From the Chief Executive: Strengthening our global education brand and New Zealand’s diversity

Kia ora koutou,

On Monday, we were delighted to see the signing of the India New Zealand Free Trade Agreement taking place in New Delhi. This is a positive development and signals a new era in the relationship between New Zealand and India.

Earlier this month, Sahinde Pala, our Group General Manager – International and Sector Engagement, and I were pleased to meet with the Chair, CEO and Board of the India New Zealand Business Council (INZBC). With India a priority market and our second‑largest for international students, the meeting was a valuable opportunity to discuss collaboration, including market research and alumni storytelling.

Indian students are thriving in New Zealand. Results from the International Student Experience Survey continue to show that Indian students report a highly positive overall experience, underpinned by strong ratings for education quality, people and community connections, and arrival and orientation. These findings reinforce New Zealand’s reputation as a welcoming, supportive study destination where Indian students feel connected and well supported across their study journey.

In turn, the Indian student community continues to make a significant social, cultural and economic contribution to Aotearoa. This contribution was recently acknowledged by the Prime Minister, who highlighted the Indian community as an outstanding role model, noting their ambition, aspiration and strong work ethic.

Alongside engagement with India, our work across priority markets continues more broadly. Our China team is preparing to attend the World Digital Education Conference, hosted by China’s Ministry of Education, focused on how digital and AI technologies can enhance education quality and equity globally.

In case you missed it, last week I was pleased to share new ENZ research showing New Zealand’s international education brand continues to strengthen.

Our Global Brand Health and Awareness Survey found that 22 percent of prospective international students now rank New Zealand in their top three study destinations – reaching the Government’s 2034 Going for Growth target nearly a decade early.

Given ENZ’s focus on bringing New Zealand’s education brand to life internationally, it’s encouraging to see that prospective students are not only aware of New Zealand, but are seriously considering it as a study destination. I encourage you to read more in our media release.

Closer to home, I’m looking forward to supporting the school sector at the annual SIEBA Hui – New Zealand’s largest international education conference for schools, in Christchurch next month. ENZ values its relationship with SIEBA as we work together to support high‑quality, sustainable growth.

He whenua auaha tātou, he whai tikanga, he whai whakaaro tonu ki te hapori.
We are a creative, practical and community‑minded country.

Ngā mihi nui,
Linda Sissons
Acting Chief Executive