Search
Showing 10 of 7355 results
-
Student Ambassadors build global citizenship skills
Since it was set up in 2021, the programme has involved around 85 secondary and 50 tertiary students in six participating regions – Northland, Auckland, Tauranga and Western Bay of Plenty, Hawkes Bay, Whanganui and Wellington. Northland acted as national coordinator.
“International students can sometimes find it difficult to connect with locals, make friends or venture outside their campus,” says Sahinde Pala, GM Sector Services at Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao (ENZ).
“Language and cultural barriers, hesitation to meet new people, lack of knowledge of opportunities off campus, or budget constraints – many factors can play a part. The emergence of Covid-19 and lockdowns made it even more important to address these challenges, and so we worked with a range of people, including regional partners and Welcoming Communities, to develop the student ambassador programme.”
The programme has developed differently in each region, but with the same shared goals. Another common factor has been the training provided for student ambassadors – the opportunity to complete a New Zealand Global Competence certificate, training in social media, and specially tailored training provided by ISANA NZ.
“Student ambassadors are bridgebuilders and leaders, who create opportunities for students from different cultures to form relationships and learn about each other,” Ms Pala says.
“The ambassadors themselves also gain from the programme, by developing their understanding of cultural differences and learning new skills and strategies that are valued by employers. And regional communities benefit when international students feel valued and connected – they are more likely to remain in the area or recommend it to others.”
The ISANA NZ Student Ambassador Training explores intercultural concepts in an interactive and engaging format that can be run online or in-person. Participants are then able to apply their learning to develop activities and events that help students to connect with the wider community. Debrief sessions towards the close of a programme cycle support students to reflect on what they have learned from being a student ambassador.
“I enjoyed learning about how communication works between different cultures, going over cultural values and how some are visible and invisible and learning top tips to help me improve as an ambassador” – student feedback.
“Our Northland student ambassadors joined the ISANA workshop as a group of excited students interested in global citizenship and finished as a tight knit group of inter-cultural leaders in the school community. They learnt to work together, giving everyone a chance to contribute and respecting each other’s perspectives. The communication and planning skills honed in the workshop, enabled them to run a large-scale ‘Matariki Kai Festival’ event, introducing a range of food from cultures across the school to the students.” – Jo Lees, National Ambassador Coordinator and Project Manager at Study Northland.
Other activities sparked by the programme in different parts of New Zealand have included a Kiwi Cooking Class, an Auckland Weekly video series, international languages week events and Matariki events organised and run by the ambassadors, diplomatic events attended by ambassadors from other countries and an International Students Issues Panel Discussion.
One of the student ambassadors was recently profiled by ENZ: Michael Ren – Award-winning app designer eyes a future in tech | Education New Zealand (enz.govt.nz)
Several regions have indicated they hope to continue their student ambassador programme beyond 2022: Northland, Tauranga and Hawke’s Bay.
“This student ambassador training is much needed, not only for the international education sector but also across wider communities in New Zealand. In fact, I think everyone could benefit from this training if they have not received similar training before in intercultural communications and leadership,” says Wenhua Yang, Regional Manager at Learning Hawkes Bay.
To learn more about the ISANA NZ Student Ambassador Training, please contact: caroline.stevenson@isana.nz
-
Japan and New Zealand build on bilateral education ties with new Memorandum of Understanding
It comes off the back of the Japanese Government’s continued work on their internationalisation policy, where international education plays a key role. It’s especially crucial for Ichihara this year, as the city gears up to act as one of 15 host towns for New Zealand (and other nations) during the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
New Zealand is uniquely positioned to assist Japan with its internationalisation efforts, especially with English language learning.
In November 2018, ENZ Senior Market Manager – Japan, Misa Kitaoka, called on Mayor Koide to discuss the opportunity for a new outbound programme to New Zealand. The initiative – translated as ‘Youth Overseas Study Abroad Assistance Project’ – is currently underway as a legacy project. After the Tokyo Olympics and Paralymics, the city is planning to send school students from Ichihara City to New Zealand starting 2021.
In conjunction with the new outbound study programme to New Zealand, Ichihara City is keen to expand its partnership with New Zealand by signing an agreement with ENZ for wider cooperation to promote education exchange between the two countries.
“It’s exciting to see New Zealand and Japan not only solidify the education relationship we already have, but open it up to different kinds of collaboration down the line,” ENZ General Manager – International, Lisa Futschek, says.
“That’s where we get innovative education programmes developed for our students, like the popular English PLUS and Game On English initiatives.”
As New Zealand's third largest student source country, Japan remains an important focus market for both ENZ and New Zealand institutions.
As an underpinning to our student attraction objectives, our relationship is deepened through sister-city relationships, and outbound mobility initiatives such as the Prime Minister's Scholarships for Asia, and New Zealanders taking part in the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) programme.
-
School exam reform in China
The changes are part of the Guiding Opinion on Further Advancing Exam and Student Enrolment Reform at High School Level, officially released by China’s Ministry of Education. Key features of the Guiding Opinion include:
- The intention to combine the Middle School Completion Exam (Chuzhong Huikao) and High School Entrance Exam (Zhongkao) into one ‘Middle School Academic Achievement Exam’ (Chuzhong Xueye Shuiping Kaoshi).
- Middle school students (Years 7 – 9 in China) will have the freedom to choose optional subjects whose exam results will contribute to the final Middle School Academic Achievement Exam (alongside their usual compulsory subjects, for example, Chinese literature and maths).
The overarching objective of the reform is to advance students’ development by allowing them to choose elective courses to complement compulsory subjects. This reform is consistent with adjustments to Gaokao, China’s College Entrance Exam, where students have the option to choose what they want to study, and can pursue what they are good at.
Piloting of the reform is expected to begin at a provincial level from 2018 onwards, and will not affect students enrolling until then.
Rosemary An, ENZ’s Education Manager based in China, says that when these changes come into play, they will likely have some impact on Chinese students who decide to study abroad.
“The changes show an effort by China to mitigate exam burdens and to emphasise the value of all-round development. An added benefit is that if these Chinese students decide to study in New Zealand, they are likely to adapt more quickly to New Zealand secondary schooling as they will have already experienced ‘course selection’ in their home country.”
While it is still too soon to predict what this development will mean for overseas study trends, Rosemary recommends that any institutions recruiting Chinese school students should be aware of this development.
The ENZ China team will keep an eye on the progress and impact of these reforms, and share any updates as they occur.
-
New Zealand shines at China Education Expo
As the photos show, New Zealand’s presence at the fair had a big impact, with the Kiwiana finger puppets proving a popular and distinctive crowd pleaser as students assessed a sea of study options.
Initial feedback from industry participants also noted an increase in interest from agents; they report New Zealand is more and more in demand by their customers. The Beijing agent seminar had 120 participants, the majority of which were agents, who had come along to meet New Zealand institutions.
Alex Grace, Regional Director – Greater China, says collective hard work by government and industry to build awareness and raise perceptions of quality is clearly having an impact.
“ENZ, as the government’s lead agency for international education, has paid particular attention to raising the bar in terms of how we package and present the New Zealand education experience. That was noticed and commented on with envy by other countries.”
“It is gratifying to work in partnership with such a committed and professional group as that which signed up for CEE and our agent seminars. It is only by working together that we’ll increase the impact of our activities and a make a difference.”
New Zealand: Country of Honour for CEE 2015
And there is more good news: New Zealand will be the Country of Honour for CEE 2015. Alex says: “Ambassador Carl Worker and I attended the Gala Dinner event at which New Zealand was named as next year’s CEE Country of Honour. This is a major achievement, representing not only the relationships developed by ENZ, but also the commitment over the years by our industry. Please start planning now to participate in October/November next year!”
Fairs and agent seminars continue in Guangzhou, Chengdu and Shanghai through 3 November.
-
EAIE and Erasmus+
The annual event combines conference sessions with an exhibition hall, and a rare opportunity for institutional partners to meet face to face. This year was the biggest yet, with over 5,000 attendees from 90 countries.
For the first time, Education New Zealand hosted a networking reception which was attended by over 100 guests from European institutions. New Zealand wine and a gorgeous venue with a balcony overlooking Prague’s Wenceslas Square created a real kiwi vibe. One New Zealander commented “it made our partners feel really valued”.
Over the week in Prague, our institution representatives were kept busy meeting existing partners, while the ENZ team responded to a steady flow of enquiries from institutions seeking New Zealand partners. Our high-ranking institutions, English language teaching, exotic location and participation in credit recognition arrangements such as the Lisbon Convention make New Zealand institutions highly desirable partners.
One hot topic was the international opening of Erasmus+. Some of the key features of the programme are:
It will provide living cost and travel funding for both European and non-European students and staff exchanges.
-
Over the seven year programme, a total of 135,000 grants are planned for international student mobility
-
Periods of study could be between 3 and 12 months at any level from bachelor to doctorate degree, and from 5 days to 2 months for staff.
-
Principles of the Erasmus Charter including credit recognition and fee waiver must be followed.
For New Zealand institutions the programme provides an opportunity to build brand awareness, and give students and staff an international experience.
A call for applications from European institutions is expected in early October, closing 4 March 2015 for mobility in the 2015/16 academic year. New Zealand higher education institutions interested in taking part in credit mobility should contact a partner university in a European Programme Country, which will be able to apply for funding from their National Agency.
If you would like to discuss the Erasmus+ opportunities you can contact Shelley Robertson in Brussels
Further information about Erasmus+ is available free from the EU Bookshop.
-
-
From the CE: Manaakitanga in the time of coronavirus
New Zealand was the first country in the world to introduce the Code for the Pastoral Care of International Students. Regulated by NZQA, the code requires all signatories to ensure international students at their place of study are well-informed, safe and healthy.
New Zealand’s education providers have exceeded the expectations of this important responsibility in 2020. Everyone from teachers to international offices to homestay parents have done their bit to make sure our international students, so far away from home, were looked after during the COVID-19 lockdowns and beyond.
New Zealand has a well-deserved reputation for being a warm and welcoming destination. It is crucial that we continue this responsibility of care over the coming summer break when many students would have returned home, under normal circumstances.
To support this goal, ENZ has launched a new programme of activity: Tū Ngātahi, which calls for us to ‘stand together’. ENZ has created the programme to enable our international education community to express support for our international students.
The central imagery of Tū Ngātahi is the pounamu (greenstone) carved into a pikorua (twist). This design is a symbol of cultures joining in friendship and supporting one another.
You may have heard ENZ’s Paul Irwin, General Manager – Partnerships and Marketing, speaking with Radio New Zealand about Tū Ngātahi this week. The story also included perspectives from international students currently in New Zealand, who plan to make the most of their stay over summer.
We encourage New Zealand’s education providers, student associations and more to show their support for international students with the Tū Ngātahi resources (video, graphics, email footers and more), which you can find on the ENZ BrandLab.
Alongside Tū Ngātahi, ENZ is currently running the Summer in NZ campaign. Aimed at international students currently in New Zealand, this campaign will assist students who, given current border settings, must make tough decisions as the end of the academic year nears. You can explore this campaign on the new Summer in NZ NauMai NZ pages.
On Saturday, 31 October, the team will present the inaugural ‘Your Great Kiwi Summer’ virtual fair, where education providers and regional development agencies will share tips and information on how to make the most of the summer break. There is still time for students to register, so please encourage your students to sign up if they haven’t already.
Thank you again to everyone who has supported an international student this year. Our manaakitanga is what these students will remember in the years to come.
Ehara taku toa I te toa takitahi, engari he toa takitini
My strength is not that of a single warrior but that of many.
Ngā mihi,
Grant McPherson
Chief Executive
Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao
-
PIF Recipient: Chasing Time English
Across the world, there is a vast market for English language learning. To put a number on it – around one billion learners. In many countries, though, English is taught through repetitive, mostly grammar-based content. The result is two-fold: students become disengaged and disinterested, and they advance in writing and reading skills at the expense of speaking skills.
Chasing Time English is a New Zealand company on a mission to make English language learning engaging, exciting, and effective for educators and students around the world. How? Through video. The team at Chasing Time English believe that English language classes should excite and inspire students to learn more, and decided video was the best medium to achieve this.
Chasing Time English uses engaging video story content to educate learners.
Through original, live-action-drama videos, Chasing Time English brings intrigue, humour, surprise and suspense into learning. Redrawing the line between education and entertainment, the short videos produced by Chasing Time English are designed to stand alone as quality entertainment, with strong learning outcomes embedded throughout.
To achieve this feat, the company brings together a team of English language educators, applied linguists and filmmaking professionals, who collaborate to create compelling, narrative-based drama content backed up by a cutting-edge pedagogy.
While other education publishers also produce English language learning video content, this is often lower quality video with limited learner appeal and retention. By creating professional quality drama content, Chasing Time English has become a market leader in English language video learning. Captivate learners, and the learning will follow.
Chasing Time English is one of the successful recipients of funding from the International Education Product Innovation Fund, a New Zealand Government-funded initiative to support pilot projects that reimagine and rethink what a New Zealand education experience can look like and mean for global learners. Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao (ENZ) is the government agency responsible for international education and is managing the Product Innovation Fund.
ENZ will work in a partnership approach with each successful recipient, sharing skills, expertise and resources to help each pilot succeed and develop into a self-sustaining education offering. The lessons learned through the pilot projects will be shared for the benefit of New Zealand’s entire international education sector, with a view to encouraging innovative, new offerings for international learners to experience a New Zealand education.
The Product Innovation Fund award will enable Chasing Time English to design, develop and deliver a new set of programmes for high beginner to elementary English language learners and educators. Target audiences include New Zealand education institutions with offshore partners, high schools in Japan and the Netherlands, and English language teachers at the post-beginner level.
Across two programmes of 10 weeks each, learners will be able to access up to 100 hours of engaging resources, including Chasing Time English’s distinctive video content, along with other audio and video resources and communication-based activities. The new set of programmes will incorporate a strong New Zealand theme, sharing New Zealand storytelling and themes of environmental sustainability and innovation. The original video content will also showcase New Zealand’s spectacular natural scenery, helping inspire learners and build a connection with New Zealand, wherever they are in the world.
With the support of ENZ through the Product Innovation Fund, Chasing Time English is set to continue growing its impressive offering for English language learners around the world. Already setting the bar for the quality of its learning resources and pedagogy, this Kiwi education provider is showing that online learning can be fun and effective, while also showcasing New Zealand’s landscapes, people and values to learners wherever they are.
More information:
-
‘Apply four months in advance of travel’ - INZ Update
Visa processing update
As at 7 October 2023, the average processing timeframe for an international student visa application submitted from outside of New Zealand is six weeks (29 working days). This is counted from the time the student submits their application, until the time the visa is declined, or the visa granted. Whilst the average processing time is six weeks, Immigration New Zealand continues to strongly recommend that students apply for their visas around four months ahead of their intended travel date, especially as we are entering the main student processing peak combined with summer, which sees high numbers of visitor visas. We cannot prioritise processing for late applications and are unable to prioritise based on travel bookings. Students should not finalise travel plans until they have their visa granted.
The approval rate for offshore student visa applications received (1 Aug 2022 – 7 Oct 2023) is 84%
Tertiary student in-study work rights
Tertiary students’ in-study work rights have typically been linked to whether the qualification being studied gains points under the Skilled Migrant Category (SMC). As of 9 October 2023, only qualifications at Bachelor’s degree Level 7 or above qualify for points.
To maintain work rights for tertiary students, references to the SMC in the in-study work instructions have been removed. Eligible qualifications, programme level and type will be shown instead, to carry over the eligibility of many students studying below a Bachelor degree.
Since 9 October, all students studying a full-time programme that directly results in a New Zealand qualification at Level 4 or above on the New Zealand Qualifications and Credentials Framework (NZQCF) are eligible for in-study work rights of 20 hours per week. Training schemes and micro-credentials are not qualifications and remain ineligible for in-study work rights.
-
NZ a popular choice for US students
Colin Murchison from the University of Arkansas was awarded a US$15,000 scholarship to study in New Zealand, which he will use to study finance at the University of Auckland in the first semester of 2016. Watch Colin’s reaction to winning the scholarship here, it’ll definitely put a smile on your face!
More than double the number of applications were received this year than last year, with 2,361 US students showing a keen interest in studying in New Zealand.
“The quality of applications was impressive,” says Amy Rutherford, ENZ’s new Senior Market Development Manager – North America. “Go Overseas’ integrated social media marketing and university outreach campaign ensured that the scholarship – and the idea of studying in New Zealand – was widely promoted across the US.”
The Go Overseas scholarship is one of the first full study abroad scholarships offered to US students by a foreign government and will continue in 2016 and 2017.
Scholarship winner Colin Murchison with cheque and kiwifruit.
“The overall impact on New Zealand from this campaign is immense, and the effects on the education and travel sector will be felt for years,” says Mitch Gordon, CEO Go Overseas. “Students will come home and tell their friends about their experience. Parents will visit their sons and daughters. In the future, students will return to New Zealand to relive memories, bringing partners, children and friends. Thousands of students around the US are right now dreaming about New Zealand and talking about it with their friends!”
Amy will be based in the New Zealand Consulate-General in Los Angeles from the beginning of January next year. If you’d like to discuss the Go Overseas campaign, or the North American market with Amy, please email her at amy.rutherford@enz.govt.nz.
-
Whānau 4 Life: New Zealand to Vermont
The pedestrians in Burlington, Vermont USA had no idea they would stumble upon haka and poi performances as they strolled up Church Street on a recent Saturday evening.
The North American Whānau Council held its second annual event which included a BBQ, a hike up Mt. Philo and a dinner with waiata (songs) before taking its performance to the streets of Burlington. There was also an emotional ceremony, where the co-presidency was passed to two successors.
The North American Whānau Council is an organisation that sustains the relationship between North Americans who have been positively affected by Māori culture during their study abroad experience at Auckland University of Technology. The relationships are re-established each year through the North American Whānau Council Weekend, which continues the cultural exchange between alumni and their Māori whānau, or family.
Teaching poi to the next generation of AUT Whānau at Mt. Philo
The initial concept of the Whānau Council was started by AUT alumni in Denmark, and soon expanded to other countries in the region to create the European Whānau Council. Members are AUT alumni who took classes offered by the Faculty of Māori and Indigenous Development, and participated in the Noho Marae, a three-day event held at Ngā Wai o Horotiu Marae where AUT introduces international students to Māori culture, customs and the concept of ‘whānau’ or family.
Last year, two students from the University of Vermont (UVM) started the North American Whānau Council. AUT partners with two institutions in the Burlington area, which is one of the reasons why AUT whānau is so strong in Vermont.
The University of Vermont and AUT also have a partnership between their education departments. UVM students enrolled at AUT participate in a teaching internship at a primary school in Auckland, gaining a new perspective from the international setting. There have been more than 40 students in the programme over the last six years, with this year containing the largest cohort so far.
Dr Ellen Baker, head of UVM’s education department, says the international exchange has many benefits.
“Students can continue their professional trajectory, which is enriched by their experience in New Zealand. AUT has welcomed them through the orientation and the Noho Marae experience – students immediately feel a part of the community.”
Jason King, Senior Lecturer of the Faculty of Maori & Indigenous Development, AUT with the North American Whānau Council on top of Mt. Philo
Dr. George Burrill, Trustee to Champlain College and the Honorary Consul from New Zealand to Vermont, encouraged Champlain College to offer scholarships for a reciprocal exchange between Champlain and AUT students. At a recent awards luncheon, Connor, a scholarship student from Champlain College, told how despite his busy academic schedule at AUT he also coached a boys’ basketball team, and was also able to find time to explore New Zealand where he “geeked out for a few days and was a hobbit in Middle Earth,” exploring all the way down to Queenstown. Connor ended his speech with gratitude for the scholarship opportunity.
“I thank you once, I thank you twice, I thank you a thousand times for helping me in my journey. This opportunity has truly changed my life and the memories I made will not be forgotten.”
Thank you to the North American Whānau Council and the AUT staff for allowing me to join the Whānau in Burlington for the weekend.
Key takeaways
• Alumni are very eager to share their stories and participate in alumni events.
“I never get sick of talking about New Zealand.” – Monica
• Before students leave New Zealand, ask them how they will stay connected. The education graduates at UVM are developing a unit on Māori history and culture to teach in their classrooms.
“Most incredible semester I’ve ever had.” – Megan
• Connect your alumni with your contact at their international office so they can talk to prospective students during orientation, info sessions or a study abroad fairs.
Students are the driving force of alumni events abroad. Even when US students only come to New Zealand for one semester, their connection to Māori culture and the people of New Zealand lasts a lifetime thanks to the welcoming and positive learning culture.
