Search

Showing 10 of 7260 results

• Fermented flour a food waste breakthrough

  Ninna Granucci, a former University of Auckland international student, is part of a new generation of thinkers contributing solutions with out-of-the-box thinking. 

  Ninna grew up in Brazil and saw for herself the amount of food waste primary producers there generated. Learning about the scale of the problem globally, she resolved to apply her skills to help bring about change.  

  “I wanted to use science in an area which fascinates me –microbiology and specifically, fermentation – to try and find a solution to this huge problem.” 

  University of Auckland a great place for new ideas 

  Ninna chose to study for her PhD in Biological Sciences under Dr Silas Villas-Boas at the University of Auckland in 2014. “The university environment was a great place for new ideas, to promote the spark to find solutions to problems, with the scientific approach to support it.” 

  It clearly worked. After only 18 months, she had a breakthrough in the lab which she knew could make a real difference. She refined a fermentation process to successfully convert waste pulp and peel from selected fruit and vegetables into a nutritious flour. Widening the range of ingredients in her trial, she proved she was on to something.  

  Data from the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)shows that almost 32 percent of plant-based product is wasted annually. Ninna’s technology has the potential to make substantial progress on this. 

  It turned out that the ingredients also tick all the boxes for health and sustainability-conscious consumers: high protein, high fibre, low calorie, gluten free, rich in vitamins, minerals and natural antioxidants. And the bonus is that they also have lowest CO2 footprint compared with other ingredients in the market today.    

  Entering her prototype into the University’s Velocity 100K Business Idea Challenge sparked media interest and a flurry of inquiries from supermarkets and other businesses wanting to buy the product. “That was when we realised it was not only an academic project but also something which could be much bigger and could help to address the problem of food waste,” Ninna says. 

  Green Spot Technologies has global plans 

  With support from Velocity, she and Silas co-founded sustainable food innovation company Green Spot Technologies, which has ambitious plans to go global. Ninna is now CEO and based in Toulouse, France, where the business is established in a start-up accelerator environment and employs 15 people.  

  But back in the early days, it was pretty nerve-wracking. “My plan was to complete my PhD first and then set up a company based around the project. But after the success in the Velocity Challenge, we decided the time was right to forge ahead with the start-up. It was quite challenging. My background is all scientific, I didn’t have any experience in business, and I had a lot to learn.”  

  She is grateful for the support she got at the University of Auckland and believes that her career path would never have progressed as quickly if she hadn’t chosen New Zealand as a study destination. 

  “I give a lot of credit to New Zealand for how things worked out”

  “New Zealand was the catalyst,” she says. “I managed to secure a scholarship through Callaghan Innovation available to students looking to add value to waste streams. It allowed me to focus on the work and find opportunity. I give a lot of credit to New Zealand for how things worked out.” 

  Ninna worked in Auckland with other international students from around the world and says that, too, helped contribute to her success. “When you are in the same situation you can support each other and that was super important during my PhD.”  

  New Zealand education the right decision 

  Ninna remains passionate about sustainability and reducing food waste. It is at the heart of her business and is important to her personally. The mission of Green Spot Technologies is “challenging the food waste paradigm to feed the future”. The company has won multiple awards, both in New Zealand and in Europe, highlighting the unique nature of its technology and products. 

  With food insecurity spreading to hundreds of millions of people around the world, the UN has set a Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) to halve food waste by 2030. It is an ambitious target and needs innovative thinkers like Ninna to make it achievable. 

  “I think it is incredible that we waste so much food, knowing that we need more food in the world. It doesn’t make any sense, but it motivates me to work on solutions,” she says.   

  The decision to study in New Zealand was a critical part of Ninna’s journey from international student to international businesswoman and innovator. “I could not have imagined that it would lead to such huge changes in my life in such a short time,” she says.  

  “A New Zealand education provides a truly enriching experience. I really think I made the right decision.” 

• ENZ staffing changes in Washington, D.C

  On Friday 27 September Amy Rutherford, our Regional Director – Americas, the Middle East, and Europe and Counsellor (Education), will be finishing after eleven and a half years at ENZ. 

  Amy started at ENZ in 2013 as an International Market Manager for China. She has been in Washington, D.C. since 2018, having been in Los Angeles prior to that as ENZ’s Director of Education, North America. Prior to working for ENZ, Amy studied in the United States as an undergraduate student and worked for the University of Otago in the North American and European markets, as well as the New Zealand Resident Director for a US study abroad provider, the Institute for Study Abroad (IFSA).

  “As a colleague of Amy’s in the International team, I’ve greatly appreciated Amy’s knowledge and expertise and I know she has built of wide network of trusted colleagues across New Zealand’s international education sector,” Acting General Manager Ben Burrowes said.

  Ben added, “on behalf of ENZ, it is my privilege to congratulate Amy on an outstanding tenure at our organisation and we wish her well for the next step in her professional career”. 

  

  ENZ’s Regional Director - Americas, Middle East and Europe, Amy Rutherford (centre) will be finishing with ENZ on Friday 27 September. Associate Director of Engagement – North America, Natalie Lulia (left), will be acting in the role from Monday 30 November.

  We are delighted that Natalie Lulia, currently Associate Director of Engagement – North America, will step into the role of Acting Regional Director - Americas, Middle East and Europe on Monday 30 September. 

  "Natalie has been a fantastic addition to ENZ and steps into the role at a particularly important time as we implement our 2024 – 2027 business strategy,” Mr Burrowes said. 

  Natalie first joined ENZ in October 2023. Prior to ENZ, she was Director – Māori for the Centres of Asia-Pacific Excellence (CAPE) and Strategic Advisor, International Indigenous Development at Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato - University of Waikato. There, she led a team passionate about Māori business capability, Global Citizenship Education and raising awareness to establish meaningful relationships in the Asia-Pacific, particularly with indigenous communities. 

• Tony Gray appointed to ENZ Board

  

  Gray will start his Board appointment on 1 November. He has vast experience in the education sector, in a career spanning 37 years both here and in the United Kingdom. Gray is currently Chief Executive of the Nelson Tasman Hospice Trust. 

  Gray’s focus was on vocational education after migrating to New Zealand in 2003. In his most recent role in the sector, Gray was Chief Executive at Ara Institute of Canterbury between 2017 and 2021, and Chief Executive at Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology (NMIT) prior. 

  Under Tony’s leadership, NMIT became a leading educator for regional primary industries. He has a strong interest in growth and innovation, helping to establish INNOVATE – a regional entrepreneur activator that supports, nurtures and grows businesses in the region.  

  In this time at Ara, Tony led his organisation through the Reform of Vocational Education and continued his interest in supporting innovation – leading the establishment of Te Ohaka, a Centre for Growth and Innovation. Tony also grew Ara’s involvement in the Te Papa Hauora Health Precinct - a collaboration with Te Whatu Ora Waitaha, University of Canterbury, University of Otago and Ngāi Tahu. 

  In 2023, Tony was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for his services to education. 

• Kiwi ch 2

• ENZ 15

• WREDA 2

• Korea203

• Picture5

• Victoria20Spackman20small

• Update from Immigration New Zealand

  Peak processing season in full swing 

  Immigration New Zealand (INZ) has seen an increase in applications submitted during September 2024, ahead of the 1 October visa fee and levy increase and because of our ‘apply early’ messaging.  

  In September 2023, approximately 3,104 international student visa applications were submitted and in September 2024, approximately 6,893 international student visa applications have been submitted, an increase of 122%. 

  Now that we are in our peak processing period, we expect these processing times to grow as we receive a higher volume of applications. Students should get their visa application in at least 3 months before they plan to travel to New Zealand for the first semester of 2025. 

  By now, most students should have received an offer of place from their chosen education provider. Anyone expecting to study in the first term of 2025 should apply now.  

  We acknowledge that some students who are waiting on key study documentation are unable to apply 3 months ahead. In these cases, they should apply as soon as they have all of their documents, but they need to be aware that late applications may not be processed in time for them to start studying.  

  Immigration New Zealand has three student processing sites in New Zealand, and has allocated more staff to processing student visas, compared to last year’s peak. 
  
  Ensure you submit a complete application 

  To avoid delays, we encourage students, agents and advisers to follow the advice in our student visa information sheets. If they do not include all the required documents when they submit their application, it may be declined.  

  Applications that have a statement of purpose letter written by the student, telling us about their personal circumstances and plans in New Zealand, help us assess their intent. If a student intends to apply for another visa after study, they should declare this. Students are allowed to apply for another visa after they finish studying.