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Letter from the Acting CE: After Christchurch
As Grant McPherson said last week, the tragedy in Christchurch was an assault on the values that New Zealanders hold dear – values of international friendship, tolerance, care and a global outlook. These values are at the core of international education and they are more important now than ever.
While our country grieves, we have been heartened by the compassion we’ve seen across New Zealand – Campus Watch initiatives, vigils, social media engagement and practical help with transport and food, much of it led by students.
We are heartened that the outpouring of support and concern from New Zealanders over the last 12 days has been so visible internationally.
At ENZ, we are continuing our close contact with education providers, international teams and government partners, as well as monitoring and evaluating the latest intelligence and media coverage. We will continue to respond to industry and market needs for information, reassurance and practical support including messages to current and prospective students and families.
Over the next few weeks, we will be incorporating messages of care and support into all our activities and approaches.
ENZ is committed to promoting New Zealand internationally as an inclusive and welcoming study destination, where manaakitanga is shown to all students who join us here.
John Goulter, Acting Chief Executive of Education New Zealand
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Meet the Team: Lisa Futschek
Hi Lisa. Could you please outline your own role and the role of the International team?
ENZ’s International Team delivers on the strategies our organisation sets to best position New Zealand as an education partner in our key offshore markets. It’s a two-way flow with our skilled offshore teams not only delivering a vast array of in-market initiatives, but also providing crucial market intel contributing to the setting of our core strategies and objectives.
We ask a lot of our teams. Not only do they bring crucial language skills and a deep understanding of the cultural context, but they are also marketers, event organisers, Government-to-Government experts, relationship managers, skilled communicators and more. They need to be as comfortable talking with a Minister as they are with a student seeking an education in New Zealand.
My role is to set the direction, to coach, mentor, energise, and to ensure that the output of our team plays its part in realising the overall vision of our organisation.
How is the COVID-19 pandemic impacting your team’s work?
The impacts of COVID-19 on the International Team’s work have been wide-ranging.
The first order of things related to the closed borders and the need to cancel, postpone or re-imagine the large number of in-market events that had been planned.
At the same time, there was a square focus for both ENZ’s off- and onshore teams to support the experience of those international students who remained in New Zealand or had been unable to get here. This included everything from their access to online learning, accommodation needs, physical and emotional wellbeing, support through hardship, visa queries and connection to repatriation flights.
Throughout all of this, the offshore teams have been heavily engaged in communicating with a full range of stakeholders – students, parents, agents, industry partners, NZ Inc partners and governements – to keep them abreast of developments and to assist in responding to their wide-ranging information needs.
Can you tell me a bit about your own professional background?
I’ve always been interested in international relations. I spent 18 years as a career diplomat with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT), living and working in Chile, Germany and New York City.
Through those 18 years at MFAT, I gained an understanding of New Zealand’s place in the world. There is no doubt that we punch above our weight. Positioning our nation globally through diplomacy is highly rewarding but it is also a long game.
What I have found particularly satisfying since joining Education New Zealand in 2013 is the short gap between effort and result. We get to see very quickly the impact of our work on thousands upon thousands of people whose lives have been transformed by a New Zealand education. I’m proud to be able to play a part in that.
People might think that diplomacy is something which happens exclusively at embassies and at a Government level. But in fact, education diplomacy is part of our organisaton’s DNA. And through our alumni we have created an enormous international network of ambassadors for both a New Zealand education as well as everything else our country has to offer.
What do you do in your spare time? Can you tell us about the choir you sing in?
Yes! I’ve been in a local choir called the Doubtful Sounds since 2014. It’s wonderful. It’s complete “me time”. It’s away from work, it’s away from the family, it’s an escape from the normal preoccupations of life. I find it completely joyful.
I love making music with other people. We’re not too serious; it’s not an auditioned choir and reading music is not a pre-requisite. I love the fact there’s a whole range of people involved. Our choir master Bryan Crump (of RNZ fame) is a brilliant musician and arranger of music, and is very active in getting us in public. We sing at weddings, flash mobs in the street, the Fringe Festival, slots on RNZ. We sang last year in the Wright’s Hill gun implacement and at this year’s Newtown Fair.
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Around the world in five
CHINA
Why international scholarship programmes are flocking to Asia
In this new era of globalisation, China seems poised to assume a greater leadership role in world affairs. Many fellowship foundations, university leaders and students have recognised this shift and, as a result, international student numbers in China have skyrocketed from 100,000 in 2004 to 400,000 in 2015. It is important that universities support any students keen to study in China by encouraging them to apply their interests during their undergraduate years – including acquiring language skills.
CANADA
Canadian college builds app to help international students settle in
Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC) is building an app to guide its first-time international students to Canada with practical living information from housing to clothes. The app will act alongside its website and orientation sessions to better relay information about life on campus and in Canada.
RUSSIA
Russia to simplify visas, boost international student quota to 200,000
The Russian government has upped its international student quota for universities to 200,000 and put in place plans to simplify visas for students. The plans are part of an ongoing drive to boost the global profile of Russian higher education. The number of scholarships awarded to international students to study at Russian universities will also rise from 15,000 to 20,000, covering both tuition fees and a monthly stipend.
U.S.A
A pause in international students?
A new survey reveals that four in 10 U.S. colleges have experienced a decline in international applicants for the Fall 2017 term. The survey of around 250 colleges and universities was conducted in February, and more than three-quarters of institutions surveyed expressed concern about future enrolment. The most significant decline in applicants came from the Middle East, with a reported 39 percent decrease in undergraduate applications and a 31 percent decrease in graduate applications.
GLOBAL
Cultural experience the big driver of study abroad for Generation Z
A new global survey of more than 5,000 students in 27 countries found that six in 10 students between 13 and 18 years old have considered study abroad, with the main motivation being to seek out new cultural experiences – contrasting motivations among college-aged students, who demonstrate a much stronger focus on employability and employment outcomes.
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New Future Proof campaign to showcase Kiwi teachers
The eight-week Future Proof campaign earlier this year achieved incredible results, including reaching over 33 million potential international students and achieving more than 14 million social media engagements.
To continue the conversation, ENZ will evolve the campaign to focus on the role that high-quality teachers play in New Zealand’s ranking as best in the world for educating students for the future. We will share inspiring stories about our teaching talent with the world through videos and other web content.
Patrick Holden, ENZ’s Digital Media Project Manager, says the upcoming campaign aims to raise awareness of the quality of our education, which research suggests isn’t fully appreciated in many of our markets.
“In line with the newly-launched International Education Strategy 2018 – 2030, we’re aiming to reach students interested in studying high-value programmes in New Zealand by showcasing the world-leading Kiwi teachers and academics that will be available to them.
“This second Future Proof campaign will run across October – November which is a key decision-making period for international students.”
Students who engage with the campaign will be “nurtured through” to My StudyNZ to connect with New Zealand institutions and agents. Institutions can make sure they’re getting the most out of this recruitment opportunity by updating their profile on the Study in New Zealand website.
“We’ll be putting a briefing pack together to help institutions leverage the campaign in their own recruitment activities. Keep an eye on future editions of E-News for this and further updates,” said Patrick.
Share your story
Do you have a great story idea about a world-leading academic or inspiring teacher? If so, please email philippa.brown@enz.govt.nz and tell us why you think they’d be perfect for this campaign.
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NZIEC 2018: Theme and call for speakers
ENZ warmly welcomes presentation proposals from across the global international education industry for the 27th NZIEC. Submissions are welcome on any topic relating to the international education industry. Check out the guidelines for presenters and submit your proposal on the NZIEC website. Our call for speakers closes on Friday16 March 2018.
Conference theme: Inspiring Global Citizens
‘We must no longer consider ourselves
as citizens of the cities or countries in which we live,
but we must consider ourselves citizens of the globe.’In this time of rapid change and globalisation, international education has a vital role in equipping our society with the skills needed for the future. New Zealand is ideally placed to address this need. We rank first in The Economist Intelligence Unit’s Worldwide Educating for the FutureIndex for our ability to equip our young leaders with the critical thinking, collaboration and global awareness skills they need to succeed in an increasingly internationalised and technology-driven world.
The 27th New Zealand International Education Conference and Expo (NZIEC) will explore how international education can build on this strength to equip and inspire our students, educators and professionals to become the new wave of global influencers and leaders. Our international education industry can help change the world.NZIEC 2018 will explore the following questions:
- How do we inspire and develop the next generation of global citizens?
- How can we harness technology to enhance our international education marketing, offering and practices?
- How can we forge leading-edge education products, services and technologies that will be in-demand in existing and future global markets?
- How can we connect the value of international education to our diverse communities?
- How can we work together to ensure international education contributes to New Zealand’s future development?
NZIEC 2018 will feature five breakout streams. Check them out here.
About NZIEC 2018
The New Zealand International Education Conference and Expo is the annual conference for New Zealand’s international education industry. NZIEC 2018 will be held at Te Papa Tongarewa on Thursday 9 and Friday 10 August and is expected to attract 700 delegates. Registration will open in May 2017. For more information, check out www.nziec.co.nz. We hope to see you there!
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International students awarded for ICT excellence
Ruslan Levenets, who originally studied law in Russia, came to study in New Zealand in preparation of a career change.
“I had some practical skills and interest in IT, but my main motivation for study was to have a strong theoretical background,” said Levenets.
Ruslan was awarded most outstanding student for the Graduate Diploma in Information Assurance and Security. The award was sponsored by ISACA, an international professional association for IT governance.
Mike Binkhorst, president of the Wellington chapter of ISACA, believes supporting top students is an important part of building the future of their industry.
“We're keen to encourage people into the profession to make a difference in the field. ISACA promotes frameworks and standards in IT to improve governance and security. Education and supporting the next generation is a big part of that,” said Binkhorst.
Alexander Sokolov with Alisdair McKenzie
Also achieving excellence in IT was Alexander Sokolov who was awarded most outstanding student for the Graduate Diploma in Information Technology. He received his award from Alisdair McKenzie, a member of WelTec’s IT Industry Partnership Committee.
“WelTec’s Industry Partnership Committee offers guest lectures, takes interns and reviews WelTec's IT programmes – all so that they deliver what the industry is needing,” said McKenzie.
“We work to ensure that the tertiary education sector is harmonised with business and industry requirements.”
Ian Hunter from WelTec’s School of Business & IT said the involvement of industry associations makes a significant difference to the way WelTec students are taught.
“Our students are working on real scenarios and real problems as part of their academic programme,” said Hunter.
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ENZ Board members honoured
In its third year, the Women of Influence Programme is designed to identify, recognise and celebrate the 100 most influential women shaping New Zealand across 10 categories: Arts and Culture, Board and Management, Business Enterprise, Community and Not for Profit, Diversity, Global, Innovation, Public Policy and Rural.
Victoria won the Arts and Culture award for her role in injecting new life in to Bats Theatre and for her part in influencing, as Chief Executive of screen production company the Gibson Group, displays and exhibitions at a range of museums and public venues around the world. Eleven women were nominated for this award.
Frances won the Innovation award for being at the forefront of change in education, and for her vision and passion for learning, particularly in the areas of science, technology and discovery. You will all be familiar with Frances’ cutting edge learning facility, The Mind Lab by Unitec. Eight women were nominated in this category.
That we have leaders and influencers of such calibre on our board is something to be celebrated. The breadth and depth of experience Frances and Victoria bring to our organisation is invaluable, and the contribution they make to our international education industry is enormously beneficial.
Read the news story here, and read more about Frances and Victoria here.
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Think New enters India
India is currently the second largest and fastest growing source of international students to New Zealand. Education New Zealand (ENZ) is looking to build on this positive momentum with a new marketing campaign.
While New Zealand is well known in India for cricket, tourism and to some extent movies such as The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, there is still work to do to improve awareness of New Zealand as a high quality education destination.
Kathryn McCarrison, General Manager Marketing and Channel Development, says: “Those who know New Zealand like New Zealand but there is a lack of awareness about us as a high quality international study destination. This campaign aims to help fill this knowledge gap.”
The campaign challenges prospective students who are already thinking about study abroad options to take the next step and convert their general interest in New Zealand into active consideration.
Visitors who register their interest in studying in New Zealand on the Education New Zealand (ENZ) campaign website will be contacted by a pool of New Zealand specialist education agents who can provide more information about the courses, the criteria and support with the application process.
Popular Indian Premier League (IPL) coach of the Chennai Super Kings and former New Zealand cricket captain Stephen Fleming is fronting the awareness raising campaign. By expressing interest, prospective students will be automatically “in to win” an exclusive dinner date with Stephen Fleming. Fleming’s team is having a great IPL season and he is highly regarded in Indian as among the best captains the Black Caps ever had.
“The New Zealand tertiary education sector has a huge range of programmes available. As well as being specialists in a number of areas we also offer niche and vocational courses which are less developed in other countries so New Zealand really stands out from the crowd.
“We want to continue to grow the number of high quality Indian students studying in New Zealand and for them to secure meaningful jobs, particularly in industries experiencing skill shortages such as I.T, Engineering, Agriculture and Forestry and Construction. We hope that this campaign will help us to achieve this goal,” Kathryn says.
ENZ is working with ten of the top Indian agencies on this campaign. These agencies will amplify the campaign messages through their own networks, reaching many thousands more students.
The campaign will run from 12 May to the end of June, building on a strong public relations strategy that ENZ has been running in India since October 2013.
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Japanese Game On English Rugby clinic a big success
The rugby clinic was hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade in partnership with ENZ as an offshore programme of GOE Rugby.
GOE Rugby was launched by Prime Ministers Shinzō Abe and John Key in July 2014 in response to the Japanese government’s goal to improve the English language skills, and boost the sporting capacity of Japan’s young people, in preparation for the 2019 Rugby World Cup and 2020 Olympics. See here for more details on GOE Rugby.
Two coaches were selected from GOE’s partner rugby unions to lead the clinic: John Haggart, International High Performance Manager, Canterbury Rugby Football Union; and Clayton McMillan, Head Coach, Bay of Plenty Rugby Football Union.
The two coaches jointly led the Tokyo programme. This included a rugby clinic at Aoyama Elementary School, a press conference, and a reception hosted by New Zealand Ambassador Mark Sinclair and held at the New Zealand Embassy in Tokyo. Among the 150 guests were Panasonic head coach Robbie Deans, Japanese rugby legend Demi Sakata, sports-related government officials including former Vice Minister Shinichi Yamanaka, and business leaders including Adidas Japan president Paul Hardisty.
John Haggart and Clayton McMillan then travelled to Sapporo and Fukuoka respectively to lead the rugby clinic, supported by the host city and rugby club. More than 100 pupils attended the clinic in Fukuoka and 234 pupils in Sapporo.
“The feedback was very positive and it was a great occasion for ENZ to showcase the GOE programme on the ground for students to consider New Zealand as a study destination,” said Misa Pitt, ENZ’s Senior Market Development Manager in Japan.
ENZ has plans for other GOE initiatives for later in the year.
“We are picking up great momentum for GOE activities here in Japan,” said Misa. “We will have more updates to share in the coming months.”
Above: At the Fukuoka clinic
Above: At the Sapporo clinic
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New Zealand continues to protect and care for international students during lockdown
Providers, host families and supporting networks have been setting up additional support for international students to ensure they feel connected and safe.
Education New Zealand is pulling together some of the great things that have been taking place across the sector. Here are just a small number that we have heard about so far.
- Otago University has a dedicated information page for students, with students registering with Ask Otago. They can then request daily phone calls to check in and see how they are doing. University recreation centre staff are also offering virtual fitness classes.
- University of Auckland has been supporting the COVID-19 response by undertaking modelling work that informs the Prime Minister’s Chief Science Advisor and working directly with the Auckland District Health Board to help with testing capacity by using their facilities and people.
- Rotorua English Language Academy (RELA) is teaching online classes to 30 students from nine different countries. Many students are worried about their families back home so in addition to support during class time, staff make individual phone calls and arrange fun activities such as the recent Easter video competition on WhatsApp. Friday full-school assemblies and farewell speeches continue to lift students’ spirits with the RELA tradition of singing ‘Now is the Hour’ – managed by the school’s director playing on the piano at home while students sing over Zoom.
- Several Northland schools have been working closely with Study Northland to support the 150 international students in their care. The international students are being well supported by their schools and homestay families by keeping them busy and making them feel like an integral part of the family.
- SIEBA is doing an amazing job supporting the school sector. The small SIEBA team has been working around the clock to provide advice and guidance to schools, including publishing residential care emergency guidance to help schools navigate these tricky areas. On top of all that, SIEBA is raising key issues with the Ministry of Education and alerting government agencies to emerging challenges.
- Massey University’s international support staff are running virtual one-on-one support sessions which can be arranged by the students themselves. The university, like other universities, is making personal phone calls to all students to ensure they feel supported. Massey also has a range of wellbeing resources available and the recreation centres have taken their services online.
- Aspire2 International has launched a number of online learning solutions that have all gained NZQA accreditation. This means English, hospitality, IT and business students can transition from face-to-face to remote learning quickly in order to complete their qualifications.
We want to hear more about the great work the sector is doing to support international students within New Zealand both in enabling their learning but also supporting their wellbeing.
Please let us know what your organisation has been doing and we will look to share this wider. Send your stories to industryteam@enz.govt.nz.
