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  • From the Acting Chief Executive: Cold temperatures, warm hearts

    Tēnā koutou katoa 

    As a recent “polar blast” bought frost and icy conditions across New Zealand, my thoughts turned to the international students who arrived here in the warmth of summer. Living a long way from home in a different country is challenging enough without being subjected to freezing conditions. The good news is that all our research and everything we hear from our international students is that the welcome and manaakitanga they receive is universally warm. 

    In our Student Experience survey of 4,755 international students from the end of last year, more than 70 nationalities, 84 percent rated their overall experience positively, while another 83 percent said they would recommend New Zealand as a study destination.  

    Last Wednesday, along with our Chair, Tracey Bridges, we appeared before the Education and Workforce Select Committee comprising nine Members of Parliament. This happens every year. As a government agency it is part of reporting to Parliament. I am extremely heartened by the level of interest all the committee members had in international education. It is good to know the sector has advocates within Parliament. 

    Tracey has recently returned from Singapore, Thailand, and the Philippines as a member of the business delegation supporting Prime Minister, Rt Hon Christopher Luxon. Education was a big part of the Prime Minister’s itinerary, and it was great to have Tracey in the delegation. Throughout the entire trip we took every opportunity to emphasise the benefits of international education to the Prime Minister. A good example was in Thailand where ENZ hosted a series of engagements, including the New Zealand Alumni Networking Event. At this event the Prime Minister met 25 accomplished New Zealand alumni, who have made substantial contributions to the bilateral relationship between New Zealand and Thailand. You can read more about the visit in our E-News article here.  

    New Zealanders going offshore for an experience is an important part of international education and ENZ’s work. It is pleasing then to see 60 applications for the group round of the Prime Minister’s Scholarship for Asia and Latin America that closed 19 April 2024. Of the 60, 22 were for Latin America and 38 for Asia. The applications are being assessed and successful scholarship recipients will be determined in a few weeks’ time.  

    In summary it has been, as it always is, a busy and productive month across international education. May will be no different. 

     

    Waiho kia pātai ana, he kaha ui te kaha 

    Let the questioning continue; the ability of the person is in asking questions. 

     

    Keep warm everyone. 

     

    Dr Linda Sissons
    Acting Chief Executive

     

  • Bizventure morning tea 16 FEb

  • SiNZ story

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  • BELTA survey photo credit Ralph Nogueira

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  • BizVenture winners tackle youth mental health with "It's Okay" clothing range

    The innovative business entrepreneurship scheme is a pilot initiative led by Education New Zealand, Young Enterprise Scheme (YES), and Japanese partners to give students in both countries real-life experience in developing business solutions that address one of the United Nation’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals.

    Forty students collaborated in a three-day virtual exchange, where they chose a challenge tackling some of Japan’s pressing social issues, before designing and presenting a business plan in a “Dragon’s Den” style pitch to judges.

    The winning New Zealand team - Hamish Robinson (Taradale High School, Napier), Benjamin Young (Tauranga Boys’ College), Daniel Blight (Waimea College, Napier), Kaiah Sherriff (Southland Girls’ High School), and Abirami Kabilan (Pakuranga College, Auckland) - chose to come up with a strategy which would directly enhance the mental wellbeing of Japanese teenagers.

    The UN SDGs are some of the biggest problems facing humanity today, so working on them was a pretty full-on task” – Pakuranga College student Abirami Kabilan

    It is a topic which directly impacts young people in both countries, as UNICEF ranks Japan 37th among 41 OECD countries for the state of children’s mental health, and New Zealand one lower, at 38th place.

    Insights into business and culture “eye-opening”

    To succeed, the students had to gain a thorough insight into Japanese culture, youth behaviour, and business practice. Ahead of their pitches, the teams joined interactive workshops with New Zealand and Japanese guest speakers, cultural mentors, and language coaches.

    Abirami Kabilan describes the exposure to Japanese business and societal culture as “eye-opening”.

    “The UN SDGs are some of the biggest problems facing humanity today, so working on them was a pretty full-on task.”

    “One of the most interesting things about this cross-cultural experience was seeing how the Japanese students approached the same problems. Young people around the world will have such different ways of approaching these problems too. Imagine the ideas we would come up with if we all worked together.”

    The winning team successfully pitched a clothing brand called 大丈夫, which translates in English to “It’s Okay”, to get the conversation about mental health out in the open among Japanese youth, and hopefully gain the support of high-reach Japanese influencers to help push their critical wellbeing message.

    They decided the best way to break into the Japanese market would be with “in your face” messaging using symbols of strength, such as dragons and samurai, to promote their message.

    “This is something that has not been done in Japan before and we’re ecstatic to be winners,” Hamish Robinson says.

    BizVenture promotes global competency

    The BizVenture programme will allow students to understand the Japanese business context and increase their global competency, says Young Enterprise Scheme lead Elizabeth Pittman.

    “New Zealand youth have such a strong interest in sustainability and improving social outcomes within their communities and abroad, and this challenge allows them to explore that interest in a business context.” 

    International education adapts to changing needs of learners

    Education New Zealand is keen to build on the success of this year’s pilot BizVenture programme as international education adapts to meet the changing needs of learners. International research shows that students are increasingly seeking programmes and content that is relevant to real world problems and which will allow them to make a real difference.

    The programme also builds on New Zealand’s diplomatic relationship with Japan while travel for international students remains limited.

    “Over many decades Japan and New Zealand have benefitted from an enduring partnership,” says Hamish Cooper, New Zealand Ambassador to Japan. “Education has played a really important role in fostering people-to-people ties, and supporting the development of what are now, in 2021, very close connections between our two countries.”

    “Before the pandemic, more than 10,000 students from Japan studied in New Zealand every year, making an important economic contribution, but also enriching our schools and communities, and helping New Zealand students become more globally connected.”

  • 2024 Tripartite Fund awardees announced

    Education New Zealand Manapou ki Ao (ENZ) congratulates the recipients of the 2024 New Zealand China Tripartite Partnership Fund. The three recipients were announced by Prime Minister Rt Hon Christopher Luxon at the closing ceremony of the New Zealand-China High Level Education Forum held in Auckland on Friday 14 June. 

    The recipients are Professor Chris Bullen from the University of Auckland, Professor Joce Nuttall from the University of Canterbury and Professor Wanglin Ma from Lincoln University. The three recipients were selected from a total of 30 applications by an assessment panel which included representatives from ENZ along with representatives from the New Zealand Ministries of Business, Immigration and Employment, Education, and Foreign Affairs and Trade. 

    The New Zealand-China Tripartite Partnership Fund is an ENZ-sponsored initiative to encourage the development of strategic research relationships between New Zealand and China, as part of our wider goals to develop strong global connections and highlight the quality of New Zealand education and research. 

    The fund was established in 2005 when the New Zealand and China Ministries of Education agreed to formally support and promote tripartite relationships between one New Zealand and two Chinese universities, in which a New Zealand university became the ‘third brother’ to an existing ‘two brothers’ agreement. 

    University of Auckland – Professor Chris Bullen 

    Credit: The National Institute for Health Innovation.

    Professor Bullen’s proposal is a new Tripartite partnership in the sciences with Zhejiang University and Dali University. This project aims to combine the strengths of the University of Auckland, Zhejiang University, and Dali University to develop and implement a platform specifically designed for delivering comprehensive pulmonary rehabilitation services remotely. The primary objective of the research is to build and test for feasibility a pulmonary rehabilitation platform, a solution that will benefit both New Zealand and China and populations who suffer from global health challenges such as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). 

    University of Canterbury – Professor Joce Nuttall 

    Photo credit: University of Canterbury.

    Professor Joce Nuttall of the University of Canterbury was awarded $25,000 for her proposal titled ‘Digital transformation in early years education: Establishing a shared platform for collaboration.’ 

    Professor Nuttall’s proposal builds on University of Canterbury’s (UC) partnership with Shanghai Normal University that have been in place since 2017, and with Qufu Normal University since February 2023. Her research project aims to develop stronger teaching and learning methods for digital literacy in early childhood.   

    Lincoln University – Professor Wanglin Ma 

    Photo credit: Lincoln University.

    Lincoln University’s Professor Wanglin Ma will be awarded $30,000 for his project titled ‘Leveraging circular bio-economy principles for sustainable agricultural waste management: A New Zealand-China collaboration’.  

    Professor Ma’s proposal was for a new Tripartite relationship in the applied sciences with China Agricultural University and Southwest Forestry University. His project focuses on waste management practices and advocating for innovative use in creating sustainable solutions for reimagining agricultural waste as a vital resource. The aim of the project is to develop strategies and technologies for the conversion of agricultural waste into high-value products in New Zealand and China.  

  • Raising the profile of NZ’s PTEs with China education agents

    In China, large education agencies play an important role in raising the awareness of a New Zealand education to prospective students and their families. For this reason, 10 director-level representatives from the largest Chinese agencies were invited to join a Famil tour by Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao (ENZ) to demonstrate in person how New Zealand offers a modern, high quality and sophisticated learning environment for Chinese students.  

    In early May, the group visited education providers in Dunedin, Invercargill, and Auckland with a full and varied programme including visits to high schools, a primary school, universities, institutes of skills and technology, and private training establishments. There were also several cultural and tourism activities planned as well as networking events with economic development agencies, private training establishments and English language schools.  

    A key part of the Famil was the networking function held at the end of the week of activities at Media Design School in Auckland, providing a platform for New Zealand’s Private Training Establishments (PTEs) and English Language Schools (ELS) to engage directly with the visiting agents. Representatives from 24 providers from Auckland, Christchurch and New Plymouth attended the event.   

    ENZ’s General Manager Māori, Ed Tuari, welcomes the guests to Media Design School with a mihi and welcome.

    The event included opening remarks by ENZ’s General Manager Sector Engagement and Innovation, Wendy Kerr, who reiterated to the education agents that New Zealand’s PTEs and ELS play a vital role in New Zealand’s international education ecosystem.  

    “Our PTEs and ELS are renowned for their innovative programs, real world and practical approach and strong commitment to student success and employability.  

    These institutions equip students with the skills and knowledge needed to thrive as global citizens in today’s interconnected world.” 

    ENZ’S General Manager Sector Engagement and Innovation.

    On behalf of ENZ, Wendy also expressed her appreciation to the agents for their ongoing collaboration and support, saying that the agents’ promotion of New Zealand PTEs and ELS opens doors for Chinese students to access world-class education and invaluable international experiences. 

    A panel discussion took place, focusing on the opportunities and challenges in the China market, featuring three directors moderated by Ruth Cooper, Country Director New Zealand of Media Design School and QTI co-Chair.  

    During the panel discussion, the agents suggested that providers could enhance their promotion efforts in China by highlighting employment opportunities and utilising Chinese social media to share the most up-to-date information. 

    Ruth Cooper, Country Director New Zealand of Media Design School and QTI co-Chair (left) facilitates a panel discussion on the opportunities and challenges in the China education market.

     

    With the formalities out of the way, our education providers had the opportunity to mix and mingle with the education agents.

     

  • Final photo symposium

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