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• 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.

  The 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.

• International Education Industry Strategic Roadmap

• NZ EdTech breaks into Middle East market with ‘Play Code Learn’ teaching solution

  ByteEd is a New Zealand EdTech company with a mission to empower future generations to become creators of technology rather than just users. The company started out in 2018 by teaching industry-standard programming to high school and university students to create virtual reality worlds. However, a need to start reaching a younger audience was identified due to a lack of foundational concepts.  

  This led Founder and CE, Peter Dong and his team, to develop a comprehensive solution for students in their early years, using ‘Play Code Learn’ hands on kits combined with augmented reality and artificial intelligence to address this gap.  

  It is this solution that has been adopted as a core resource by Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT) in the United Arab Emirates for its new Computational Thinking course. All Emirati graduates from their six colleges will learn computational thinking and then using the Play Code Learn resource will teach this in schools where they will become teachers.  

  

  Dr Robert Miles and Haya Al Nuaimi undertaking training on the Play Code Learn kits at HCT Ras Al Khaimah

  Peter says that getting to this point has been the culmination of several years of hard work and relationship building, with patience and persistence being key to their success.   

  “We went into this process knowing that it would take time. We started with a real understanding of our customers’ needs and in particular those of HCT. HCT is a large organisation and we needed to build relationships with multiple key decision makers.  

  “We are so excited to have made this breakthrough into the UAE and hope it paves the way for more New Zealand EdTechs to do the same;” said Peter.  

  “As more educators at HCT in the UAE use our solution and collaborate with ByTeEd, then we’ll be building New Zealand’s reputation for our country’s capability in developing innovative and valuable EdTech solutions,” he added.  

  

  A student using augmented reality to program while the physical learning kit can be seen in the background.

  The opportunity to work with HCT all came about from an introduction that was facilitated by Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao (ENZ) at the New Zealand Pavilion at the Dubai World Expo in early 2022. Several New Zealand EdTech companies were invited to be part alongside other New Zealand education providers.  

  Dr Angela Fitzgerald, Executive Dean – Faculty of Education at HCT commented that the work that her Faculty was doing with ByteEd is powerful.  

  “Their approach empowers teacher educators through lived experiences of computational thinking to prepare future teachers in equally dynamic ways to equip young children with these very skills and knowledge. This will be necessary as they navigate their future worlds,” said Dr Fitzgerald.  

   

  

  Lecturer Jennifer Filinuk and Senior Lecturer Savita Parashar are using the hands-on learning tools to learn computational thinking before combining it with augmented reality.

   

  When asked what advice ByteEd would give to a fellow EdTech looking to expand their business overseas, and specifically into the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, Peter had some nuggets of advice.  

  He said that taking the first step to explore the market and gauge interest from target customers is key to gaining that initial understanding of the potential, as is gaining a clear understanding of the problem that you’re aiming to solve for this market. 

  “Show that you’re not just another visitor and be prepared to make multiple visits and build relationships.  

  “There are many opportunities in the Gulf region for New Zealand EdTech companies, with more funding available here due to a strong focus on education. The region is also one of few where the younger population is growing,” said Peter. 

  “There is also significant competition in this region however, so make sure to research potential competitors and consider how to position your company and product effectively”, he concluded.  

  For more information 

  ENZ, alongside EdTechNZ, recently hosted a Middle East EdTEch market deep dive with a presentation delivered by Nick Sheppard, Trade and Commercial Advisor from New Zealand Trade and Enterprise based in Dubai. Joining him in the session were the Founders of New Zealand EdTech’s ByteEd, Komodo Wellbeing and EDconnect. You can watch a recording of the presentation here with the slides available here.  

  If you have further questions about the support that ENZ can provide New Zealand EdTechs overseas, please contact ENZ’s Business Development Manager, Alana Pellow – alana.pellow@enz.govt.nz. 

• Cultural connections 01

• Otago strengthens its engagement with China

  The agreement with Nanjing Medical University will see increased engagement between the two institutions in research as well as staff and student mobility, starting with a Nanjing Medical University delegation visiting the University of Otago later this year.

  University of Otago, Deputy Vice-Chancellor – External Engagement, Professor Helen Nicholson said Nanjing Medical University was a well-respected and internationally recognised institution.

  “We are looking forward to building strong academic, research and mobility links with them, with a focus on pharmacy and the wider health sciences.” 

  Professor Nicholson and Director International, Jason Cushen, travelled as part of the Dunedin City mayoral delegation to mark the 25^th anniversary of Dunedin’s sister city relationship with Shanghai, as well as to hold alumni events in Shanghai and Beijing to celebrate the university’s 150^th anniversary.

  The Shanghai visit involved the University of Otago and Dunedin City in a number of events including a meeting with the Mayor of Shanghai on 15 July, a formal Shanghai City welcome banquet, and meetings with key education institution partners including Fudan University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University and the University of Shanghai.  

  “We marked these important milestones and honoured our sister-city relationship with a number of events held in conjunction with the mayoral delegation. The strong relationship between the University of Otago and the City of Dunedin is an important factor in the University’s engagement with Shanghai and greater China,” said Professor Nicholson.   

• Festival puts spotlight on global citizenship

  The three-day summit held in-person at Wellington’s TSB Arena and around the world virtually, hosted more than 1,300 attendees from across all New Zealand regions. The event also attracted an online audience from more than 30 countries.

  ENZ supported several international students and Prime Minister’s Scholarship alumni to attend the festival including  Matt Le, who says the three-day summit was a valuable and memorable experience to be part of.

  “Simply put, Festival for the Future represents the idea of: when change-makers get into the same room and have an open discussion about the future, great things are bound to bloom.

  Matt says he enjoyed the inspirational stories and meaningful conversations cultivated by the event.  

  “For me, it was the realisation that change is possible, and change can start today.”

  ENZ Global Citizens Manager Carla Rey Vasquez says the festival was a great opportunity to advance continued work on Global Citizenship, the third pillar of the International Education Strategy (NZIES).

  “We partnered with Inspiring Stories because we firmly believe in the kaupapa of Festival for the Future, we want to show the world that New Zealand is a place where people care, where they take action on the things they care about and where new thinking is encouraged.”

  As a silver sponsor of the festival, ENZ hosted attendees in a lounge on the festival’s marketplace floor, where they were invited to share coffee and a korero/conversation about international education and what it means to them. Their responses are being collated by ENZ and will help shape future work in advancing Goal Three of the NZIES.

  Carla says ENZ wants every student who engages with the New Zealand education system to unleash their potential to change the world.

  “The expo space offered ENZ the opportunity to connect directly with change-makers, innovators, influencers, leaders and dreamers, and to hear their thoughts about what Global Citizenship means to them, and what a New Zealand education can offer the world.”

  The booth was visited by over 800 participants, and the team conducted and collected over 500 surveys.

  “These insights will be critical in informing our approach to Global Citizenship strategy and how ENZ can contribute to this space in the future,” Carla says.

  ENZ also supported the Global Impact Award during the event’s awards night. The award was presented to Francesca Goodman-Smith - a young New Zealander taking action to stop food waste globally, and presented by ENZ Chief Executive Grant McPherson.

  See a list of nominees and winners of the 2021 Impact Awards here: theimpactawards.nz/2021-winners
  

  If you’d like to know more about the Festival for the Future and ENZ’s involvement, get in touch with us here: info@enz.govt.nz

• Welcoming ENZ’s new Manager – Agents

  

  As Manager – Agents, Dan will be responsible for relaunching the ENZRA programme and engaging with agents and providers.

  Areas of focus in his role will include reviewing our online training for agents, developing ongoing communications to agents, reviewing marketing and other support provided to ENZRA agents, evaluation of agent performance, and ensuring agents are setting the right expectations for students to have a positive experience.

  Dan’s new role will see him joining ENZ’s Student Marketing team in Wellington.

  Over the last two years, Dan has worked with Immigration New Zealand in India and was a key contributor to ENZ’s rebalancing the market, lifting the quality of student applications and agent performance. Dan has worked closely with ENZ’s India team, attending education fairs and other education events, and also has strong industry relationships. 

  Dan has also worked offshore for Immigration New Zealand in South Africa, Thailand and Singapore so he brings a strong understanding of a range of markets and the role of NZ Inc offshore. His in-market experience, passion for the education sector and understanding of education agents will be a huge asset to ENZ in his new role.

  Dan officially joins the team on 9 October.

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• Indonesia: The important role of school counsellors

  The training was led by University of Waikato’s Dr. Donald McMenamin who has 30 years’ experience teaching and assisting young people, counsellors and agencies, and facilitating narrative therapy workshops.

  His training introduced the “Two Islands and A Boat” approach to support youth in stressful conditions and conflicts. The approach helps learners to set goals, and make plans on how to achieve them and ways to overcome any hurdles.  

  The training also allowed Education New Zealand to interact with a large number of schools across just two days and improve the information that these counsellors have about what it’s like to study in New Zealand.

  The training participants came from local Indonesian high schools – approximately 100 from Jakarta and 50 in Surabaya. They received professional certificates upon completion of the training.

  Karmela Christy, ENZ’s Marketing and Strategic Relations Manager in Indonesia, said counsellors play a significant role in a student’s education and it is important to support them.

  “They’re familiar with their students’ characters, strengths and weaknesses, which allows them to support their students in crucial moments, deciding the pathway for their future,” said Karmela.

  Mokhamad Imron S.Pd., Head of the Counsellor Association in Surabaya, appreciated the training and recognition of the importance of counsellors in helping students to determine their future.

  “We hope Education New Zealand will continue to support this training every year, and that there will be more opportunities for Surabaya students to continue their studies in New Zealand in the future.”

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