhou, highlighted his city’s interest in student exchange, sister-school relationships and vocational education.
- Gao Zimin, Vice Mayor of Shenzhen Municipal People’s Government, spoke to the city’s priorities for cooperation in higher education, bio and marine science, sister schools, vocational education and opportunities focused specifically on urban development.
- Pei Weidong, Mayor of the Municipal Government of Liaoyang City, emphasised Liaoyang’s interest in vocational education, adding that a specific area of interest is modern agricultural education cooperation.
After a busy two days of bilateral exchanges, a closing banquet at Shed 6 on the Wellington waterfront showcased the capital city.
The forum was organised by Local Government New Zealand in collaboration with the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries.
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Kiwi teachers connect with Indonesia
Sean O’Connor, Educators Network Manager for the Foundation said cultural connection trips give teachers invaluable first-hand experience and knowledge of Asia, which they can in turn share with their students.
“By actually visiting a country, teachers get a much deeper understanding. We also find students are far more engaged when hearing about their teacher’s personal experiences,” he said.
During the trip, the teachers visited schools and historical sites throughout Jakarta and Yogyakarta.
Teacher Ella Hollows from Onerahi School, Whangarei, said the highlight was visiting Al Azhar Islamic schools in Jakarta where she and the other Kiwi teachers home-stayed with local Indonesian families.
“Not only did we experience the culture and history of Indonesia, we got to meet people from different walks of life and developed our understanding of the importance of Asian languages and culture from an education perspective.
“As a teacher, it was a great opportunity to be part of a school in another culture and experience the similarities and the differences,” she said.
Since returning to New Zealand, Ella has been in regular contact with a teacher she met during the visit, and recently held the first of what she hopes will be regular Skype conversations between her class and an Al Azhar class. Students discussed their hobbies and what they like about school, and are beginning to learn about traditional Indonesian and Māori culture.
Ngaire Gow, a teacher at Brookfield School, Tauranga, said before she left for Indonesia, her students created a slideshow about New Zealand which she shared with teachers in Indonesia. On her return, Ngaire created an Indonesia display for the classroom using her photos and souvenirs, prompting discussion and questions from her students.
“Trips like this lead us towards being culturally competent and to respect different ways of understanding and knowing, which is extremely important for teachers in New Zealand as a multi-cultural country with students of various cultures in our classrooms,” she said.
Click here for a short video of what the teachers experienced in Indonesia.
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Around the world in five
EUROPE
32% of CEOs study abroad, according to research
A study has found that a third of the most prominent executives in the business world benefited from international education, spending at least one semester of their university-level education overseas.
INDIA
What India’s student exodus means
A report has found that 55 percent of the 8,500 Indian parents surveyed were considering overseas universities for their children, citing international work experience and learning foreign languages as the reason.
INDONESIA
Young Indonesians are highly motivated to study abroad
An AFS survey found that 81% of 13 to 18-year-old Indonesians have considered study abroad, with personal safety and affordability being important factors. Indonesia is the fourth most-populous country in the world, and half its citizens are under the age of 30.
CHINA
More international students return home for economic confidence
More than 70 percent of Chinese international students choose to return home for work after studying abroad. Confidence in the country's economy was cited as the main reason for their return.
SINGAPORE
The story of how Singapore became a research nation
Singapore has made great strides in higher education with the quality of its research, which has also seen the rise of its research universities in global rankings.
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New Zealand students join Sustainability Challenge
Each team had two participants from India and one New Zealand student who, under the guidance of an Indian expert, worked together to identify and solve a sustainability challenge found on Indian campuses.
The winning team from Manipal Institute of Technology won for their project on “Sustainable Lifestyle,” with each student receiving an all-expenses paid internship for three weeks at the University of Canterbury, University of Otago and University of Waikato.
The NZISC was hosted by ENZ in association with New Zealand universities, and with sustainability peak body The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) as knowledge partner.
ENZ’s Country Manager for India, Jugnu Roy, said the NZISC was designed to showcase independent thinking and encourage cross-cultural teamwork and mentorship.
“Having Kiwis involved in the project was a great way for Indian students to see first-hand the practical and inquiry-based style of learning that New Zealand instils in students, which is particularly important in science and technology disciplines.
“The top six teams beat out 90 others in the earlier rounds of the competition and in the finale showcased their work. Projects included an innovative health platform to store vaccination data of children; using biomass as an alternative to firewood; and using garbage to create electricity.
“These students represent the kind of talent we want to attract to New Zealand.”
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Letter from the CE: We look forward to a busy 2018
The Government is determined to take careful, well-informed steps that will underpin the long-term sustainability of the international education sector and the highly valuable contribution it makes to New Zealand.
It is important to note that existing settings apply. As in this statement on Immigration New Zealand’s website, there have been no changes to immigration rules to date, and INZ continues to process student visas and post-study work visas as usual. Under changes introduced over the last 18 months, there is already a big correction underway in international education, with a focus on quality at all levels.
Education New Zealand looks forward to another busy year in 2018, working with students, providers and fellow government agencies on a strong future for international education in New Zealand.
In the meantime, enjoy the holiday season.
Grant McPherson
Chief Executive, Education New Zealand
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Capability building in digital marketing
Conducted by George Hernandez of the Higher Education Consulting Group, the interactive, full-day workshops focussed on optimising student recruitment through all the seven stages of conversion.
Participants also assessed their internal marketing practices for each of the student conversion stages, from expression of interest to retention, and rated their practices against world standards.
Deanna Anderson, ENZ’s Business Development Manager, said the audit and assessment of marketing practices was a valuable exercise for the workshops.
“The assessment process was very useful for industry participants and helped spark some inspiration on tactics for new marketing plans for 2018,” she said.
Susie Robinson, CEO of the Higher Education Consulting Group, said the workshops highlighted the diversity of New Zealand's international student market, and the dedication of professionals working in the sector.
“A key benefit of the workshops was the realisation, for participants, that even small and cost-effective interventions can yield a big return when it comes to optimising the student recruitment pipeline.”
The workshop received encouraging feedback from participants as well.
“It was great that it [the workshop] took a holistic approach, looking at the whole student pipeline, and it really made you understand where your gaps are,” one participant wrote.
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ELS changes for Korean students
The Korean government has announced a ban on after-school English education to first and second graders in elementary school (Years 3 and 4 of New Zealand primary school) as well as English classes at kindergarten (Years 1 and 2 of New Zealand primary school).
The ban for first and second graders will come into effect in March 2018 while the kindergarten ban will take place from 2019.
Kay Kyungah Lee, ENZ’s Senior Market Development Manager – South Korea, explains that the ban is to prevent students from studying English before the third grade, where it becomes part of the curriculum in Korea.
“To get a headstart, many schools offer after-school English courses for first- and second-graders.
“To equalise the competitive education culture, a law banning advanced learning was adopted in 2014. However, after-school English courses remained intact due to strong demand from parents.”
Kay said Korean parents have relied on English being taught during early education for many years. However, with the new ban limiting this option in-country, there could be opportunities for New Zealand providers to benefit.
“This ban is likely to result in an increase in private English education. But when only expensive options are available in Korea, overseas education can be more appealing and have better value for money.
“English language is still regarded as one of the most important skills in the competitive job market in Korea. The level of interest for an effective English education would be high amongst Korean parents.”
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NZQA update for Thai students
The Council of University Presidents Thailand has agreed to support continuation of the NCEA Level 2 - Matthayom 6 qualifications recognition arrangement, whereby Thai universities will continue to use the equivalence criteria to make their admission decisions.
This arrangement provides two options for students to meet requirements for NCEA Level 2 - Matthayom 6 equivalency. Students who meet either of these options are eligible to apply for study at a Thai university under the Thai University Central Admission System.
The criteria for these options can be found on the NZQA website, which should be used to advise students on their programme planning and subject choices.
For more information visit www.nzqa.govt.nz/thailand.
