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NZ strengthens education ties in North America
The visit was an opportunity to form relationships with international ministerial counterparts and key stakeholders, lead and participate in policy dialogue, and promote understanding of Aotearoa New Zealand’s education system and reforms.
Minister Tinetti began her action-packed week of engagements in Ottawa, Canada where she hosted a round table lunch on international indigenous education at the New Zealand Official Residence. This was attended by Patty Hadju, Minister of Indigenous Services and representatives from Indigenous Services Canada, the Canadian Commission for UNESCO, the Canadian Ministry of Education, the Canadian Bureau of International Education, and Global Affairs Canada.
In between formal engagements, Minister Tinetti took time to visit York Street Public School where, as a former teacher and Principal, she enjoyed connecting with local students and teachers.
Following a busy few days in Canada, Minister Tinetti and her delegation moved on to Washington D.C for the International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP). The ITSP conference brings together 22 countries to discuss how to strengthen the teaching profession and ensure all students have access to quality education.
ENZ’s Director of Engagement, Americas, Middle East and Europe, Dubois Jennings said Minister Tinetti made it clear that New Zealand valued the potential opportunities for mutually beneficial collaboration, and her interest in developing these relationships.
“Minister Tinetti used her time at ISTP to make important connections with other countries, several senior US education officials and experts in specific areas of interest for New Zealand. Those interests include national policies around compulsory education, teacher training, professional development, higher education and vocational training” he said.
Minister Tinetti with China Education Vice Chancellor Chen Jie
Whilst in Washington D.C, Minister Tinetti also met with China Vice Minister of Education, Chen Jie. This bilateral meeting between New Zealand and China adds to the list of engagements at the Ministerial and Officials level over the past few months adding value to the strong education relationship between our two countries.
Later in the week Minister Tinetti attended the ANZAC Dawn Service where she had the opportunity to meet with Australia's Minister for Education Jason Clare.
Left: Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs Lee Satterfield and Minister Tinetti at the US Department of State.
Minister Tinetti meeting with US officials at the Department of State
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New Zealand and Viet Nam commit to strategic education partnership
A refreshed Strategic Engagement Plan on Education was signed this week between Education New Zealand (ENZ) and Viet Nam’s Ministry of Education and Training.
The signing – ahead of a virtual leaders’ meeting between Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Viet Nam Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc – marks the elevation of the two countries’ relationship to a ‘strategic partnership’ and heralds a deeper level of education cooperation.
The renewed Strategic Engagement Plan 2020-2023 will feature initiatives across education sectors in New Zealand and Viet Nam, including joint programmes in the tertiary sector, innovative education models in blended and online delivery, continued collaboration to improve institution-to-institution partnerships for English language training, and alumni engagement.
Among the refreshed plan’s proposed initiatives are innovative education models in blended and online delivery, which will be particularly relevant to how New Zealand and Viet Nam build on their education relationship in a post COVID-19 environment.
New Zealand will continue its commitment to support Viet Nam’s efforts in achieving its 21st century education objectives to produce well-trained, work-ready graduates with the skills necessary to compete in a rapidly changing global market.
ENZ Chief Executive, Grant McPherson, said the Strategic Engagement Plan’s renewal provides an important opportunity to leverage and build on the longstanding education partnership between New Zealand and Viet Nam.
“We value the vibrancy and richness that Vietnamese students bring to New Zealand campuses and communities, and we’ve been thrilled to see the growing number of students from Viet Nam choosing to study in New Zealand in recent years.
“While COVID-19 has presented us with challenges, we are looking forward to welcoming Vietnamese students into New Zealand when it is safe for to do so, including through initiatives such as the New Zealand Schools Scholarships and the New Zealand Scholarships programme for postgraduate students.”
The New Zealand Ambassador to Viet Nam, Wendy Matthews, said it was fitting to see the re-commitment to the Strategic Engagement Plan in 2020, which marks the 45th anniversary of diplomatic relations between New Zealand and Viet Nam.
“The New Zealand-Viet Nam relationship has gone from strength to strength in recent years and education has been an integral part of this growth. I am delighted to see New Zealand institutions embarking on new ventures with education partners in Viet Nam – together they are developing innovative and student centric approaches. As we celebrate 45 years of diplomatic relations in 2020, I’m confident today’s signing will serve as an effective platform to further advance education cooperation between Viet Nam and New Zealand and deliver successful education outcomes for our students.”
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Around the world in five
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Graduate’s Kiwi know-how helps reduce water use in UAE desert
Rather than travelling to New Zealand and undertaking theoretical research with limited relevance back home, Wafa was able to carry out hands-on work addressing critical water management issues in her arid home country, while being supervised by New Zealand-based experts.
It was a personalised and practical kind of international education experience which Wafa is grateful for. “It allowed me to continue working, while at the same time learning and finding solutions to the water management issues facing the UAE.”
The education partnership grew out of a New Zealand G2G (Government to Government) relationship with the UAE which dates back to 2014. “The aim is to build the capacity of local people and find solutions to real problems through scholarships for study,” she says.
Already qualified with a Bachelor’s degree in ecology and environmental science and Master’s degree in water and environmental engineering, Wafa was working as an environmental scientist for Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi (EAD) when asked to be involved in the programme.
The region needs to find ways to manage the growing demand for groundwater in a hyper-arid, saline environment. Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE, has about 19 million planted trees in desert “forests”, a precious legacy of founding father Sheikh Zayed Al Nayhan. They provide a range of ecological benefits but are heavily dependent on groundwater irrigation.
With EAD given a government mandate in 2016 to protect groundwater reserves, water meters were introduced and areas of wastage identified. Wafa’s research was required to determine the exact water needs of the plants through the implementation of New Zealand technology, and experimentation with the use of treated sewage effluent, or “grey water”.
Distance learning partnership with Massey University
She worked with a team at New Zealand’s Plant & Food Research and her project was supervised by Principal Scientist Brent Clothier. The programme was managed by Lesley Kennedy of Wellington-based consultancy firm OnlyFromNZ.
“I travelled to New Zealand once or twice a year to meet Massey University requirements such as attending exams, presentations, or conferences. Likewise, Brent would come to the UAE with his team and help oversee the research.”
“It’s fit-for-purpose academic knowledge with real practical utility,” Dr Clothier says.
Wafa used Plant & Food Research’s heat pulse technology, which has been employed successfully in New Zealand and other parts of the world, but never in a region where temperatures can reach close to 50degC in summer. Once up and running, the technology provided readings every 30 minutes which allowed Wafa to calculate precisely the amount of water being absorbed by the plant.
“The data provided new and exciting information for us. We found that many of the trees had already adapted to the summer heat and did not take up as much water as we were providing through irrigation,” she says.
“By the end of the study we determined that we could save 35 - 70 percent of the water we have been supplying through irrigation.”
The technology was extended to other crops, and farmers are now provided with crop calculator software which provides guidance on the specific water needs of a tree, according to the month of the year, location, and soil type. “It’s a very important tool for growers in the UAE.”
“It’s good for countries to work together and find solutions to our challenges.”
Enduring relationship with New Zealand
Wafa is proud of the fact that her research is helping to solve a critical environmental issue in her country and knows that the collaboration with Massey through the NZ G2G partnership has been an integral part of her success. It has also paved the way for two other Emirati students to follow in her footsteps.
“I met other international students from the Middle East while at Massey and they were envious of me. They said I was very lucky because I was doing something for my country.”
She believes international education plays a key role in the exchange of information with other countries. “It’s good for countries to work together and find solutions to our challenges. If we are talking about the environment, we are all living in one world so it’s important that we work together to solve issues.”
But this academic partnership has not just produced practical results. It’s also seen a special bond develop between the New Zealand scientists and their Emirati students.
“I have built a long-lasting relationship with New Zealand,” Wafa says. “I know that I can always call my contacts in New Zealand to discuss an issue and they will be there for me.
“The relationship is much bigger than the life of the project and this is very important for me as a scientist and a researcher.”
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The new Study with New Zealand study matching tool is now live
Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao (ENZ) has launched this revamped study matching tool on the SwNZ website to replace the previous MyStudyNZ tool. It is a useful tool for Aotearoa New Zealand's education providers to be able to promote their courses to students online.
Geoff Bilbrough, ENZ’s General Manager of Marketing said that with the launch of the new StudywithNewZealand website, it was important to continue with the study matching tool as feedback from the sector had indicated it was a valuable tool for providers to connect with potential students and make them aware of the courses they offered.
"The sector told us that the previous matching tool, MyStudyNZ, had been positively received and tended to generate leads that were more engaged.
“We believe this new tool will continue to provide significant benefits to education providers and prospective students as it guides international students to study options that match their personal interests and past qualifications.
“To get the most out of the new tool, it is important that education providers’ profiles and course listings on the SwNZ site are up to date and accurate. This will help present your institution and your courses to the right students”, he added.
While ENZ does carry out a major data upgrade for all institutions twice a year (via our partner IDP), now is a good time to check your information is displaying accurately on our Study with New Zealand website. Education providers will have recently received an email with information on how to do this. It is a very straightforward process, and ENZ encourages providers to check their profiles and ensure that the name of your institution or school is correct and that your profile makes the most of all the features the system offers. Make sure your keywords are relevant and your profile includes full descriptions and photos to help you stand out to potential students.
Tertiary providers are being asked to check course study mode, start dates, costs, venue, and the duration as this information is used in the new study matching tool and the SwNZ search tool. The link to the admin platform to be able to check these details is available here: www.idp-connect.com/sign-in
If you did not receive this email, do not currently have access to the admin platform, or have any questions about the tool, you can email: info@studywithnewzealand.govt.nz.
A how to guide for tertiary providers has been developed and is available here.
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