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• Recipients of the 2026 New Zealand – China Tripartite Partnership Fund

  The recipients are:

  • Lincoln University, with Beijing Forestry University and Yunnan Agricultural University, on national park landscape management
  • Lincoln University, with China Agricultural University and Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, on research in carbon emissions
  • University of Canterbury, with Shanghai Normal University and Qufu Normal University, on digital leadership in early childhood education.

  For over 20 years, the New Zealand – China Tripartite Partnership Fund has supported researcher-led collaboration through a distinctive three-way structure, connecting New Zealand universities with multiple Chinese partners to build academic linkages and enable knowledge exchange.

  The Tripartite Partnership Programme has delivered tangible education outcomes, including contributing to recently approved joint institutes and programmes involving the University of Canterbury and Lincoln University, and their Chinese university partners.

  Lincoln University’s joint education programme on National Parks management with Beijing Forestry University was recently approved by China Ministry of Education. 

  Announcing new joint education programme focusing on national parks management | Lincoln University

  University of Canterbury’s cooperation in the early childhood education field with Shanghai Normal University has evolved from a tripartite research collaboration into a joint education institute.  

  UC advances NZ-China education opportunities | UC

  Outcomes from the 2025 Fund recipients

  The 2025 Tripartite Partnership Fund recipients completed their projects in May 2026, reporting strong progress in academic collaboration and student mobility, along with joint publication submissions.

  One project, led by Associate Professor Fiona Ell from the University of Auckland, focused on preparing future teachers in mathematics and science through comparative study and exchange between New Zealand and China. 

  The project delivered three key outcomes:

  • completion of comparative policy analysis on mathematics and science teacher education policies in both countries
  • examining the signature teacher education pedagogies in both countries to learn about new ways to prepare teachers
  • delivery of reciprocal exchange visits, enabling in-person observation of school and university practice in both countries. 
  

  Left: Associate Professor Fiona Ell and Jingjing Liang from the University of Auckland visited research partners at Hangzhou Normal University and Capital Normal University in October to November 2025 as the first reciprocal exchange.
  Right: During Associate Professor Yiling Yao and Dr Sisi Han’s visit to Auckland in February 2026, the group visited Matipo Primary School to observe a Year 3 mathematics class.

• Come back to NZ! Nau mai hoki mai rā!

  Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao (ENZ) is inviting New Zealand education providers to take part in an initiative to encourage students from Thailand who have previously studied here to return to New Zealand for further study. Providers are invited to subsidise travel for returning students - up to a maximum of NZD $3,000 for students returning for a year or more.  

  The scheme will work by students or agents providing proof of previous study and once the students are in New Zealand, can rebate the air fare back to their account through coordination with their agents. The amount students can rebate is based on the receipt of their booked travel but no more than the $3,000 cap. New Zealand schools who were involved in the recent education events in Thailand gave positive feedback on this concept. 

  ENZ will publicise the initiative online, via agents, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and media. Education agents will also be asked to co-promote this with us while KTC credit card, the scheme’s credit card partner, will be promoting this campaign and additional benefits through their own database and PR channels.  

  If you are an education provider interested in signing up or finding out more about the campaign, please click here. 

• NZ-China Tripartite Partnership Programme Update 

  First established in 2005, the NZ-China Tripartite Partnership Fund is an ENZ sponsored initiative to support the development of diverse research relationships between New Zealand and China. This Fund supports our wider goals to develop strong global connections and highlight the quality of New Zealand education and research. 

  ENZ is pleased to announce the 2023-24 New Zealand – China Tripartite Partnership Fund recipients: 

  1. “Teaching physical education for the 21st century: Building collaborative partnerships to enhance the teaching of PE in schools” Associate Professor Alan Ovens, the University of Auckland will partner with Beijing Normal University and Gannan Normal University. 
  2. “Identification of molecular biomarkers of pain in red deer” Associate Professor Kevin Lawrence, Massey University will partner with City University of Hong Kong and Qingdao Agricultural University. 
  3. “The Digitalization of School Governance: A Comparative Study of School Governance between China and New Zealand” Liuning Yang, University of Auckland will partner with Peking University and Guangdong University of Foreign Studies. 

  ENZ also recently caught up with the 2022 NZ-China Tripartite Fund recipients to hear how their Tripartite Partnership research projects are tracking a year on. Professor Nicholas Rowe at the University of Auckland visited their research partner in May to provide a workshop at Beijing Normal University.

  

  Workshop participants at Beijing Normal University

  Professor Rowe also virtually presented on their project, Teacher training for creativity and collaboration at the NZ-China Higher Education and Development Symposium 19 May at Yangzhou University.  

  

  The research project Professor Stephen Croucher and Associate Professor Ming Li from Massey University are working on with their Chinese partners was recently featured as a case study in a publication commissioned by New Zealand China Council. You can learn more about this Tripartite research project, “Protection of the Endangered Languages and Cultural Diversity in West China: A Case study of Miao Minority Language in Guizhou Province, China” in Collaborative Horizons.  

  Dr Shengnan Wang at the University of Auckland is currently recruiting participants for “The Project Hui: An innovative virtual exchange programme for preservice teachers in New Zealand and China.” Wang will travel to China in October to meet with research partners at Beijing Normal University to discuss publication and future collaboration opportunities. 

  The New Zealand China Tripartite Partnership Programme is experiencing a surge of activity as researchers between New Zealand and China plan and embark on travel to continue their research. 

    

• International Student Hardship Fund

  Thank you for all the applications we have received.

  The Fund has now been allocated and we are no longer able to accept applications. 

   

  The Government has established a $1M hardship fund for international students to address urgent, temporary needs, for example temporary inability to access cash or because of reduced part-time employment.

  Criteria

  We welcome applications from education providers and organisations to apply for grants of up to $20,000 (GST not to be included) to enable you to provide eligible international students with direct financial relief or other support, including food parcels and support towards living costs.

  Organisations can apply for grants up to $20,000.

  Applications can be made from 21 May until funding has been allocated.

  Which organisations are eligible to apply to ENZ for grants?

  • Education providers who are signatories to the Code of Practice
  • Community groups
  • Peak bodies, or
  • Other organisations who currently work with international students and have the mechanisms and experience to support international students with hardship requests.

  Individual students and education agents may not apply to ENZ to access the fund.

  What grants are available?

  • Eligible organisations may apply for grants of up to $20,000 (GST not to be included) per request to the fund.
  • Grants are one-off; however, the same organisation may make additional requests after using their initial funding (subject to the availability of funding).

  What can grants be used for?

  The grants may be used to:

  • scale up existing student hardship initiatives
  • support eligible students through:
    • Direct cash grants
    • The purchase of resources on behalf of international students, such as food parcels, where this is appropriate.
  • The maximum amount that can be applied for is up to $1,000 per international student your organisation is supporting.
  • Funds may not be used for:
    • Salaries or staff administration costs
    • Funding for flights home
    • Tuition fees
    • Granting individual students support of more than $1,000 in cash or kind.

   Which students are eligible for support?

  • Grants can only be used to provide support to eligible students.
  • An eligible student is:
    • A current fee-paying international student, or enrolled as a fee-paying international student as at 23 March
    • Currently in New Zealand
    • In genuine, temporary hardship^[1]
    • Not eligible for other government financial support.
  • International PhD students paying domestic fees are eligible for the government’s domestic student hardship fund and should be encouraged to seek help from that scheme in the first instance.

   Table: Summary of eligible and ineligible students

  Eligible students	Ineligible students
  A current fee-paying international student, or enrolled as an international student as at 23 March. In genuine, temporary hardship.	International PhD students paying domestic fees. International students who are not currently enrolled or who were not enrolled as an international student as at 23 March. International students who are eligible for other government support.

   

  How do organisations apply?

  • To apply for grant funding, organisations must complete and submit an online application form to ENZ.
  • Organisations will need to provide the following information:
    • Their strategy and approach to identifying students in need, including outreach efforts and ensuring eligibility criteria are met
    • Estimated number of international students and basic demographics (e.g. age range, sector, nationalities, region)
    • Total amount requested, what it will be used for, and how it has been calculated
    • The organisation’s resources to ensure appropriate distribution
    • Agreement to meet reporting requirements (including publication) and to repay any underspend within 12 weeks of having been granted the funds
    • Invoice and bank details for payment.
  • Process –  Applications are now closed.
  • Assessment of applications will be completed within five working days. Approval will be notified by email, as will confirmation of distribution of funds.
  • Any queries about the International Student Hardship Fund can be sent to response@enz.govt.nz or raised with Sahinde Pala, Director of Student Experience & Global Citizens at Education New Zealand.

   Reporting requirements:

  • Organisations will need to report to ENZ on:
    • The number of students assisted, and basic demographics (e.g. age range, sector, nationalities, region of New Zealand)
    • The type of assistance provided
    • How much was provided.
  • To demonstrate programme outcomes, and as part of its commitment to ensuring value for money from expenditure, ENZ will publish reports from participating organisations in whole or part.

  Closing date

  Applications can be made from 21 May, until funding has been allocated.

  Further information

  Frequently asked questions are available here.

  Any queries or concerns about the International Student Hardship Fund can be sent to response@enz.govt.nz or raised with Sahinde Pala, Director of Student Experience & Global Citizens at Education New Zealand.

  Thank you for your assistance in helping to support international students currently studying here during these unprecedented times.

  [1] Organisations will have the discretion to determine what constitutes significant, temporary hardship in accordance with their existing policies and practices.

• ISANA NZ – COVID-19 Update

  Catch-up cafés

  ISANA NZ is offering members and friends the chance to catch up and discuss the issues they are facing.

  We have a weekly Zoom networking opportunity on Wednesday mornings from 11am. Join special guests each week including officials from ENZ, MoE, NZQA and INZ. MoE is providing responses to concerns and questions raised by the weekly events.

  Register here for this week’s Catch-up Café, or through our Events tab on the website for upcoming Cafes. Please go to our Good Ideas and Responses page to learn more and access previous Café notes and responses.

  Each week, the general Q&A starts at 11am, and special guests are introduced at 11:30am. Email contact@isana.nz to forward any questions ahead of a session.

  Looking Ahead webinar series

  ISANA NZ is pleased to announce our International education: Looking ahead webinar series.

  This series includes professional standards and self-care, enabling international student integration and work readiness, responding to racism and supporting online learning. Keep an eye out in ISANA NZ mailouts, our website and social media platforms for details of our up-coming webinars.

  Feel Good Friday 

  ISANA NZ would like to acknowledge members who are going above and beyond the call of duty.

  Every fortnight on a Friday we would like to acknowledge these wonderful people through our social media channels and give them a chance to go in a draw for a $100 gift voucher to be drawn later in the year. Please send an 100-word explanation as to why you would like to nominate your colleague and also the logo of your institute (optional) to contact@isana.nz

• English New Zealand’s new Accredited Pathway Assessment opens up cross-sector collaboration

  Bridge International College, Kaplan International Languages and Languages International are now able to offer the Accredited Pathway Assessment (APA).

  Although there are already agreements between individual English New Zealand schools and universities, the APA puts in place a structure for acceptance of proficiency across all of the universities, English New Zealand executive director Kim Renner says.

  “This will enable greater collaboration between English Language schools and the universities,” Renner says. “With inevitable changes coming for the export education industry due to COVID-19, seamless pathways into further study and close collaboration will become more important than ever before.”

  In Australia, the rate of students who transitioned to further study is significant – according to a report released by the Australian government in January, 54 percent of English language students go on to attend an Australian university or vocational training provider. Anecdotally, we know the rate in New Zealand is much lower. There is room for New Zealand to encourage more of the 20,000 plus students who study at unfunded English language schools in New Zealand to make much more of pathway opportunities.

  Accredited schools will use the APA to attract those students who are interested in studying at a New Zealand university, but may not meet the current English Language standards.

  The APA is also a way that English Language schools can prepare students for New Zealand’s academic teaching style.

  “The assessment is built into a school’s teaching – it’s not a one-off test,” Renner says. “Key goals are to increase cross-sector collaboration and provide a great student experience.”

  This announcement is a result of a Memorandum of Understanding signed by English New Zealand and Universities New Zealand in June last year. The APA is only available to English New Zealand member schools.

• Ass. Prof ZHANG Haiyan Beijing Jiaotong Uni

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• Hero Image Vietnam

• Record audience for early childhood education symposium with China

  This year, the symposium attracted a live audience of 350 attendees and a livestream audience of 100,000, well over the number of attendees in previous years. The symposium’s theme was ‘Advancing Inclusiveness in Early Childhood Education’.   

  The Early Childhood Education Symposium is an initiative between Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao (ENZ) and China Center for International People to People Exchange (CCIPE), a sub-agency of China Ministry of Education (China MoE).   

  The symposium provides a platform for New Zealand Early Childhood Education (ECE) institutions, academics, practitioners, and policy experts to engage in a cross-cultural dialogue. It leverages New Zealand’s expertise in ECE teacher training programmes.  

  This was the first year that a delegation of government representatives and ECE experts from New Zealand travelled to China to present at the symposium in person, which sent a positive signal to education partners in China about New Zealand’s strong focus on reconnecting and strengthening our education credentials in the China market.  

  The symposium’s live presenters from New Zealand included Dr Jane Ewens, Manager Early Learning, Ministry of Education and Fiona He, Director and Founder, TuiTui Educare/Universal Kids Early Education Centre. Dr Ewens presented an overview of the New Zealand Government’s policy focusing on advancing inclusiveness in early childhood education.  

  ENZ’s General Manager International, Lisa Futschek, who provided opening remarks, said the symposium highlighted the special education relationship between New Zealand and China and our long and fruitful dialogue in a variety of education areas.   

  “It’s fantastic to see how the symposium has grown and evolved since 2020. We were delighted to be able to travel there, grow our connections in-person, and enable collaboration between people across the education landscape in both our countries.   

  “2023 has already been an exciting year for rebuilding face-to-face connections for New Zealand and China, and the symposium just helped us build on that so wonderfully,” Lisa said. 

  

  ENZ General Manager International, Lisa Futschek.

  CAO Diefeng, Deputy Director General, China Centre for International People-to-People Exchange indicated in his opening remarks that the China-New Zealand Early Childhood Education Symposium has received extensive attention because of its scale and influence. It is highly welcomed by the education sector from both China and New Zealand and is becoming a key platform for early childhood education communication.  

  “The symposium exemplifies the sound education cooperation between our two countries and plays an important role in deepening substantive cooperation by both sides,” CAO Diefeng said. 

  Dr Jane Ewens said the information exchange was valuable to all audiences and demonstrated there are opportunities for the Ministry of Education to learn from our Chinese partners. 

  “We can create stronger educational ties and foster ongoing cooperation with China, aligning with government priorities. This could include exploring attracting Chinese teachers and students to New Zealand's early childhood education teaching workforce. 

  “There is also an opportunity for New Zealand practitioners and policy makers to consider and possibly integrate how China implements their curriculum as we develop curriculum resources for New Zealand Early Childhood Education kaiako (teachers),” Dr Ewens said. 

  

  Dr Jane Ewens from the New Zealand Ministry of Education presents the Policy Overview.

  This year’s symposium resulted in a range of valuable outcomes for New Zealand’s education relationship with China and for the sector. The symposium generated good visibility for New Zealand, with 45 media articles (accounting for almost four million views), which included reporting from top tier Chinese media. Many connections and leads for New Zealand participants were created during and after the symposium – one New Zealand speaker reported being approached by 50 Chinese counterparts after their virtual presentation. 

  Aside from the symposium, the New Zealand delegation’s key objectives included supporting a bilateral education initiative linked to the New Zealand-China Arrangement on Education Cooperation and Training, while showcasing New Zealand’s expertise in early childhood education practices and curriculum to audiences in China.  

  The visit provided a chance for the delegation to understand best practices in early childhood education from a Chinese cultural perspective that they could put into practice in New Zealand to better support learners from Chinese backgrounds. As part of the programme in Nanjing, the delegation visited two kindergartens and presented a panel session with academics and students at Nanjing Normal University. 

  If you are interested in the ECE Symposium or partnering with ENZ on this event in the future, please contact the ENZ China team at China@enz.govt.nz. 

  

  The audience in Nanjing take notes during the presentations.

  

  Attendees of the Hefei Shuangyou Education Group in Anhui Province watch the symposium online.