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  • Manaaki New Zealand scholars come together at first ever conference

    The conference – the first in the Manaaki New Zealand Scholarships programme’s 70-year history – brought together 520 scholars from 54 countries.  

    A joint endeavour by the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) and Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao (ENZ) –   - the conference programme was developed around the theme of ‘Enduring Connections: Global Partnerships and Sustainable Development’. A range of activities were made available to scholars’, including leadership and diplomatic panel discussions, thematic breakout sessions, and a cultural evening which allowed them to connect, learn and share experiences with others who are navigating similar academic journeys.  

    MFAT’s Unit Manager, Scholarships, Alexandra Grace, said that seeing this event realised has been a long-standing ambition for the programme. “And it exceeded all expectations.” 

    “Seeing scholars connect and forge networks that span geographic and thematic areas – gives us all the more reason to seek to make this an annual event.” 

    ENZ’s Director Scholarships, Carla Rey Vasquez, said the event was a huge success, receiving high praise from both education providers and scholars.  

    “We’ve had fantastic feedback and I’m really proud of what we have achieved. Carla said.  

     “We are delighted with how the conference enriched the learning experience of our tertiary scholars. It was a wonderful opportunity for scholars to grow their understanding of leadership, build their networks and strengthen their affinity to New Zealand.” 

    Scholars enjoying the conference.

    General Manager – Sector Services, Sahinde Pala, said the conference highlighted the rich legacy of the scholarship programme and the enduring benefits it brings to New Zealand and its partner countries. 

    “A major highlight for me was when [during a panel discussion] Her Excellency Felicidade de Sousa Guterres of Timor-Leste read out a long list of current Members of Parliament and senior diplomatic personnel of Timor-Leste, who were all past Manaaki scholars! 

    “The conference really brought home the power of these scholarships and the long-term outcomes they have for New Zealand and our partner countries. The event’s cultural evening treated us to performances from 13 different groups of scholars – the energy and pride on show was just fabulous!” Sahinde said. 

    ENZ’s General Manager – Māori, Ed Tuari who along with mana whenua led a heartfelt Mihi Whakatau for the conference described it as “absolutely magical”.  

    “It was wonderful to see how the conference enabled a rich diversity of cultures that our scholars come from to be showcased over the two days.”  

    Scholars capture a moment at the Photo Wall at the conference.

     

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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. 

  • Getting to know the Chinese government education agencies

    To introduce Michael Zhang, incoming Regional Director Greater China and to farewell outgoing director Miranda Herbert, the China team at Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao (ENZ) met with key education agencies in Beijing in October 2022.  

    “The meetings were an opportunity to reaffirm the long-term good relationship between New Zealand and Chinese government education agencies,” Michael Zhang says.  

    “We were able to share updates about recent work, hear from each agency about their plans, and discuss possible opportunities for future collaboration with New Zealand institutions.”  

    Ministry of Education, People’s Republic of China (MoE)  

    The Ministry of Education is the key government body responsible for the development of China’s education system, from early childhood education through to higher education. Key focus areas include the development of national strategies, policies and plans for education reform and development. 

    The Department of International Cooperation and Exchange coordinates the Ministry’s engagement with foreign countries. The Department’s key functions include:  

    • Managing and guiding international education cooperation and exchanges  
    • Drafting guidance and policies for the management of Chinese students studying abroad, international students studying in China, Chinese-foreign cooperative joint ventures and schools for foreign children  
    • Supervising international cooperation and exchanges in the education sector  
    • Guiding the work of education departments/divisions in Chinese embassies/consulates  
    • Planning, coordinating and guiding the teaching of Chinese as a foreign language  
    • Conducting educational cooperation and exchanges with the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Macao Special Administrative Region and Taiwan Region of China. 

    L to r: Rosemary An (ENZ), Kieran Knight (MFAT) Director You Jia (China MoE), Deputy Director-General Chen Dali (China MoE), Director-General Liu Jin (China MoE), H.E. Clare Fearnley (NZ Ambassador to China), Michael Zhang (ENZ), Miranda Herbert (ENZ)

    New Zealand’s Ambassador to China, Clare Fearnley, hosted a lunch on 27 October 2022, for China Ministry of Education Director-General Liu Jin and his team, in partnership with ENZ.  

    Both sides emphasised the value and warmth of the bilateral education relationship, underpinned by a long history of cooperation and several recent milestones despite the challenges of COVID.  

    There was strong interest to build on the positive ministerial engagement in August and the upcoming 10th Joint Working Group in late November, including hopes for high-level visits next year in both directions. Opportunities to engage with China MoE include high-level visits, and policy advice through ENZ’s China team.  

    Chinese Service Centre for Scholarly Exchange (CSCSE)   

    Initially founded in 1989, CSCSE is a public organization under China Ministry of Education (MOE). CSCSE specialises in offering professional services for international scholarly exchanges, including Chinese students and scholars studying abroad, returnees from overseas, and international students and scholars coming to study in China.  

    CSCSE is also dedicated to promoting the internationalisation and capacity-building of Chinese higher education institutions, as well as improving education resources through international exchanges and collaboration.  

    CSCSE is the only official organisation that provides overseas credential evaluation and recognition services in China. The statement of comparability of overseas qualifications issued by CSCSE is widely recognised by Chinese employers and institutions from various sectors. CSCSE is an active member in the international education community, facilitates global talent mobility and improves international recognition of qualifications. CSCSE has long-term partnership with foreign qualifications authorities, including NZQA.   

    CSCSE manages and executes the China International Education Exhibition Tour (CIEET), which New Zealand has regularly attended in past years. CSCSE also organises the China Study Abroad Forum in March each year, in which ENZ is a regular speaker and participant.   

    L to r: Xu Chenxing (CSCSE), Director Yu Haiying (CSCSE), Miranda Herbert (ENZ), Deputy Director-General XIA Jianhui (CSCSE), Michael Zhang (ENZ), Rosemary An (ENZ)

    Opportunities to engage with CSCSE include student recruitment fairs, study in China, international conferences, verification of foreign credentials, and transnational education programmes. 

    China Education Association for International Exchange (CEAIE)  

    CEAIE was founded in 1981 as a not-for-profit organisation to encourage international exchange and cooperation. It is a key organisation in facilitating foreign engagement with the Chinese education system.   

    Headquartered in Beijing, it has provincial associations for international exchange in 31 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities in China, as well as local chapters in 16 major cities. It has relationships with more than 170 education organisations in more than 50 countries (including Universities New Zealand). CEAIE has been granted Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations and has established official relations with UNESCO.   

    Every year in October, CEAIE organizes the China Annual Conference for International Education (CACIE), and the China Education Expo (CEE) both of which ENZ attends. New Zealand was designated Country of Honour at the 2015 conference and expo, which has provided remarkable marketing exposure for New Zealand education. Miranda Herbert from ENZ attended CACIE in October 2020 as a VIP guest and delivered a keynote speech, and in 2021 received a prestigious award recognising ENZ as an ‘outstanding international partner’. Among its activities, CEAIE supports major people-to-people dialogue and exchange mechanisms with partner countries and provides quality assurance services for China-Foreign cooperative transnational education programmes. 

    Currently, there is strong collaboration between the New Zealand education sector and CEAIE, and their initiatives across various sectors. The university sector held the 5th NZ-China Higher Education Forum with the support of Universities New Zealand and CEAIE on 10 November 2022. CEAIE also expressed interest in collaborating with the New Zealand school sector around Sister School Programmes and exploring opportunities to facilitate Leadership and Capacity building. ENZ is following up with CEAIE on the leadership opportunities and plans to run an Expressions of Interest process once more details are available.  

    Opportunities to engage with CEAIE include student recruitment fairs, conferences, school cooperation, training, and Quality Assurance for joint programmes.   

    Positive meetings were also held with other agencies affiliated to China MoE, including the China Center for People-to-People International Exchange (CCIPE) and China Scholarship Council (CSC).  

    CCIPE highlighted the growing strength and success of our Early Childhood Education Symposium, while CSC emphasised their desire to see increased numbers of Chinese scholarship students choose New Zealand for their studies, particularly at PhD level. All eight New Zealand universities have signed MOUs with CSC. New Zealand students can also study in China on fully-funded scholarships, by applying directly through CSC. There are programmes in English and Chinese: CSC Scholarships | China Scholarship Council | Chinese Government Scholarships (chinesescholarshipcouncil.com) 

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  • Education New Zealand quarterly report from 1 July to 30 September 2018

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  • Indonesian students meet the KIWI Challenge

    Now in its third year, this annual student entrepreneurship competition asks students from schools across Java and Kalimantan to provide innovative ideas or solutions, based on a given theme. Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao (ENZ) organises the competition in collaboration with Kopi Tuli (Deaf Cafe), a deaf community in Jakarta. 

    This year, ENZ has partnered with Massey University, which chose the theme of sustainable tourism. 

    The school groups will submit videos to a judging panel made up of Massey University academics and ENZ representatives. Submissions will be reviewed by the panel and finalists selected. The students will then be supported through a number of workshops and mentoring by the Massey University academics.  

    This mentoring will prepare finalists for their final pitch in the following weeks. After the final pitches are reviewed, the top three groups will be awarded vouchers worth IDR 2,000,000 – 10,000,000 and offered the opportunity to take part in virtual internships provided by Massey University.  

    Registrations and initial video submissions for KIWI Challenge 2022 have now closed and are currently being assessed by the panel. We received 36 videos from 18 schools across Indonesia – and they are competing to secure a place in the Top 5 finalists.  

    To date, ENZ has engaged more than 1,200 Indonesian students through the programme and each year has showcased a New Zealand university and a particular theme. Previous university partners were Lincoln University (Agribusiness) and the University of Canterbury (Education Technology).

      

    “Now entering its third year, KIWI Challenge has grown into a unique platform for New Zealand and our universities to remain connected to Indonesian students in a meaningful way. Most importantly, we have worked together to identify themes that resonate with young Indonesians and then matched these with the expertise our New Zealand universities have to offer,” Chris Hipkins said.  

    “This year has seen another shift in topic, with student groups focusing on Sustainable Business and Entrepreneurship under the expert guidance of academics from Massey University. With the current challenges facing societies across the globe as a result of climate change, I’m looking forward to the ideas Indonesian students will develop this year in such a meaningful area.”  

    Professor Jan Thomas, Vice-Chancellor of Massey University, was also present at the launch event in Jakarta.  

    “We are honoured to be part of the 2022 KIWI Challenge, and to have the opportunity to inspire Indonesian students to tackle an issue of utmost importance to their homeland - tourism. Massey has many links to Indonesia, particularly through our research partnerships with the University of Mataram. It’s exciting to again be able to showcase our world-class teaching and research on foreign shores. Best of luck to all of the teams taking part in the KIWI Challenge this year.” 

    This year’s KIWI Challenge looks to build on the success of previous years and inspire youth to be engaged in entrepreneurial activities around important social issues, connect students from Indonesia with New Zealand academics and strengthen ties between Indonesia and New Zealand.  

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