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  • Changes to post-study work rights

    The changes are designed to support the attraction of international students enrolled in higher levels of study, and in high-quality sub-degree courses that deliver the skills needed in New Zealand’s growing economy.

    Minister Lees-Galloway said the changes to post-study work rights will help ensure international students in New Zealand gain in-demand skills for our economic growth, incentivise study in the regions and help reduce the risk of student exploitation.

    “These new immigration settings will better match the skills that people study in New Zealand with the skills that employers need to grow their businesses. The changes preserve a pathway to residence for people with the skills and qualifications we need,” Minister Lees-Galloway said.

    “New Zealand is a nation that must compete on quality, not quantity. Our changes reinforce New Zealand’s attractiveness for international students and match up positively with our key comparator nations.”

    The Government wants to support the transition to these new immigration settings. These changes include a three year, time-limited incentive for international students to study outside Auckland. This is to ensure the benefits of international education are shared throughout all New Zealand regions, supporting the Government's aims to lift regional investment, growth and productivity.

    There is a three-year transition period, to enable those parts of the sector that are most affected by the changes (Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics (ITPs) and Private Training Establishments (PTEs) to be able to successfully transition, over time, to new immigration settings. It also supports the current ITP Roadmap 2020 work underway by the Tertiary Education Commission on the long-term viability of ITPs, while ensuring that Government goals for regional growth are not undermined.

    These changes will not impact current post-study work visa holders or current students who are undertaking a qualification that (once completed) will meet the qualification requirements as set out in current immigration settings.

    These changes support the Government’s broader plans for a high-quality international education system in order to generate educational, economic, social and cultural benefits to New Zealand.

    Click this link for more detail on the changes to the Immigration New Zealand website.

  • New Zealand's growing presence in US study abroad

    The Forum on Education Abroad

    Held in Seattle, Washington, this year’s conference was an opportunity for New Zealand providers to meet with existing and potential partners in the US, and to participate in professional development sessions on standards in study abroad. The University of Auckland exhibited, and the University of Otago co-presented a session. Representatives from Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology, University of Canterbury and Victoria University of Wellington also attended as did ENZ’s US Director of Education, Amy Rutherford, and ENZ’s US Field Director, Alanna Dick.

    shanna law1The conference capped off at a luncheon plenary where Shanna Law, a former study abroad student, gave a talk about her year at the University of Otago. Shanna won the ‘Award for Academic Achievement Abroad’ for her research project on geology in Central Otago, which she presented to 1,000 conference attendees.

    The Forum on Education Abroad is accepting nominations for next year’s Award for Academic Achievement Abroad. The deadline is 30 August 2017. The next conference will be in March 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts.

    The Institute of International Education Best Practices conference

    Alanna Dick also represented ENZ at the Institute of International Education (IIE) Best Practices Conference, in Florida, in March. The event showcased the 2017 winners of the IIE Heiskell awards, which acknowledge international partnerships, internationalising campuses and study abroad.

    Monash University and Macquarie University were the only non-US award recipients to present their programmes. Awardees were given 15-minute speaking slots at the event, while their institutions were recognised through IIE press releases, a cash prize and an awards ceremony.

    As the awards are a great way to showcase the innovative practices on campuses, Alanna hopes to see New Zealand institutions involved in future.

    “New Zealand institutions have several innovative initiatives that could fit the Heiskell award categories, including the unique ways they run international partnerships with US institutions to meet the needs of students.

    “The awards are self-nominated, and it’s never too early to be thinking about next year’s award selection,” Alanna said.

    IIE Heiskell Award applications are due in October 2017. Winners are notified in December, giving ample time to prepare for the conference in March.

    Get involved with the IIE

    IIE aims to double the number of US students studying abroad by 2020. New Zealand institutions can partner with the IIE by becoming a participating university in the Platform for Education in Emergencies Response programme or hosting a professor or researcher from the Scholarship Rescue Fund.

    For more information, contact Alanna: alanna.dick@enz.govt.nz.

  • Feedback from education agents opens up conversation on how ENZ can better support them

    Over half (57 per cent) of those surveyed are members of the ENZ Recognised Agency (ENZRA) programme.

    The survey, a cross-team ENZ initiative, was a useful opportunity to open up a conversation with agents and to continue to support them while borders remain closed.

    Over 40 per cent of agents surveyed said that that 75 to 100 per cent of their business activities had changed or reduced due to the pandemic. Agents also reported experiencing a reduction of staff, closed branches and transitioning to fully remote operations.

    ENZ-supported webinars, online and hybrid events were most valuable to agents, followed closely by digital collateral and marketing material, support for student-facing activities, B2B events with education providers and training.

    On training needs, 60 per cent of agents surveyed said that they would like to receive training on student visa application processes, 50 per cent were keen on hearing about New Zealand education providers and their offering, while 40 per cent were keen for more professional development training.

    Videos, templates (including banners and PowerPoint presentations), student testimonials and brochures were reported to be the marketing tools that agents find most useful.

    ENZ’s Manager – Education Agents, Geneviève Rousseau Cung, says the survey is a key component of ENZ’s agent engagement plan as part of the Government’s Recovery Plan for International Education.

    “Insights from the survey will allow ENZ to develop activities, tailored communications and training initiatives that are best aligned with agent needs, which in turn, will also inform and result in better outcomes for education providers.

    “Seeing how the agent engagement plan is linked closely to the longer-term recovery of international education, it is crucial that we check in with our agents on a regular basis,” Geneviève says.

    The current plan has three areas of focus – supporting the ENZ Recognised Agencies Activity Fund in New Zealand and offshore with marketing initiatives, driving the agent engagement plan through a range of initiatives, and ongoing recognition of the role of education agents.

    For enquiries:

    Keep an eye out for the full results from the Agent Survey in the next issue of ENZ’s The Insight Story, due out in early May.

  • Massey launches pre-degree pathway in Viet Nam

    This is Massey University’s first pre-degree collaboration with a high school in Viet Nam. It will provide students at Nguyen Sieu School, as well as other schools in Hanoi, with the opportunity to begin a foundation pathway in Viet Nam that they can complete in New Zealand, before transitioning directly into degree study at Massey.

    Andrea Flavel, Director of PaCE, said the programme equips students with critical skills needed for their futures and exposes them to the different learning style and culture of New Zealand.

    “This programme is an example of the way PaCE works collaboratively with institutions around the world to create customised learning experiences that set students up for future academic success, and give them the opportunity to experience the best Massey has to offer.”

    PaCE also presented Nguyen Sieu School with a special scholarship worth NZ$20,000 to support students to participate in the pathway programme.

    The new Vietnamese Ambassador to New Zealand, His Excellency Ta Van Thong, and New Zealand Ambassador to Viet Nam, Wendy Matthews, attended the launch, which received nationwide news coverage in Viet Nam. 

    The first cohort of students will begin study in Viet Nam in July 2018, transitioning to study in New Zealand in February 2019.

  • You’re invited: Minister’s Latin America insights

    There will be an opportunity for asking questions and networking.

    Read more

  • Signing up to a bright future for the Deaf community

    A serious encounter with Ménière’s disease partway through his PhD studies was a life-changing event in more ways than one for Arash Tayebi. 

    The inner ear disorder resulted in him losing the hearing in one ear and facing up to the possibility he could become deaf in the future. Studying at Auckland University, and feeling far from his home in Iran, he says the experience hit him hard.

    But Arash turned one of the biggest challenges in his life into an opportunity. He became the driving force behind Kara Technologies, an award-winning start-up using digital sign language avatars to make communications of all kinds accessible to those with hearing issues.

    His own situation made him question the noticeable lack of deaf people studying at universities, becoming entrepreneurs, and holding leadership positions in the workplace. “I asked myself if I become completely deaf will I not be able to succeed in study and work?”

    Engaging with the Deaf community he learned of the real shortage of teachers of sign language, and the complexities in resolving that. Bringing in teachers from overseas is not the answer because they do not know New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL). Closed captioning, which can automatically caption speech is of limited use as young children cannot read, and existing avatars are not expressive enough for Deaf people.

    “I said let’s work together to come up with a solution.”

    Turning a vision into reality

    What started as a small project with Kelston Deaf Education Centre, now part of Ko Taku Reo Deaf Education New Zealand, ultimately morphed into Kara Technologies. But it took vision, determination, and “mind-blowing” support from people he met along the start-up journey.

    "The cool thing about New Zealand is that if you have a vision nobody will call you crazy, they’re here to help and happy to take a risk. That’s fantastic."

    “There was so much I needed to learn about running a business. I wasn’t rich, so I needed funding. And as the concept was new, I needed the support of the Deaf community.”

    Arash’s first break came when Kara Technologies was named Social Enterprise winner in Auckland University’s start-up business competition Velocity $100K Challenge in 2017, giving him access to seed funding and a mentorship programme. Then there was UniServices, which helps to commercialise promising student ventures through investment, advice, and connections. And in the wider community there was GridAKL, an innovation support community with a downtown campus. “If I had a problem, I could always find someone there who was happy to offer advice,” he says.

    Estimates of NZSL users vary significantly, from about 4000 for whom it is a first language to more than 20,000 who have some knowledge of it. Arash and his team are committed to their vision of improving meaningful access to information for the Deaf community, and they are already making an impact.

    Kara Technologies has produced a diverse suite of avatars, signed children’s books and a range of videos. It has been recognised many times for its innovative work, most recently being named a 2022 finalist in the Public Good category at the NZ Hi-Tech Awards.

    Looking to the future

    The team at Kara sees a future where TV shows, bank machines, travel websites, online registration forms, live theatre, social media, gaming, and virtual reality technologies are all equipped with sign language avatars. “We want the daily life of a Deaf person to be as easy as a hearing person,” Arash says.

    The company is currently trialling emergency messaging by using a set of pre-recorded motion-captured animations, making it possible to relay time-critical information quickly.

    Kara is already attracting interest in the US and Canada, where Deaf advocates are excited by the technology. “They are impressed that a small country can make such a contribution. It makes me proud because I call New Zealand home.”

    Arash says it’s hard to believe the decision he made to come to New Zealand to study in 2013 has led to where he is now. “I thought I would probably complete my PhD and end up in an academic teaching role. But I have a company, a team, a vision, and fantastic friends. It’s all happened because of the great support I’ve received here.”

    He only wishes it was easier for innovators like him to stay on when they finished their studies. He would love New Zealand to introduce a Talent visa like Australia and Canada have. “If you have a cool project they will welcome you, but in New Zealand, you need to secure a job. I already have a job, but it is in my own company,” he says.

    “When New Zealand encourages international students to come here it needs to be able to harness their talent, nurture them, and benefit from their talent.”

    But Arash says he would always encourage students to come here. “Take yourself out of your comfort zone and you will meet amazing people. New Zealand is a crazy, creative country which could easily be your second home.”

  • Flying Kiwi makes return flight

    Early in the new year, our Santiago-based Market Development Manager Javiera Visedo received a surprise visit from a familiar face – Flying Kiwi Catherine Lee. Catherine was one of the first group of seven Flying Kiwis to study in Santiago in 2013 and she had come back for a three week holiday in Chile to spend time with her host family.

    “Although obviously my visit as one of the Flying Kiwis was very advantageous from a learning perspective, the friendships and bonds I have formed with my host family and classmates transcend language barriers and distance,” said Catherine.

    Flying Kiwis is an ENZ initiative to send New Zealand secondary school students studying Spanish to Santiago for three weeks to attend school alongside Chilean students. The programme was developed in response to the Chilean Government-sponsored scholarship programme Penguins without Borders which sees Chilean students coming to New Zealand to study. 

    Catherine was in year 13 at Northcote College when she was chosen as a Flying Kiwi. At the time, her Spanish was advanced and she gave a speech for the welcome event at the Ambassador’s Residence.

    With one daughter of their own, Catherine’s host family treated her like a second daughter. They loved the experience so much that they hosted another Flying Kiwi last year – they say now they have three daughters.

    These days, Catherine is in her second year at the University of Auckland studying towards a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Spanish.

    “Travelling to a Spanish-speaking country and learning more about the language definitely influenced my decision to study translation and interpreting at a tertiary level. I could see myself having a career as a translator – I knew that was what I wanted to do with my life,” said Catherine.

    “I will definitely have an ongoing connection to Chile – I already miss my friends and host family! One day I would like to do another exchange to a Chilean university, or even live there for a while.

    Several of Catherine’s Chilean schoolmates have plans to travel and study in New Zealand. Her host sister is investigating visas to study and work in New Zealand for a year.

    “Even my host family are considering moving to New Zealand, as they have heard wonderful things about living there.”

    Javiera said that Catherine now speaks beautiful Spanish and her story demonstrates the success of the programme.

    “It’s great to see the long-term results of these initiatives. It makes us appreciate even more what we do and most importantly why we do it,” said Javiera.

    Kiwi20compliation

    Bottom left photo (Left to right): Catherine’s host sister, Javiera Jimenez Ortiz; Catherine; and friend Rubi Ruiz Vallejos
    Bottom right photo (Left to right): Catherine’s host mother, Elena; Javiera Visedo (ENZ Market Development Manager); Catherine; and host sister, Javiera, at the New Zealand Embassy in Santiago

  • From the CE: A celebration of energy, optimism and human spirit

    Kia ora tātou,

    NZIEC TI KUA – the pathway forward, was a celebration of the energy, optimism, and the human spirit of the international education sector in New Zealand. 

    It was great to see, and be among, more than 590 delegates reconnecting in person, sharing experiences, discussing the future, and listening to a remarkable range of quality speakers. All the presenters were inspiring and all clearly outlined some the challenges and the opportunities as we move forward. 

    First among these was the visiting Minister for Education in China, His Excellency Huai Jinpeng whose warm outgoing personality was clear to all who met him. It was enormously positive that Minister Huai emphasised China’s was willing to work together with New Zealand to “promote win-win cooperation” and “to unite for mutual benefit”. I hope many of us accept his open invitation to visit China. As he said “Better to see for oneself than to hear from others”. 

    From the New Zealand side it was a great to have Minister for Education, Hon Jan Tinetti, attend the Gala dinner, and reinforce that “education is one of the key pillars of the New Zealand-China relationship and a foundation for enduring links between our countries”. China was the Country of Honour for this year’s conference and is an important long-term partner. 

    After a break of four years since the last NZIEC was held in-person, the friendship and happiness amongst conference delegates was tangible. 

    Certainly, there are challenges ahead as we continue to rebuild the sector. Several of the conference presenters highlighted the changes in global demographics, workplace demand for skills and technological developments as key drivers for a different future in the next 30 years. But the progress achieved in the year since the borders reopened was also cause for celebration and highlighted the adaptability and resilience of education providers throughout the sector. 

    I’d like to thank officials from the Ministry of Education, New Zealand Qualifications Authority and Immigration New Zealand who attended the conference and gave insights and answering queries relating to the impact of policies and practice. International education is a team sport and it was great to see their commitment to the future of the sector. And a very special thanks must also go to the ENZ organising team and supporting cast who delivered a remarkable and uplifting event. 

    As the curtain came down at the outstanding Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre, and delegates said final farewells before returning to their homes and communities, my lasting impression was that of an industry re-enlivened by the human contact we have all missed so much.  

    As our Chair, Tracey Bridges commented in her opening welcome, we have good cause to be optimistic about the future of the sector and the contribution it can make to all the people of Aotearoa and beyond.  

    It is now our responsibility to act on this optimism and to move forward. As Peter Drucker once said, “The best way to predict the future is to create it”. 

    Ngā mihi,

    Grant

  • 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

  • ENZ highlights international students' contributions to New Zealand in comments to immigration settings inquiry

    International students coming to New Zealand support the achievement of the Government's broader goals and objectives while contributing to an important export industry. This is one of the key messages from Education New Zealand's submission to the Productivity Commission's inquiry into immigration settings.

    In the submission, ENZ says that international students should not be characterised as coming to New Zealand to seek employment, invest or run a business. Rather, international students are motivated by different drivers in deciding whether to come to New Zealand, and are different to other temporary migrants included in the scope of the inquiry.

    International students bring foreign exchange to New Zealand to fund their studies and living costs, which contributes to New Zealand's economic development. The submission also discusses the broad benefits international students deliver for New Zealand, including regional development, research output, and strengthened bilateral relationships with other countries.

    You can read ENZ's submission to the inquiry here (links to the Productivity Commission's website).

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