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• Nelson English Centre gets an upgrade

  After six months of renovations, students are already enjoying the new school located off Trafalgar Street in Nelson, opposite Cathedral Park. The front five classrooms look out over the park and church, where students can enjoy their lunch breaks.

  The new facility has the city on its front doorstep and a cosy student courtyard at the rear. Director James Upton, says the student zone is specially designed so that teachers, staff and students are constantly crossing paths with people from other countries.

  “It’s a great open-plan area with everything our students need, from academic support to information about activities or just a space to use Wi-Fi and chill out,” he says.

  

  The student zone

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• Getting ready to celebrate 25 years

  2016 celebrates 25 years of New Zealand International Education conferences being held. During the conference, we’ll be celebrating some of the highlights of our industry’s journey.

  If you’re joining us in Auckland, make sure you check out the history display in the exhibition hall. We traverse a handful of key highlights as the industry has developed and evolved over the past 25+ years.

  If you’re not able to join us in Auckland, you can follow the conversation on Twitter at #nziec and on Weibo at #2016新西兰国际教育年会NZIEC#.

  ***

  Here, Richard Smith, founding director of Auckland Institute of Studies (AIS), reflects on his time in the industry, outlining how AIS has evolved over the years.
  
  

  

  Blazing a trail over 25 years ago

  
  Richard Smith talks about his experience in the international education industry.

  “In the late 1980s, I was involved in business between New Zealand and China in both the public and private sectors, and regularly received enquiries about education in New Zealand.

  So in 1990, my two business partners and I set up AIS. We were based in the Downtown Centre, Auckland, initially as an English language school, starting with a single class of international students. In our second year, we added business studies, then travel and tourism courses, and appointed marketing officers for Japan and China. AIS quickly grew to more than 200 students. 

  

  The entire roll of AIS could fit in one room back in 1991.

  In the first five years, we worked seven days a week, putting in huge hours. I was on the business development and admin side, doing everything from paying staff, processing student applications, and signing up agent representatives.

  In 1992, we brought in new business partners from Taiwan and Japan, and bought the old St Helens maternity hospital, set on 10 acres in Mount Albert. It had been empty for two years and was very rundown. Moving from the city to the suburbs was a good move as it allowed for expansion. Being in a residential area meant easy access to homestays for students. We also converted the old nursing home into student accommodation. In 1993, the doors of the new campus opened after a year of refurbishment. 

  

  AIS was reborn at the old St Helen’s maternity hospital.

  The following year we launched our first degree, the Bachelor of International Business, becoming the first private business school at degree level in New Zealand. In 1995, we started delivering an MBA programme. Then in 2002, we opened our second campus, the Asquith Campus, where we developed new degree programmes in tourism, hospitality and information technology.

  Over the years, more than 20,000 students have studied at AIS. Today, we cater for around 1,500 students from all around the world.

  Looking back, we were like trailblazers really, starting from scratch alongside other new organisations like New Zealand Qualifications Authority and New Zealand Education International Ltd, and putting in the hard yards. In 2015, we celebrated our 25^th anniversary.”

  

  AIS students celebrate graduation, 1993.

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• Hands-on environmental studies for US students

  EcoQuest Education Foundation is a charitable trust and PTE based in Whakatīwai, with strong connections to Ngāti Paoa and Ngāti Whanaunga.  

  “We had a wonderful day on the Wharekawa Coast,” says Ria Brejaart, EcoQuest’s Academic Director.  

  “Led by mana whenua, our students welcomed special guests US Consul General Sarah Nelson, Director of USA Study Abroad Heidi Manley, and Senior Education Advisor US Consulate General, Katie Sleeman. EcoQuest’s Board of Trustees and academic associates also attended the event, along with other key supporters.  

  

  EcoQuest team and manuhiri at the bird hide.

  “It was a great way to celebrate both the return of our US students after a long Covid-19 hiatus, and our enduring relationships with our collaborators and supporters. It felt particularly apt to be on the shores of Tikapa Moana, where the kuaka (bar-tailed godwits) return each year from Alaska.  

  “The morning of observing birds on the shell-banks was followed by a visit to Pūkorokoro Miranda Shorebird Centre, for a talk by Keith Woodley, Centre Manager. We then returned to EcoQuest where we marked the occasion by presenting Tū Ngātahi pins to all our students, on behalf of Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao.”  

  

  A presentation from Keith Woodley (Pūkorokoro Miranda Shorebird Centre Manager). Front row left, Beth Coleman (EcoQuest Board Chair) and Sarah Nelson (US Consul General).

  

  Beth Coleman (EcoQuest Board Chair) and Jono Clark (Director) presented Tū Ngātahi pins to the students.

  The eighteen students are from the University of New Hampshire (UNH), Cornell University, University of Michigan, and Colorado State University. They are participating in a fifteen-week residential semester programme with EcoQuest, which offers undergraduate programmes in partnership with UNH. Students gain credits for their undergraduate degrees back home. 

  “Within the international education sector, EcoQuest contributes high-quality, niche programmes,” says Alana Pellow, Business Development Manager at ENZ. 

  “These international student programmes align well with New Zealand’s areas of excellence in ecology, restoration ecology, environmental policy, and sustainability. EcoQuest students undertake real-time research for many different collaborators including iwi, NGOs and trusts, councils, private land owners and the Department of Conservation. Academic and scientific rigour are the basis for these unique hands-on learning opportunities.” 

  “EcoQuest also contributes to international thinking around indigenous approaches to sustainability, through inclusion of elements of Te Ao Māori and mātauranga in its education and research activities.”  

  The current students are part of Cohort 4, the final cohort of international students to be given entry to New Zealand through a border exception earlier this year. Cohort 4, which was jointly led by ENZ and the Ministry of Education, saw 5,000 international students from 109 different countries nominated for student visas, before New Zealand’s borders fully reopened in August. 

• NauMai NZ is 2

  Since launch, NauMai NZ has had half a million page views and just under 300,000 users accessing practical resources on topics such as Visas and immigration, Personal wellbeing, Housing, and Working, not to mention learning about Māori culture, improving English language skills, making friends, living like a local or getting a part time job.

  The platform has a bounce rate of just 15% and 11,500 students have joined the NauMai NZ database.  ENZ’s AI chatbot Tohu sits on the platform, and the NauMai NZ WeChat mini programme launched late last year, ensures resources are delivered to the platform of choice for Chinese students.

  One focus in 2020 was obviously how to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. An official COVID-19 page was launched, collating and curating trusted and relevant government information particular to international students. To accompany this page, a ‘Stay Well, Stay Connected’ page was launched, recognising the particular challenges that the pandemic brings around health and wellbeing. These pages have to date received over 90,000 views.

  Throughout 2020, content that wasn’t COVID-19 specific was also developed. Through research, we identified and developed new topics including Managing your money, Sexual healthcare and Dating, relationships and sex.

  As the 2020 academic year ended and borders remained closed, the ‘Summer in NZ’ microsite was launched, remaining live until April this year. The purpose was to inform and support students remaining in New Zealand over summer when they would normally return to their families and home country. The Student Experience team at ENZ was very aware that an unexpected summer in New Zealand may put stress on some students.

  We pulled together information from multiple sources, including from tourism operators and regional development agencies. Summer partnerships with LinkedIn and AFS New Zealand were also promoted to proactively engage students with their skill development resources.  

  NauMai NZ is still growing and as 2021 moves at pace, ongoing content development continues alongside user journey review and improvement.

  “NauMai NZ is a valuable resource enabling ENZ to communicate with and support international students – particularly during the pandemic,” ENZ Director – Student Experience & Global Citizens, Sahinde Pala, says.

  “We look forward to evolving it to better serve students’ needs, both in New Zealand and offshore, in 2021 and beyond.”

  2021 brings a complexity of challenges for students.  The challenge for NauMai NZ is to meet and address those challenges - better supporting the many students who remain studying in New Zealand and the increasing numbers of those studying offshore with a New Zealand provider, and of course being ready to welcome students when they are able to travel here in the future.

  But for now, happy birthday NauMai NZ, and a big thank you from us to everyone who has supported its development and use.

• Student visa processing update

  A very large number of applications have been submitted to INZ in January for courses beginning within four weeks of the application submission date.  

  Jeannie Melville, INZ’s Assistant General Manager, Visa Services reminds applicants to apply for their student visa at least eight weeks before their course start date. 

  “For those with an application in progress, we ask that they first check the recent student visa processing times published on the INZ website before contacting INZ to seek an update on their application. Those who submitted their visa application online should also check their online account regularly to ensure they haven’t missed any communications from INZ. If INZ needs more information to decide an application, it will take longer to assess.” 

  During this peak student visa application period, INZ is processing applications in some additional sites in an effort to ensure applications are decided as quickly as possible.  

  To ensure the sector is well informed, INZ is developing improved reporting on application processing, including the volume of work in progress and expected processing times. INZ will provide this information in regular email updates to education peak bodies.

  ENZ is working closely with INZ on student visa processing matters, to help providers, students and agents understand the current situation.  While INZ continues to experience high volumes of student visa applications, ENZ continues to monitor market reactions and engage constructively with INZ. 

  Current fee paying student visa application volumes (as at 27 January 2019)

  Status	Application volumes
  Assessment ongoing	7430
  Approved in principle	1109
  Total on hand	8539

   

  Recent processing timeframes (calculated based on fee paying student visa applications decided 28 Oct 2018-28 Jan 2019) 

  Provider Type	80% decided within:	90% decided within:
  Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics	38 days	50 days
  Private Training Establishments	36 days	47 days
  Schools	15 days	25 days
  Universities	21 days	31 days

   

• Alumni events in China build ties with NZ

  More than 100 past, current and future students, as well as representatives from China’s Ministry of Education and six other key government agencies, attended an event in Beijing on 8 July 2022, organised by Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao.  

  Two former international students played a major role in the success of this event.  

  Chinese author Ma Boyong gave a keynote speech. Ma Boyong was a student at Waikato University, and today he is a well-known novelist, columnist and blogger, whose work has been adapted into successful TV drama series. His achievements have been recognised with the People's Literature Prize, one of China's most prestigious honours.  He told guests how his New Zealand study inspired his creativity, his desire to be a writer, and led to love – he met his wife in New Zealand! 

  Reggie Li, who trained at the New Zealand School of Travel and Tourism and later worked extensively at top restaurants and hotels in New Zealand as a chef, is the New Zealand Embassy’s executive chef.  Reggie gave salmon cooking demonstrations to the assembled guests. The demo was interactive and put a spotlight on searing/cooking salmon with a blowtorch.  The salmon was then enjoyed by the guests.  New Zealand-imported Aoraki salmon is often served at embassy events as it has a strong reputation in China, promotes sustainability and is, of course, loved by Chinese. 

  In Guangzhou on 10 July 2022, a similar number of guests gathered to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between New Zealand and China, and the festival of Matariki, the Māori New Year.   

  Organised by ENZ with support from other government agencies (Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, and Tourism New Zealand), the 2022 NZ Guangzhou Community Mid-Year Event brought together close to 100 agents, past, present and future students and New Zealand expats. The event included a screening of the award-winning film Whale Rider. 

  “Events like this help us maintain relationships with our alumni students, connect new students with alumni, and strengthen people’s connections with New Zealand,” says Miranda Herbert, ENZ’s Director based in China. 

  “It is also very rewarding to showcase the benefits of a New Zealand education and hear about its impact on the lives and careers of former students.” 

  Interested in other upcoming events with Greater China?  

  The 2022 New Zealand – China Early Childhood Education Symposium will be held on 23 September and New Zealand-based participants can register here to join virtually.  

  In October New Zealand will have a national pavilion at the China Education Expo 2022. For more information on these events, please refer to the ENZ Events Page. 

• INZ student visa update: July 2024

  Visa processing update (as at 10 July 2024). 

  Since January 2024, Immigration New Zealand (INZ) has received 24,541 student visa applications from international students outside of New Zealand. INZ have completed 20,369 of these applications, with 15,242 approved.  

  Recent processing times for international student visa applications are published on the INZ website and are updated by month: Visa processing times for international students 

  Work rights available for more partners of students  

  In June, the Government expanded the eligibility for work visas for partners of some students studying towards a Green List occupation.  

  People can now apply for a Partner of Student Work Visa, with open work rights, if their partner is studying a specified level 7 or 8 bachelor’s or bachelor’s (honours) degree that will lead directly to professional registration required for a Green List role.  

  This relates to Green List roles where occupational registration, rather than qualification requirements, are specified, such as nurses, doctors, and teachers.   

  For people granted a Partner of Student Work Visa, any school-aged dependents they have will be considered domestic students for tuition fee purposes and can apply for a Dependent Child Student Visa.  

  End of year student visa peak – Apply early! 

  The processing of international student visas is a key focus for INZ, particularly as we get closer to the end of the year.  

  INZ receives the highest volumes of student visa applications between October and March. Applications generally take longer to be decided during this peak period, so it is important that anyone who is wanting to come to New Zealand to study next year applies early. It is recommended students apply three months before their intended travel date to give them the best chance of having their application decided in time.  

  There are a few things applicants can do to make sure their application is able to be processed as quickly as possible. These include: 

  • Check out INZ’s student visa information sheet on the INZ website to make sure a good quality application is submitted that includes all the evidence and supporting documents we need to decide the application. INZ will not be contacting applicants to ask for more information during the peak processing period, so it is important that everything is included from the start.  

  • Applicants must demonstrate that they can comfortably afford to study in New Zealand. New Zealand has a thorough funds assessment and INZ looks for genuine sources of funds that are credible and can be verified. If INZ cannot verify funds or is not satisfied that any verification would be genuine, then the application will be declined.  

  • INZ is seeing decline rates for international student visas increasing for many markets due to the increase in applications that cannot meet immigration requirements, so make sure the requirements are fully understood before submitting an application. 

• 190913 ENZ SE Asia team