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- ENZ 15 Linda Sissons resized
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Kiwi students encouraged to join leadership summit
The Summit, now in its third year, is aimed at senior high school and first-year tertiary students. It is designed to celebrate the close relationship between sister cities in New Zealand and China by empowering the next generation of global citizens and leaders.
From 13 – 19 July, the students will take part in workshops and work on projects about global citizenship, social responsibility, leadership and more while in residence at St Andrew’s College. The Chinese delegation will then visit Queenstown and Dunedin while hosted by Taieri College, showcasing our southern cities over four days.
Last year’s Summit was awarded Best Youth Project 2018 by Sister Cities New Zealand.
After previously running in the sister cities of Auckland and Qingdao, this year’s event will be hosted by Christchurch, sister city of Wuhan, and has been acknowledged as an official youth event for the China-New Zealand Year of Tourism.
Further details and a registration form can be requested from summit@globalengagement.ac.nz
- ENZ 4 copy for enews website
- Japan
- Sth20Canty202
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Caroline plays her part in Christchurch rebuild
But she is now a qualified quantity surveyor as comfortable working on building sites as she is back in the office crunching the numbers.
Caroline says it is not a profession she would have contemplated in China, where she grew up, but Christchurch’s rebuild inspired her to pursue a career in the construction industry and she is grateful for the freedom to be able to achieve her ambitions.
“It has been very rewarding to be part of the rebuild and to see the changes in the city. Bettabuilt, the company I work for, specialises in school rebuilds. When we finish a new school, you feel like you’ve done something you should be really proud of.”
And her parents are proud too. They have backed her career choice and know that the bold decision they made to send their only child to New Zealand for education was the right one.
New Zealand a safe place to study
Caroline says they had travelled widely as a family before making the decision that she would come to Burnside High School Te Kura o Waimairi-iri in Year 11. “They wanted me to be open-minded and take on new experiences and cultures,” she says. “They decided it would be good for me to study in another country with a different culture and chose New Zealand because it was a peaceful and safe country.”
Before she arrived, Caroline was set up with a “buddy”, a student from her school in Beijing who was already studying here and helped provide insights into life in New Zealand. She also took an online course prepared for international students.
“This made me feel more confident and familiar with what I was coming to which was important, because the culture and environment is quite different from my home country.”
But there were still some big adjustments to be made when it came to schooling. “All courses in China are set by the Education Department. In New Zealand, you have freedom to choose your own courses,” she says. “At first, I was a bit overwhelmed by the options available to me because I didn’t know exactly what I should take. But it was good that I had the opportunity to try courses that I was interested in.”
She also had to get used to a self-directed approach to learning. “It allows you to study in a way which suits you best, which was positive for me. And it means when you start work you have the ability and discipline to study by yourself. I have used methods I learned in high school and university to build my knowledge in the workplace.”
With more free time in her life, Caroline had the opportunity to play sport and even take on a part-time job which she says would not have been possible in Beijing. “That job really helped me because I got to practice English and gain more confidence talking to local people.”
New career opportunities
It was all part of an international education experience which Caroline believes is about much more than study.
“When you’re an international student, you quickly acquire life skills and become much more independent.
You also learn about other cultures because you are mixing with people from many different backgrounds. It was quite an eye-opener for me, but I enjoyed it.”
Once she determined her career choice, Caroline chose Ara Institute of Canterbury as the next step on her education pathway. Starting with a Diploma in Quantity Surveying, she followed it up with a Bachelor of Construction. Job and internship opportunities were regularly shared by their programme leader, illustrating the close ties with business.
The decision to study in New Zealand has taken Caroline on a journey she couldn’t have imagined when she arrived. “In China I would not be working in construction. I would probably have been working in finance or management,” she says. “The environment here changed me and gave me career options I would not have considered at home.”
In the past few months Caroline has secured residency and bought her first house, giving her a real sense of belonging. “I enjoy my work and my life in New Zealand. I love Christchurch and I’m proud to be contributing to the rebuild of the city.”
“I feel really happy that I came here.”
- Alex John Lisa
- 2122 136 ENZ Quarterly report 1 January to 31 March 2022
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Around the world in five
GLOBAL
Four Worlds of Work: Preparing students for the global market
According to consulting firm PwC, students will need to prepare for four possible ‘worlds of work’ by 2030, including scenarios such as innovation outpaces regulation, big companies are king, and social responsibility trumps corporate agenda.
GERMANY
Germany’s foreign enrolment grew again in 2018
The number of international students in Germany has climbed once again, with 374,580 international students enrolled in German universities in 2018, up from 358,900 in 2017, according to an annual trends report from the German Academic Exchange Service.
UK
Chinese students’ applications to UK universities up by 30%
The numbers of Chinese students applying to UK universities exceed those from Northern Ireland for the first time, with UK higher education benefitting from tensions between US and China, according to experts.
GLOBAL
In the future, will acquiring relevant skills matter more than earning a degree?
There has been a lot of talk about the need for graduates to acquire certain ‘soft skills’ if they are to survive in a future fuelled by technologies such as automation and robotics.
INDIA
India allocates $86.1 million to create “world class institutions”
India’s finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman has proposed to allocate $86.1 million NZD to create “world-class institutions” in a bid to attract a greater number of international students. However, concerns have been raised over the “ambitious campaign”.
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Register for ISANA NZ Conference
The conference will be held at Harbourside Function Centre, Wellington from 5-6 September 2019.The theme is ‘Professionalisation of the International Education Sector in New Zealand: Promoting an integrated NZ Inc. approach to student wellbeing.’
Keynote speakers include
- Bariz Shah (New Zealand) – President of the University of Canterbury Muslim Students Association, Bariz became a spokesperson for the Muslim student community following the tragedy of March 15.
- Marcela Lapertosa (Australia) – former Director of Education and Intercultural learning at AFS, Marcela will share insights she gained leading the development of intercultural competence programmes for students, families and staff around the world.
- Lian-Hong Brebner (New Zealand) – Diversity Manager at Auckland University of Technology, Lian-Hong will outline strategies for promoting cultural intelligence within institutions and the wider international education sector.
- Dr Paula Durance (Australia) – Consultant to international education providers, Paula is a respected international education professional. She will be exploring strategies for developing professionalism in international education.
There will also be a range of breakout sessions and workshops from practitioners, policy advisors and educators, including updates on work and study opportunities, tailored mental health practice, strategies for enabling social connections and overcoming communication obstacles and accommodation insights in relation to Code compliance.
Get the early bird rate until 19 July – click here to register.
Education New Zealand and the Ministry of Education International Unit are sponsors.
