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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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  • ENZ expands annual agent co-investment initiative for 2020

    Successful proposals have been selected, and co-investment activities are already underway in Latin America and Greater China. Activities include counsellor training, virtual campus tours and a new digital publication for prospective students.

    In the coming months, the selection process will begin in the Malaysia, Indonesia, Viet Nam, Thailand and Philippines markets.

    The selected education agencies will be running their co-investment activities between August and December, so that institutions are able to virtually attend activities or contribute information during what is usually the peak promotional season in-market.

    The initiatives recognise that although students are not being recruited to begin study in New Zealand now, they are seeking information for study destination decisions which begin years before their international study experience commences.

    ENZ’s agent co-investment initiatives promote a high quality student experience by supporting those agencies with proven high visa approval rates in our target markets, which is particularly important as students require transparent and reliable information on their study plans during COVID-19.

    “These initiatives are a wonderful way to support ENZ recognised agencies (ENZRA), and the ENZ team is intending to continue offering them in various markets to keep the New Zealand story alive and nurture existing relationships,” says ENZ Manager Education Agents, Geneviève Rousseau Cung.

    “They also supplement the global ENZ agent webinar updates being provided across all markets, and tailored ENZ workshops, seminars and training sessions for agents in priority markets.”

    China

    Education International Cooperation (EIC), one of the largest international education agencies in China, was one of the eight successful ENZRA agencies chosen by the selection panel as a partner in the Agent Co-Investment Initiative.

    One of the deliverables is a press conference and promotional campaign for the 2020 Study in New Zealand Report that includes data from an EIC-conducted survey and an analysis of EIC’s internal application data.

    The report is one of the first produced by a Chinese education agency and gives students and parents a clear guide to studying in New Zealand. EIC reported high praise from families and New Zealand institutions on the 2018 report, which is one of the motivations for continuing the research and press conference annually.

    “I believe the data will provide some important information and thinking for ENZ and New Zealand institutions, and strengthen the in-depth understanding of the Chinese market,” EIC Director of Australia & New Zealand – Division of Student Recruitment, Celia Liu, says.

    “To coincide with the release of this report, EIC will also invite New Zealand institutions to participate in promoting the virtual event on 12 September.”

    Latin America

    In Latin America, student interest in New Zealand has increased due to the excellent reputation gained since the beginning of the pandemic in March. In order to show our commitment to agents in-market, we’ve selected projects from 14 ENZRA agents: 

    • Five from Brazil (Australian Center, Information Planet, Up Study, Yazigi and YES)
    • Three from Chile (Global student, Hain y Viaja Estudia)
    • Six from Colombia (Babel Studies, Extudia, SEA, Student Connection and Viva en NZ)

    The activities proposed range from the creation of a digital magazine for prospective students, online campaigns to virtual events, all of which began in July and will end in September. Some projects are also supported by a New Zealand institution, for example, YES Intercâmbio from Brazil is working with Massey University and Southern Institute of Technology (SIT), and Hain Chile working together with AIS and Western Springs High School. 

    At this time of uncertainty, other initiatives that are part of the ENZ Agent Co-Investment include contingency plans to account for the changing international education landscape. ENZ’s team in Latin America remains in close contact with our agency partners around any proposed changes to the submitted plans to allow flexibility and support while maintaining the integrity of the ENZ Agent Co-Investment Initiative.

    “We are pleased to support and work with agents in these initiatives, which help to maintain the New Zealand education brand alive and relevant as we enter what is expected to be a hyper-competitive scenario in the next years,” ENZ Director of Education for Chile and Colombia, Javiera Visedo, says.

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