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New Zealand-trained astrophysicist receives top honour in Malaysia
She was awarded the prestigious Commander of the Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia, by Sultan Abdullah at his annual Honours ceremony. It carries the title of Tan Sri, one of the highest federal titles, and is only held concurrently by 250 living recipients.
Dr Othman studied physics at the University of Otago in the 1970s and returned for post-graduate study in the 1980s, becoming the first woman to graduate from the university with a PhD in Astronomy and Astrophysics. She then went on to forge a remarkable career in the male-dominated space industry.
Colombo Plan Scholar
Dr Othman came to New Zealand on a Colombo Plan scholarship. The Plan, a forerunner to our modern development assistance programmes, aimed to promote economic and social development in Asia through education and training.
Having fallen in love with physics as a teenager in the 1960s, Dr Othman didn’t discover astronomy or astrophysics until she arrived in Dunedin to study for her PhD in 1974.
“There were very few books available at that time and there was not much interest here in Malaysia, but it was very different in New Zealand,” she says. “Neil Armstrong’s landing on the moon in 1969 was a very significant event, but I didn’t think at that time that I would have space as a career. Not in a million years.”
Studying in New Zealand opened a world of opportunity for the young, Muslim scholar. Not only did she make a career in the space industry, but she became a leading authority, being appointed the Director of the United Nations Office of Outer Space Affairs in 1999, and the founding director of Malaysia’s National Space Agency in 2002.
She acknowledges it has been challenging at times. “It’s been a hard road because I’ve had to start everything from scratch. There was no set path to get to where I am today.”
Working to promote science and technology
She says her role at the UN was less about science, and more about diplomacy and politics. “How to balance one country’s requirements against another’s. Bringing people to the table together, even if they don’t agree, to try and agree on how to proceed. The other aspect of the job was to see how we could use space to enhance the development of developing countries, especially in science and technology.”
It is mostly her work at home for which she has been recognised by the King. As Malaysia’s first astrophysicist, Dr Othman was instrumental in introducing astronomy and space sciences into school and university curricula, advised the Government on space matters, was the driving force behind the National Planetarium in Kuala Lumpur, initiated the country’s National Microsatellite Programme, and headed Mega Science 3.0, the ambitious project to transform Malaysia into leading global player in science and innovation by 2050.
Justice and fairness in New Zealand education
But it all started as an international student in New Zealand, a time Dr Othman remembers as being both liberating and rewarding. “I particularly loved the egalitarian environment of the university, and that reflected wider New Zealand society.”
“There will always be a role for New Zealand in supporting education internationally through its cultural perspective on science,” she says. “There is no hierarchy in New Zealand science – professors treat their students as equals and encourage them to challenge and ask questions. That approach has stayed with me through my career.
“New Zealand education also instils a deep sense of justice and fairness.” – Malaysia alumna and astrophysicist Dr Mazlan Othman.
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International recognition for New Zealand educational robot KaiBot before official launch
The AI-enabled robot, KaiBot, which has won the award two months before its official launch date, is designed to support 5 to 15-year-old children to develop coding skills.
The Smart Toys competition is coordinated by the Dubai Future Foundation in collaboration with the World Economic Forum to highlight the best-emerging AI toys in education. The competition attracts innovators, entrepreneurs, toy developers, and start-ups from 20 countries globally.
Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao (ENZ) has been offering wraparound support to Kai’s Education over the last year, including supporting them to participate at EduTech Australia in August, profiling them with a spotlight feature with EdTechNZ, and offering support and insights as they venture into the UAE region.
ENZ’s Business Development Manager Alana Pellow, who has been working with Kai’s Education, said this was a fantastic outcome for New Zealand’s edtech community.
“KaiBot is a great example of how innovative and fun technology can positively impact education outcomes for young learners. It’s wonderful to see the Kai’s Education team achieve international recognition for the transformative impact their edtech has on learners.”
Read more about EdTech company Kai’s Education and KaiBot on this link.
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Brazilian students look to New Zealand tertiary studies
Organised by Brazil agent FPP Edu-Media, ENZ attended the high school tour to introduce Brazilian students to the tertiary possibilities in New Zealand, particularly undergraduate qualifications.
The last BELTA SEAL Survey from March 2018 shows that 30% of the Brazilians who studied overseas in 2017 were in the 18 to 21 age group, and that their main motivation for international education is to stand out professionally.
Daniela Ronchetti, Director of Operations at FPP Edu-Media, says while short-term programmes have typically been the most popular overseas study for Brazilian students, there's a growing interest in undertaking full degrees overseas.
“Many of these students, fluent in English and with experience of overseas study via summer courses at a young age, are comfortable enrolling in international universities.
“With interest in the US and UK declining, Brazilian students are looking closer at New Zealand, Australia and Canada when considering a full degree abroad.”
Ana Azevedo, ENZ’s Senior Market Development Manager for Brazil, visited eight international secondary schools, from small boutique schools with 15 students per class to large education groups with thousands of students, which are all investing in pathways to international tertiary education.
ENZ’s Ana Azevedo with Marilda Bardal, International Relations Coordinator at International School Alphaville.
“These schools typically offer bilingual education, IB (International Baccalaureate) or the American diploma and academic counselling, so that by the time students complete high school, they are prepared for an international experience,” said Ana.
Also in attendance were government education organisations and universities from the US, Canada, Australia, France, Germany, the Netherlands and the UK – but Ana said New Zealand had an edge.
“It was a great experience to stand among our competitors at the opening of each event and present New Zealand as the country that best prepares students for the future – not an easy ranking to beat!”
“There is still work to be done on raising awareness of all that New Zealand has to offer to Brazilian students, particularly in tertiary education. It is a significant investment for a family so we need to be clear about the return of this investment.
“Showing students the variety of programmes they can find in New Zealand, the cultural diversity and welcoming environment – very few countries offer this combination. It is a full package!”
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Ask New Anything
Campaign page: https://www.studyinnewzealand.govt.nz/asknewanything
NZ’s second big global digital campaign of 2019 launched on 7 October with our students at the heart of it.
The campaign will be promoted digitally in our key markets for 8 weeks. Campaign-related content and messaging will remain relevant and live on our channels for the foreseeable future.
The campaign will be the first time the refreshed Think New brand has been widely used in digital channels.
- Campaign strategy
- Creative concept
- Technical execution
- The campaign in China
- Messaging and brand
- Sector representation and localisation
- Campaign toolkit
Campaign Strategy
The main objective of the campaign is to challenge perceptions of New Zealand by increasing awareness of the country as a high-quality study destination. The campaign aims to achieve this by inviting our target audiences in 14 international markets to question what they know about New Zealand.
Key markets that will be reached by the campaign are:
- Brazil
- Colombia
- France
- Germany
- India
- Italy
- Japan
- Korea
- Philippines
- Thailand
- UK
- USA
- Vietnam
- Indonesia
The campaign aims to increase New Zealand’s standing as the preferred study destination amongst our target audiences in these key markets.
For more information about ENZ’s target markets and the general digital campaign strategy, and New Zealand education providers can access the 2019 ENZ Digital Marketing Calendar on IntelliLab.
The creative concept and technical execution of this campaign will push ENZ into new territory for its marketing campaigns and award-winning digital strategy.
Utilising 100 short videos, a variety of digital media placements, Tohu the chatbot, a range of social media channels including a peer-to-peer Facebook group and Instagram Live sessions hosted by our Kiwi Ambassadors, the campaign embodies the authenticity and bold NEW thinking of the Think New brand.
A bespoke campaign strategy has been developed for China, making use of the same campaign creative concept and content, but delivered through the channels we know our audiences in China use and interact with the most.
ENZ invites and encourages our New Zealand education sector partners and education agents to participate in the campaign by sharing content and aligning your own messaging with those of the campaign and the Think New brand.
The campaign tool kit below provides more information around how your organisation can leverage the campaign.
Creative concept
Brand research tells us there is generally low awareness of New Zealand internationally, and where there is awareness it’s often based on incorrect perceptions of quality.
The creative concept of the Ask New Anything campaign seeks to address this by answering prospective students’ burning questions authentically and honestly, using unscripted video responses from current international students.
We started by researching the most used Google search terms relevant to studying in New Zealand, as well as the most asked questions on our Study in New Zealand chatbot Tohu. We combined this hard data with anecdotal questions from prospective and current students around what they want to know/what they wish they had known, and key brand messages we hoped to get across to our audiences.
From this we narrowed down to a list of 100 questions and filmed videos with international and New Zealand students, alumni, a teacher, a parent, and a New Zealand employer providing the answers. These videos form the basis of the campaign.
We also know that word of mouth is a key influence on student decision making. The Ask New Anything campaign not only offers pre-recorded Q&As with current students, but also gives prospective students the opportunity to talk directly to current students through a new Facebook group and scheduled Instagram Live events.
All of this results in a much more interactive campaign than anything ENZ has previously done. We’re not broadcasting a message to students; we’re asking them to start a conversation, putting prospective students themselves at the centre of the campaign.
Technical execution
A typical digital media campaign uses creative digital ad placements on social media, relevant websites and search engines to drive traffic through to a campaign landing page on a website.
Ask New Anything goes well beyond this, using new technology and a broad range of social media tools to be a true omni-channel campaign. The resulting immersive and pleasantly unexpected experience will help the Think New brand stand out.
The marketing activity and technology being used in this campaign includes:
- Tohu the chatbot – Tohu was launched on the Study in New Zealand website in 2018, on Facebook Messenger in early 2019, and on the NauMai NZ website in July 2019. Tohu is the centrepiece of the Ask New Anything campaign as it represents the technology through which prospective students can really ask any question they want. From the launch of the Ask New Anything campaign, Tohu will be able to respond to 100 of the most frequently asked questions with one of the short videos created for the campaign
- Facebook group - Should a question be asked that Tohu cannot answer, prospective students will be invited to join a Facebook group where they can ask real students their questions in real time. The Facebook group will be managed and moderated by our Kiwi Ambassadors.
- Instagram Live – Throughout the campaign, a select group of Kiwi Ambassadors will host a series of Instagram Live events. These events will be designed and scheduled to suit the key international regions we are targeting in the campaign.
- Campaign landing page – There will be a campaign landing page on the Study in New Zealand website. Tohu the chatbot will be the main focus of this page.
- Social media – Beyond the Facebook group, Instagram Live sessions and use of Tohu on Facebook Messenger, all of ENZ’s student-facing social media channels will be driving the campaign messages. Campaign content will be shared on Facebook, and YouTube and Instagram will feature strongly for both organic and paid media content.
- Database marketing – The database marketing strategy for the campaign ensures we are reaching all our currently engaged audiences, and nurturing new leads throughout their decision-making journey. Personalised email campaigns will be sent to members of the Study in New Zealand, My StudyNZ and NauMai NZ communities, and to anyone who signs up throughout the campaign period.
The campaign in China
Because our audiences in China use different digital platforms to our other markets, the Ask New Anything campaign will follow a different strategy in China.
Separate research has been undertaken to identify the most-asked questions for prospective international students in China. Based on this, the most relevant videos will be translated into Chinese and integrated into a campaign rollout on our China platforms:
Paid media:
- Zhihu (Zhihu is China’s version of Quora. In classical Chinese, "Zhīhū" means "Know?". Chinese-language internet users nowadays increasingly resort to Zhihu for expert knowledge and insights into various topics.
Owned media:
Tohu the chatbot does not exist on our Chinese platforms, so the China Ask New Anything campaign makes use of the question/answer format in a different way, posing questions to our audience and then supplying key information based on their response.
On the Zhihu platform we will post questions for both Kiwi Ambassadors and users to answer. Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) will also be recruited to support the campaign and both ask and answer questions about studying in New Zealand.
Messaging and Brand
The campaign concept and the technical execution of the campaign both contribute to the overall brand message of ‘I am New’. It showcases our innovative new thinking and captures New Zealand’s values of societal openness, transparency and manaakitanga.
Through this campaign, we want to show that New Zealand is an inclusive, collaborative and progressive environment where students are challenged and supported to reach their full potential.
Our new Think New brand strategy and creative approach position our international education brand for success and redefine what a quality education looks like and means.
Sector representation and localisation
The 100 question and answer videos have been carefully planned to ensure a good global representation of our markets. Care has been taken to match the talent to questions based region. So where a question is most important to a certain region, the talent has been matched to that region to ensure the most relevant response.
The videos feature 18 different individuals representing a spread of sectors and markets. We have included students from all the key markets we are targeting in the campaign. A teacher, employer, Kiwi student and parent are also included.
In the Facebook group and Instagram Live sessions, prospective students will be able to converse with Kiwi Ambassadors in local language – either directly or with the help of Facebook’s automatic translation technology.
Toolkit
Throughout the campaign duration New Zealand education will have an increased digital presence in the 13 target markets listed above.
New Zealand education providers and education agents are encouraged to leverage this campaign activity for your own marketing strategies.
Here is a toolkit of resources and suggested actions to help you get started:
- Ensure your institution profile on the Study in New Zealand website is up to date. Follow these step-by-step instructions to find out how. Please note you will be required a login to access this link.
- Register for the ENZ Brand Lab. There are over 1,000 images, videos and more available on the Brand Lab for you to download and use in your marketing.
- Read this article about how to leverage ENZ digital campaigns. You will need to be registered and signed in to the Brand Lab to access it.
- Share the Q&A videos from the campaign on your social media channels. ENZ will be creating a spreadsheet with all the YouTube links to make this easy for you navigate and choose the most relevant videos for your audiences. Watch this space or sign up to the Brand Lab to get a notification when this becomes available.
- Download ENZ’s 2019 Digital Marketing Calendar from IntelliLab. The calendar explains our key dates and strategies for each of our target markets. You will need to be registered and signed in to IntelliLab to access this.
- If you are an education agent, join ENZ’s AgentLab. This new platform was launched this year. Gain access to online training courses, news, webinars and ENZ updates.
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Around the world in five
GLOBAL
New destinations and delivery models will influence student mobility
A new report argues that international student mobility will continue to grow but will see new destinations and delivery models taking over, and partnerships between institutions will be crucial.
US
Declining international enrolment in US higher education in 2017
International enrolment in US higher education declined by nearly 4 percent between 2016 and 2017, with the decline more pronounced at graduate level in both STEM and non-STEM fields.
CHINA
China publishes more science research than the US
China has overtaken the United States in the volume of scientific research it publishes, according to a report from the US National Science Foundation. In 2016, China published 19 percent of the global total of scientific studies.
INDIA
Technical courses revamp focuses on practical learning
To combat rising unemployability and to produce work-ready graduates better suited to industry requirements, curriculum changes are being made in India to engineering and technical courses to make them more practical.
GLOBAL
Mobile graduates launch app for the ‘study abroad generation’
Student reviews of attractions, restaurants, bars and places to visit in countries all around the world have been compiled into an app to help international students navigate their host countries.
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