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• Māori and Pasifika experiences: diversifying our outbound programmes

  At NZIEC, Jason Cushen, University of Otago’s Director, International and Claire Porima, Senior Project Manager, Office of Māori Development, talked about the need to diversify New Zealand’s outbound cohort and reduce barriers for Māori and Pasifika students.

  “Our international exchange programme is 21 years old. In that time, the demographics of Otago’s student body have diversified, with currently 12% of our students Māori and 8% Pasifika – yet outbound numbers for Māori and Pasifika students remain low.

  “In fact, the profile of the average student on that programme hasn’t changed. A typical Otago exchange student would be a 19 or 20-year-old Pākehā female from Epsom. Our Māori students are underrepresented amongst those engaged with international education opportunities.”

  To overcome cultural and social barriers, the university launched Tūrangawaewae Pōkai Whenua in July 2018, an indigenous exchange programme connecting Māori with indigenous communities in Australia, Canada and the US.

  

  Jason Cushen at NZIEC 2018

  “Programmes like this go beyond just an institutional relationship, the relationship with indigenous community is equally important.  It adds richness to the experience we can offer Māori students, and can help Māori parents who feel uneasy about their whanau going abroad to feel more comfortable. We are hopeful that this will increase in the future of the programme – already we have 13 MOUs with iwi about developing opportunities for their rangatahi at Otago.”

  ENZ is facing similar challenges with the Prime Minister’s Scholarship for Asia (PMSA)  and Latin America (PMSLA)  programmes. Christine Roberts, ENZ’s Student Scholarships Manager is working on a strategy to encourage wider diversity.

  “Māori and Pasifika are significantly underrepresented in those applying for these scholarship programmes. We know there are quality candidates out there but many lack the confidence to apply or face other barriers.

  “Sometimes family are not keen on them travelling during their studies, they may see it as a distraction and worry about taking time out of their course and extending the time it takes to complete their degree. Many students also face significant family commitments and responsibilities that make it difficult to get away. And many simply just don’t hear about the programme.

  “There’s also a perception that scholarships are exclusively for wealthy students with the highest academic grades, but actually we place more importance on the ambassadorial role, alumna support role, community service, youth leadership qualities and broader cultural experience that many bring.

  “We are working on an engagement strategy to change this. Our goal is to have an outbound programme that is reflective of – and values the contributions of all New Zealanders.”

• HES

• Insights from China

  Session One: It’s all about the relationship: that’s the main message to emerge from a panel discussion between education providers that have partnered with institutions in China.

  Professor Alister Jones is Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of Waikato, which has a joint institute to fully deliver its degrees at Zhejiang University City College in Hangzhou.

  “It can take 15 to 25 years to create those relationships so it’s important to maintain your China team,” says Alister.

  Steve Burt, Director of International Education at Kāpiti College, says his school began developing its ties with schools in China by working with a Chinese education bureau eight years ago.

  For the Eastern Institute of Technology (EIT), developing relationships with organisations in China’s provinces help it diversify and build on its strengths in viticulture and wine.

  Fred Koenders, EIT’s Executive Dean for Commerce and Technology, says China is looking to increase its capabilities in vocational education.

  Tips for forming partnerships

  The panel’s tips for partnering with institutions in China include:

  • Do your research.
  • Be prepared to invest time and money into developing the relationship.
  • There is no substitute for face-to-face communication.
  • It’s critical to have a fluent Chinese speaker on your team.
  • Your Chinese partners may become friends for life.

  Session Two: Digital marketing in China

  China has a unique and challenging digital landscape. So how can New Zealand’s education sector use digital marketing to effectively promote themselves in China?

  Euan Howden, ENZ’s Director of Marketing Platforms and Campaigns, and Jordi Du, New Zealand General Manager of digital agency UMS, shared their insights into China’s social media landscape at NZIEC.

  Is WeChat enough?

  Jordi advises education providers adopt an omni-channel approach to digital marketing in China, rather than relying on WeChat.

  He says it’s important to look beyond WeChat because:

  • There are barriers to registering a WeChat official account.
  • It can be expensive to invest in content, media and campaigns.
  • It’s difficult to measure conversion.
  • WeChat isn’t the right channel to target Generation Z (born from the mid-1990s to early 2000s) or possibly Generation Y (born from 1980 to 1994).

  ENZ’s approach

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

  We have multiple touchpoints with our Chinese audience, including an official WeChat account, a China-hosted version of our Study in New Zealand website, email, online media and a WeChat mini program to encourage students to use our My StudyNZ tool to connect with New Zealand education providers.

  Creating a content strategy

  When it comes to content strategy, Euan says some things are the same in China as they would be anywhere else.

  “People want relevant content, in the right place, that resonates with them and makes them want to learn more.”

  He advises using your own sources, such as current students, alumni, parents and agents, to create and share content across channels and tools.

  Euan also suggests: 

  • Choosing the right platform by understanding where your target audience is.
  • Developing carefully targeted content in the best possible format.
  • Aligning with ENZ’s campaigns for better brand recall.
  • Exploring and making use of key opinion leaders (KOLs) in China.

• Kiwi spotlight at NAFSA opening plenary

  The Opening Plenary is the largest event on the NAFSA programme. Due to the size of the audience, and the seniority of delegates (half of NAFSA attendees are senior/executive-level professionals), it was an unparalleled opportunity to profile New Zealand as an innovative and creative education destination.

  ENZ’s sponsorship provided New Zealand with a four-minute speaking slot, the opportunity to show a short video and to provide a giveaway on each of the conference centre seats. 

  Demonstrating New Zealand’s vibrant cultural diversity was Elena, a classical violinist who performed powerful pieces of music to welcome conference delegates as they entered the hall. Woven through the music was audio of kapa haka and a voiceover telling the story of Elena’s Māori and European cultural and creative heritage. Playing simultaneously was an animation of three graphics by Wellington design duo Fay & Walter illustrating Elena’s journey.

  Weta Workshop’s Sir Richard Taylor then took to the stage to emphasise New Zealand’s unique strengths as a study destination to the global audience.

  “I was delighted to speak on behalf of New Zealand’s unique educational institutions,” said Sir Richard. 

  “I spoke of New Zealand’s position in the Asia-Pacific region, the strength of our universities and institutes of technology and polytechnics, and how receiving a New Zealand education helps foster the skills students need to compete in a global market place. 

  “New Zealand relies on being an open and international country, we thrive on diversity and welcome international students to New Zealand as an opportunity to cross pollinate ideas. We see the benefits of such an approach at Weta Workshop where multiple teams, made up of people from around the world, collaborate every day.”

  

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• Join ENZ’s virtual Latin America regional update

  The session – set to take place on Wednesday 5 April at 9 am NZT – is an opportunity for those who are both new to the sector, or wanting to re-establish links in the region, to hear updates from our LatAm team.  

  As the New Zealand international education sector rebuilds, Latin America provides New Zealand institutions with an opportunity for diversification. New Zealand has well-established links in the region, with many strong connections in the fields of education, academic research, government, business, and agriculture.  

  Following the re-opening of borders in 2022, New Zealand has recently welcomed high school student groups on exchange from Brazil and Colombia. In turn, New Zealand students have travelled to Latin America as part of the Prime Minister’s Scholarships for Latin America, participating in study tours and exchanges in Chile, Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico.  

  To learn more about the Latin America region, be sure to register for the session on this link 

  For more information about international education in the LatAm region, contact latinamerica@enz.govt.nz.