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• Leading an International Education Quest! - Dr Jason Fox

  This was the challenge Dr Jason Fox, a modern day wizard-rogue, author and leadership adviser set NZIEC conference attendees.

  Using self-deprecating humour, and drawing on real life examples, Dr Fox challenged the audience to look at the patterns in their lives, to effect meaningful change.

  Many of us are time-poor, which Dr Fox said causes us to ‘leverage our default thinking’. That is to do what we have always done. The concern is that we use default thinking 98 percent of the time. This is “robbing us of our best thinking.”

  Defaults — established ways of doing things — are an important element of any enterprise. We need them — they save us a heap of time, and make us much more efficient.

  But lo! Dr Fox said most organisations have now become cursed with efficiency and default thinking.

  “We’re all so busy, and so what happens is… more of the same. We seek quick fixes and familiar solutions that tick the right boxes and save us time — but in doing so lead us closer down the path toward irrelevance.

  To stay relevant, we must know when (and how) to disrupt default thinking, so that we may pioneer new strategy (beyond the established path).”

  Conferences give us a rich opportunity to disrupt default thinking. He said new thinking is the most valuable thinking in a world that is undergoing profound social and technological disruption.

  Dr Fox said if you ask workers in an organisation what it is that motivates them best, the most common response was “a clear sense of progress.” This underlines the importance of celebrating small / early wins.

  In closing, Dr Fox talked about the things we do to put off meaningful thinking – procrastination, perfectionism, busyness, disorganisation, physiological sabotage, over-commitment and more.

  To conclude, Dr Fox challenged his audience, saying “we all make choices and our choices make us.”

   

• From the CE: A uniquely Kiwi education

  Tēnā koutou katoa –

  I’m extremely proud to have introduced ENZ’s Māori name this year: Manapou ki te Ao. It truly sums up our work and values: Manapou means supporting and sustaining life, enabling growth and progression, while ki te Ao means to the world. That’s our role in a nutshell – enabling all students to gain the skills and knowledge to grow and contribute to the world.  

  And that’s been our focus this year. Together with the sector and other government agencies, we’re working towards the goals of the International Education Strategy – to ensure students who come to New Zealand have a high-quality, uniquely Kiwi education, and that they feel welcome and flourish.  

  Here’s a roundup of some of our latest work to help achieve this:   

  We’ve been developing tools to support students while they’re studying here. Our new student-focused website NauMai NZ embodies manaakitanga. It offers practical and trusted information for students new to New Zealand, on everything from bank accounts to water safety to mental health. And it decodes the mysteries of Kiwi slang! To date more than 20,000 students have visited the site. 

  We’ve been promoting a New Zealand education through our new brand message, I Am New, which encourages students to think independently and to ask questions. Ask New Anything, our new marketing campaign, reinforces that. It’s where prospective students can ask real students real questions about what it’s like to study here, and receive an authentic, unscripted answer. Take a look at the videos on YouTube. New Zealand’s education providers and ENZ Recognised Agents are very welcome to use these resources in their own marketing. 

  Our new joint work programme with Immigration New Zealand is helping to increase numbers of decision-ready applications from students coming into the immigration system. This will help improve processing times, reduce pressure on the system and attract genuine students.  

  In addition, we’re working with stakeholders from across government, the sector and providers to ensure international education is fully considered in the vocational education reforms. We’re also working with the New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology (NZIST) to develop a strong global marketing platform to promote New Zealand as a destination for quality vocational education. In the interim we’re working closely with ITPs to support the message to students and agents that it’s “business as usual” for international students. 

  Finally, we often talk about the benefits of international education in terms of economic, social and cultural benefits for New Zealand and New Zealanders. But for me, international education is much more than that – it’s personal.  

  That’s because I’ve been an international student and because, together with my family, we have been privileged to host several college-aged international students from Japan and to become their New Zealand family. Likewise, many of my colleagues here at ENZ have been international students or hosted students or had family members studying abroad. So, we understand first-hand manaakitanga, the richness that cultural diversity brings, and the strong and enduring bonds that are formed.  

  At the end of the day, international education is about nourishing and enriching the young manuhiri in our care as they live and study among us, far from home. 

  So in closing, I wish you and your extended families the compliments of the season and a happy New Year. I’m looking forward to working with you next year to provide a uniquely New Zealand education and experience to those choosing to study here, and to ensure more young New Zealanders take up the opportunities to study abroad. 

• High-level delegation visit strengthens education relationship with India

  The New Zealand India Education Week – held from 17-22 April – included senior level participation from New Zealand universities and was designed to further strengthen the strategic education partnership with India. 

  Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao (ENZ) Chief Executive, Grant McPherson, led the delegation across New Delhi, Mumbai, and Chennai. 

  Demonstrating New Zealand’s overall commitment to India, New Zealand announced an investment of $400,000 towards internationalisation and student mobility initiatives, including the relaunch of the New Zealand Excellence Awards (NZEA). 

  The NZEA are unique scholarships designed exclusively for Indian students that are jointly funded by ENZ and all New Zealand universities. Since their launch in 2016, the scholarships have enabled more than 200 Indian students to study at one of New Zealand’s universities. 

  Another key focus for the week was to re-engage with the New Zealand Centre at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi and discuss the future trajectory of the partnership.  

  

  New Zealand High Commissioner to India His Excellency Mr David Pine speaking at a meeting with the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi.

  

  Caption: Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao Chief Executive, Grant McPherson (right), thanking Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IITD) outgoing Dean International Naveen Garg (left) for hosting the NZ delegation at IIT.

  Erik Lithander, Deputy Vice Chancellor Strategic Engagement at the University of Auckland, signed an MoU with IIT Delhi on behalf of all New Zealand universities to continue the relationship and further develop the New Zealand Study Centre.  

  The New Zealand Study Centre was inaugurated at IIT Delhi in February 2020 by Deputy PM Winston Peters, demonstrating the importance of education as a key part of the India-New Zealand relationship.  

  The week was bookended by two education agent fairs in New Delhi and Mumbai respectively, both of which exceeded expected student attendance numbers.  

  Speaking at a media briefing held at the New Zealand High Commission in New Delhi during the New Zealand India Education Week, ENZ CE Grant McPherson underlined the importance of New Zealand’s education partnership with India.  

  “India is one of New Zealand’s priority partner countries for collaborations, exchanges, and student mobility. We are excited that the announcements around the New Zealand Centre strengthening and the extensive package of scholarships under the New Zealand Excellence Awards scheme will further engagement with India,” Grant said. 

  ENZ Regional Director – Asia, Ben Burrowes, said with the sector’s focus on recovery and reconnections, the New Zealand India Education Week provided a great opportunity to refresh relationships with education sector stakeholders in India.  

  “India has always been a strong partner to New Zealand in the education space, and students from India consistently make up the second largest portion of international students studying in New Zealand.  

  “We are delighted for the opportunity that the New Zealand India Education Week offered us to reconnect and refresh our education links with India, and we look forward to building this relationship further over the coming years.” 

   

  Additional info –  

  To begin the week, sector representatives were provided with in-depth insights into the India-New Zealand relationship from High Commissioner David Pine, ENZ in-market staff and a consultant from EY. Representatives attended meetings with government departments such as the University Grants Commission (UGC) as well as B2B institutional networking events to support their university's global engagement. The delegation also met with two Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT), IIT Delhi and IIT Madras.   

• NZIEC 2018 showcases global citizenship

  Two Ministers attended: Minister of Immigration, Hon Iain Lees-Galloway, spoke about the Government’s changes to post-study work rights for international students, and Education Minister, Hon Chris Hipkins announced the International Education Strategy 2018-2030. Both Ministers spoke of the Government’s confidence in the bright future of New Zealand’s international education future.

  Master of ceremonies, award-winning journalist Miriama Kamo, kept conference moving with humour and poise. She interviewed three international students on their experiences living and studying in New Zealand.

  

  Yuki Sugito from Japan came to New Zealand after being interested in the All Blacks at the 2015 World Cup. Ada Wang from Nanchang, China, who is studying a Master’s degree at Victoria University, told us about the case she took to the Tenancy Tribunal and won. Angelique Viola talked about leaving behind a business and career in her native Philippines to study accounting at WelTec. All three are enjoying their lives and studies in New Zealand – and Kiwi food featured strongly, most especially their love for fish’n’chips.

  

   

  

  We learned from Shanton Chang about the digital journeys of international students. And we became one of New Zealand’s top trending topics on Twitter.

  Delegates enjoyed a taste of Brazil at the NZIEC Carnival on Thursday night. 

  

  NZIEC Country of Honour host, Brazilian Ambassador HE Paulo Camargo, spoke movingly of the connections between Brazil and New Zealand. 

  

  Surprise poet Karlo Mila delighted guests by pulling together two days of intense discussions in a poem specially commissioned for NZIEC 2018.

  The largest number of industry presenters inspired, debated and informed delegates across six breakout streams providing new insights for improving the student experience, making a mark online, collaborating to win – and more.

  And delegates took up the plentiful networking opportunities with gusto – many a korero was observed in the conference environs!

  ENZ gratefully acknowledges all our conference partners and exhibitors, including Lead Partner BPO Intelligence, Premium Partners Vodafone New Zealand and OKNZ and Southern Cross Travel Insurance, Partners IDP IELTS Australia, QS and Western Union, Media Partner The PIE News, Programme Partner AFS New Zealand, Espresso Partner StuMagz and Country of Honour host, the Embassy of Brazil in New Zealand. Thank you one and all.

  If you missed the opportunity to connect with our partners or exhibitors at conference, you can do so through the NZIEC website. 

  Conference delegates can provide feedback on conference through the conference app. If you have any suggestions for next year, please don’t hesitate to email nziec@verve.co.nz. 

  NZIEC 2019 will be held at the SkyCity Convention Centre on 7-8 August 2019. The theme will be ‘Navigating Our Changing World’.

  We look forward to seeing you in Auckland for NZIEC 2019!

• Viet Nam kickstarts 2021 with series of offline student events

  This January, ENZ’s team in Viet Nam sought out a number of opportunities for New Zealand providers to appear at in-person or hybrid events.

  ENZ has also participated in a series of multi-destination education fairs organised by SiPM and ATS at three top high schools in Ha Noi, university admission day in the northern Vĩnh Phúc province, and a New Zealand University Fair co-hosted by ENZ at Nguyen Sieu school (a long-standing partner for several New Zealand institutions).

  As travel restrictions are still in place around the world, these fairs are not necessarily aimed towards immediate student attraction. ENZ is attending these events as part of the marketing and brand protection work that comes under the third workstream of the Recovery Plan for International Education.

  Many attendees expressed a wish to study in New Zealand, especially after learning about our successful COVID-19 response.

  “Students and parents are still concerned about safety and political stability, so New Zealand is currently being viewed as an ideal destination for study when border restrictions are lifted,” ENZ Market Manager – Viet Nam, Van Banh, says.

  Viet Nam’s economy was heavily impacted by COVID, but data still shows that Vietnam recorded net positive GDP growth in 2020, which is considered an impressive achievement in the present global context. As a result, other study destinations have also kept their promotional activities warm in this market.

• Immigration New Zealand closes Hamilton public counter

  This is part of Immigration New Zealand’s (INZ) move to phase out paper applications in favour of online applications.

  The Hamilton office and public counter (level 5 Westpac House, Cnr Victoria and Alma Streets) closed on Friday 11 August 2017. INZ is encouraging students to use its online services.

  However, paper applications can still be sent directly to the addresses provided on the INZ website here.

  For any enquiries or urgent assistance, students should contact the INZ contact centre on 0508 55 88 55. The centre has qualified staff who can help with enquiries, including staff with language skills to help where English is a second language.

  In instances where a face-to-face service is necessary, INZ will arrange an appointment with an Immigration Officer.

  Please note that an INZ counter in Palmerston North is also set to close in early September.

• Reconnecting New Zealanders to the world

  

  Where does international education fit in?

  Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced a plan to reconnect New Zealanders to the world in 2022. 

  This framework is based on being able to maintain the elimination strategy, alongside a high coverage of vaccination, strong confidence in our system and a phased approach to opening the border.

  Read the Prime Minister’s announcement in full | Reconnecting New Zealand to the world on Unite Against COVID-19 site

  The key points of this plan are: 

  • To continue to speed up New Zealand’s vaccination rollout, and move to six weeks between doses so that more New Zealanders have immunity sooner.
  • Phased approach to reopening border in the second half of 2021, and set up of new testing and vaccine checking systems at the border.
  • Move to new, risk-based border settings that will establish low, medium and high-risk pathways into the country.

  New Zealand’s ability to reconnect with the world depends on these factors being successful.

  At this early stage, we can’t provide detail or any degree of certainty for students looking to apply for study in or book travel to New Zealand.

  Many New Zealand institutions are now offering new ways to study. If you’re wondering which study option might be right for you, visit Study With New Zealand New Ways of Learning.

  We suggest that agents, students and their families wait until policy announcements are made before booking any travel to study in New Zealand. We could expect to see more clarity on this later in the year.

   

  FAQs 

  When will New Zealand open up to the world?

  Work continues on developing the requirements for a phased approach to Reconnecting New Zealanders to the rest of the world in 2022. We could expect to see more clarity on this later in 2021.

  Read more about the next steps to reconnecting New Zealanders to the world.

  What do we know about timeframes for international students returning to New Zealand?

  While we are pleased to note that a number of international students have been able to return to New Zealand under the current class exceptions, we aren’t able to provide exact timeframes for a large-scale return for international students and providers.

  Managing our border doesn’t mean conditions will stay exactly as they are now, but it does mean that there are likely to be restrictions and requirements in place until at least December 2022.

  Can students apply for semester 1 2022 study?

  We would currently advise students not to plan for study in New Zealand for semester 1, 2022.

  Please note offshore temporary visa application lodgements are currently suspended till February 2022 and this may be extended. 

  International student class exceptions are a key priority for the Government, but we can’t predict timing on when a further cohort might be announced, or what MIQ capacity may look like at the time.

  Will the phased border approach outlined in the Reconnecting New Zealanders to the World announcements affect the temporary suspension of offshore visa application lodgements?

  The Government continues work on developing the requirements for a phased approach to Reconnecting New Zealanders to the rest of the world in 2022.  As such, no decisions have been made yet on how the border plan might affect offshore visa application lodgements.

  What is the Government’s position generally regarding international education?

  Despite the severity and complexity of the COVID-19 pandemic, and our ongoing commitment to its elimination strategy, the New Zealand Government remains committed to a thriving international education sector. 

  In a recent meeting with the international education sector, the Minister of Education highlighted the New Zealand Government’s support for the continued safe return of international students to New Zealand, when the time is right.

  How does the border approach affect the students coming into New Zealand under the border exception classes?

  It doesn’t. Existing processes for students to enter the country under existing border exception classes (the 250 PhD and postgraduate cohort and the 1000 bachelor's degree and above cohort) will remain in place.

  Read about the two international student border exceptions classes on the Immigration New Zealand website.

  How will New Zealand determine which countries are low, medium or high-risk?

  The government is currently working through how it will determine this.

  How will the phased border approach affect Managed Isolation and Quarantine (MIQ)?

  Vaccinated travellers from low-risk countries will not be required to go through managed isolation facilities.

  Vaccinated travellers from medium-risk countries will have modified isolation requirements, the details of which are still to be worked through.

  Unvaccinated travellers and all travellers from high-risk countries will need to undergo 14 days in MIQ.

  Read more on the next steps of reconnecting New Zealanders to the world

  Would lockdowns in New Zealand affect the timing of the phased border approach?

  The New Zealand Government is committed to the elimination strategy and the successful rollout of vaccines. New Zealand’s border approach depends on our ability to stamp out clusters of COVID-19 as they arise, so there is some possibility that further lockdowns may delay the border approach.

  Will international students in New Zealand continue to receive free COVID-19 healthcare?

  Yes. Vaccines are available to everyone in New Zealand (12 years and over) free of charge. This includes international students.

  Read more about the COVID-19 vaccine rollout on the Ministry of Health website.

  All publicly funded COVID-19 related care – including testing, treatment and vaccinations – is provided to anyone who needs it, free of charge. 

• Letter from the CE: We are keen to engage with new government

  We learned today that Chris Hipkins will be the new Minister of Education, with responsibility for tertiary education and skills including international education. In addition, the appointments of Kelvin Davis, Tracey Martin and Jenny Salesa as Associate Ministers of Education were announced.

  Our immediate priority at Education New Zealand is to ensure we are well positioned to advise our new Minister, and to ensure a smooth transition of administration.

  We are well advanced in this work. We are finalising a Briefing to the Incoming Minister (BIM) and working with other government agencies on other advice to safeguard New Zealand’s reputation as a high quality and desirable place to study.

  In particular, we are keen to engage with incoming Ministers on the long-term picture for international education and the broader benefits it delivers to New Zealand, in particular on delivering an education to be proud of and driving sustainable growth especially in the regions.

  2017 has already been a year of significant adjustment for the industry, particularly in the India market. There has also been considerable work around provider quality, student wellbeing and shifting the dial in student attraction from volume to higher value, particularly at university level.

  We will have a busy few months ahead. New Zealand must work hard to be a place that welcomes high quality international students and offers them a world-class education and a great experience.

  

   

  Grant McPherson

  Chief Executive, Education New Zealand

   

   

   

• Creating a China-first digital ecosystem

  Western websites and social media platforms have issues with accessibility, performance and loading speed in China, so ENZ has had to create bespoke digital technology to share the New Zealand education story with Chinese students.

  ENZ carried out focus groups with Chinese international students to gather insights while designing the website to ensure it met the needs of a Chinese audience.

  Its new website has a China domain name (.cn), has been search engine-optimised and is tracked with Baidu analytics (China’s equivalent of Google).

  The site has also been integrated with ENZ’s database marketing system, enabling ENZ to follow up leads and capture marketing data. Having a .cn domain name enables ENZ to run a marketing campaign to boost its search rankings in Baidu.

  The site works strategically with ENZ’s account on WeChat, China’s most popular social media app with more than one billion users.

  ENZ has had an account on WeChat since 2014, and now has more than 53,000 followers.

  In October last year, ENZ brought My StudyNZ to WeChat. My StudyNZ provides personalised study matches for international students exploring study in New Zealand.

  Three-quarters of people using My StudyNZ on WeChat browse their study matches for almost two minutes, which is a good level of engagement.

  Students using My StudyNZ in China are more likely to fund their own studies than students globally (76% compared to 33%) and more likely to have tuition budgets of more than $30,000 (30% compared to 15%). Ten percent are interested in studying at a school, compared to 3% of students globally, which illustrates the high value of this market.

  ENZ’s International Social Engagement Specialist, Nicole Baird, said ENZ has a frequent calendar of social media posts to engage with its WeChat audience.

  “We are also increasing our capabilities to segment our WeChat audience to direct content specific to each follower’s needs,” Nicole said.

  ENZ’s Digital Programme Manager, Lucia Alarcon, said ENZ’s bigger and more robust ecosystem offers useful insights to help inform its marketing strategy.

  “We are able to strengthen and increase our data capabilities and gain insights to inform our marketing decisions.”

  Visit the China site here. Read more about My StudyNZ on WeChat here, or take a look at it by searching for its official Chinese name on WeChat (新西兰留学规划) or by scanning this QR code:

  

• New Zealand shares vocational expertise with China

  Representatives from five New Zealand ITPs provided insights on vocational education and training at the fifth Sino-New Zealand Modern Vocational Education Development Forum in Tianjin, a major port city of 15.5 million people south-east of Beijing.

  Under the theme of “Innovation and Entrepreneurship,” the forum aimed to grow the discussion on research and policy between New Zealand and Chinese officials and institutions in vocational education and training.

  It also sought to support the delivery of New Zealand vocational training qualifications in China.

  The forum was supported by ENZ and the Tianjin Education Commission. It was organised by Tianjin Light Industry Vocational Technical College of China and Waikato Institute of Technology of New Zealand. 

  Adele Bryant, ENZ Regional Director North Asia, said Tianjin is leading China in vocational education and training, and is an important region for New Zealand providers to connect with. 

  “Tianjin has a large number of top vocational education colleges, and receives strong policy support from both national and local government,” said Adele. 

  “It will also be taking China’s vocational training to the world through the Luban workshops, with plans for 10 to be sited offshore by 2020. Institutions from this region are keen to learn from New Zealand’s vocational providers.”    

  Representatives from Waikato Institute of Technology, Universal College of Learning, Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology, Wellington Institute of Technology and Otago Polytechnic participated in the forum. They offered their insights on instilling students with innovation and an entrepreneurial mindset, and discussed micro-credentials and models of delivering New Zealand qualifications offshore.

  Tony O’Brien, Director of the Sino-NZ Model Programme, said a highlight was the involvement of three Otago Polytechnic students who travelled to Tianjin, having won Student Entrepreneurship Scholarships.

  The students participated in a start-up business model workshop held alongside the forum, working with Chinese students to develop a business model in less than two days, which they then presented to the forum.

  He said another highlight was the participation of several Chinese teachers who completed the Train the Trainer Programme in New Zealand.

  “The teachers presented on how they have learned to use the Model Programme quality framework to develop their courses in China to enhance the entrepreneurial mind-set of their students,” said Tony. 

  The New Zealand-China Vocational Education and Training Model Programme was launched almost five years ago when the Strategic Education Partnership between China and New Zealand was signed during then Prime Minister John Key’s visit to China in April 2013.