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  • Prime Minister's Scholarship shakes up geology student's plans

    Soltice Morrison was only 15 when that earthquake happened, but she is part of a new generation of students and researchers wanting to equip themselves with the latest knowledge and technology to better understand New Zealand’s vulnerability to quakes. The best way to achieve this is through international collaboration with other countries which face the same risks.

    Having already completed a BSc in Geology and Oceanography from Otago University, Rotorua-born Soltice secured a Prime Minister’s Scholarship for Asia during her Honours year in 2018, which allowed her to enrol in a post-graduate short course in geology at Hokkaido University in Japan and stay on to complete most of her Honours research.

    Prime Minister’s Scholarship allowed joint research

    Under the guidance of her supervisor, Dr Virginia Toy, she was involved in a project which studied the characteristics and behaviours of New Zealand’s Alpine Fault and Japan’s Median Tectonic Line to better understand what causes earthquakes in both countries.

    "We’re both very seismically active countries but Japan is much more advanced in its use of technology. We were able to bring some of that knowledge back to New Zealand."

    Soltice says that without the funding she received through the Prime Minister’s Scholarship (PMS), she would not have been able to study abroad.

    The scholarship programme to Asia was established in 2013 and extended to Latin America in 2016. To date, 2400 students have been given financial support to study abroad. While currently on hold due to Covid travel restrictions, the programme is poised to restart once borders reopen.

    Importance of New Zealanders studying abroad

    Funded by the government and administered by Education New Zealand, the programme recognizes the importance of giving New Zealanders the opportunity to have an international education experience in countries where we have key trade and business relationships.

    There are few restrictions on study options, with the programme having broad goals to enhance understanding of other cultures and business practices; establish new friendships and networks; and upskill the New Zealand workforce through overseas experience.

    “It’s very important to connect with students and colleagues internationally in order to get ahead,” says Soltice. “We can get caught up thinking that the New Zealand way is the only way. Studying overseas helps you broaden your horizons, your knowledge, your understanding of different cultures, and the way things can be done.”

    In geophysics, Soltice says international collaboration is essential.

    “We’re able to learn a lot from Japan and the advances they have made in technology and monitoring.”

    The time Soltice spent in Japan ended up taking her career in a new direction. “While I was there, I was able to understand the effects of seismic activity on buildings and how we can strengthen our cities to ensure they’re resilient, so I’ve ended up in the engineering space working for Aurecon.”

    But her work also has an environmental focus and she is currently part of the multi-disciplinary team working on the Lakes 380 project, which seeks to combine best scientific thinking with mātauranga Māori (traditional wisdom and knowledge) to better understand the social, cultural, and environmental history of Aotearoa’s lakes. “It’s rewarding work and I love it.”

    Reawakening of cultural identity

    Soltice says her time in Japan prompted a reawakening of her own cultural identity. “I had always tried to blend in at home, but the questions I was asked about my background while I was away made me realise I was proud of my Māori ethnicity and also taught me the value of indigenous knowledge.”

    Building on this confidence, she has set up a Māori strategy group with colleagues at Aurecon “looking at ways we can weave cultural understanding with scientific knowledge into the work we do.”

    Soltice says she made life-long friends during her time in Japan and built a valuable network of contacts. “I work closely with the geophysicists here at Aurecon and sometimes when we have questions, I will reach out to my contacts offshore.”

    Three years on, she remains a passionate advocate for Prime Minister’s Scholarship programme. “The overall experience – the research, the culture, the living situation, I would 100 percent say it was one of the best times of my life.”

    Students value flexibility, networks, and personal growth

    The positivity of Soltice’s experience was echoed by other scholarship recipients in a recent survey conducted by Education New Zealand. Close to 300 students participated, with 98 percent saying they would recommend PMS to others. Benefits they identified included the unique flexibility of the programme, the networks they built, the opportunity for personal and professional growth, and the chance to better understand New Zealand’s place in the world.

    As for life after the programme, 57 percent said they would become involved in global causes, 50 percent would become involved in political or policy issues, and 44 percent would become involved in their local community or iwi.

  • From the CE: New Zealand higher education in the spotlight

    Kia ora koutou,  

    Over the past few weeks, I have been abroad in both China and the United States promoting New Zealand education.  

    In late May I was delighted to attend my first NAFSA conference in San Diego, California. NAFSA is the world’s largest international education conference and this year it attracted over 8,000 attendees. ENZ supported the University of Auckland, Auckland University of Technology, University of Waikato, Massey University, Victoria University of Wellington, University of Canterbury, University of Otago and Whitecliffe College at the New Zealand Pavilion. Our collective involvement with such a significant event provided us with a strong platform to showcase New Zealand’s unique education offering to a global audience. 

    Following NAFSA, I travelled to Connecticut to meet representatives of the Mashantucket Pequot nation, during which I had a useful exchange on indigenous-to-indigenous education and engagement. It was a genuine privilege to be hosted by this small, resilient tribe, into which my whānau has whakapapa links. 

    Last week, I joined the Prime Minister’s Trade Mission to China alongside education delegates from UP Education, Te Pūkenga – New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology, and Victoria University of Wellington.  

    The Trade Mission was an opportunity to support the tertiary education sector’s engagement with China which is our largest source market of international students. The visit also reinforced at the Government and sector level our strong bilateral education relationship.  

    One of our key deliverables was an education event to promote New Zealand’s reputation for world-leading research and high-quality education at Fudan University in Shanghai. Fudan is one of China’s most prestigious universities and while there we took the opportunity to celebrate 20 years of the New Zealand-China Tripartite Partnership Programme. A wonderful outcome from the event was the signing of an MoU between Victoria University of Wellington and Fudan University that will see the universities resume student exchanges and pursue research cooperation in public health, biotechnology and climate science. 

    In Beijing, we hosted New Zealand Education Connect and showcased New Zealand as a study destination to our key partners, and alongside Prime Minister Rt Hon Christopher Luxon, we officially launched New Zealand’s Country of Honour campaign for the China Annual Conference and Expo for International Education (CACIE) which will be taking place later this year. 

    Finally, this month the results of the latest QS World University Rankings 2026 were published. New Zealand ranked first in the English-speaking world and fifth globally for the overall quality of its higher education.  

    The 2026 results see New Zealand universities improve across academic reputation, citation per faculty, and international student indicators. New Zealand also ranks the highest globally in terms of employment outcomes among key English-speaking study destinations.  

    This is a fantastic result for our universities and reinforces New Zealand’s position as a high-quality and welcoming international education destination.  

    Whāia te mātauranga hei oranga mō koutou 

    Seek after learning for the sake of your wellbeing 

    Ngā mihi nui, 

    Amanda Malu 
    Chief Executive 

     

  • Prime Minister unveils 2025 Tripartite Fund recipients at Fudan University

    During his remarks at Fudan University, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced the 2025 New Zealand–China Tripartite Partnership Fund recipients, as well as plans for a second high-level Education Forum to be held during China Annual Conference and Expo for International Education (CACIE) 2025.  

    2025 marks 20 years of the New Zealand – China Tripartite Partnership Programme. Photo credit: New Zealand Trade & Enterprise.

    ENZ congratulates the following researchers whose projects exemplify the high-quality research collaboration between our two countries:  

    • Dr Fiona Ell (University of Auckland): Working with Hangzhou Normal University and Capital Normal University to enhance mathematics and science teacher education through comparative studies and exchanges.  

    • Dr Sihong Wu (University of Auckland): Partnering with Tongji and Nankai Universities on sustainable production and carbon neutrality in manufacturing joint ventures.  

    • Dr Yiming Ma (Auckland University of Technology): Collaborating with Chang’an and Yangtze Universities to explore mechanisms behind silent earthquakes.  

    Dr Fiona Ell said she is looking forward to working with her Chinese research partners to enhance mathematics and science teacher preparation, an important focus for education systems in both New Zealand and China. 

    “Our study brings together teacher educators from two Chinese universities, and teacher educators at the University of Auckland to exchange ideas and techniques for mathematics and science teacher preparation. The Tripartite grant allows us to visit each other, see teacher education practices in each country and compare policy directions in teacher education,” she said.

    This will enhance the understanding and skills of all participants and help us find ways to improve mathematics and science teacher education in both countries,” Dr Ell added.

    The Tripartite Fund, managed by ENZ in collaboration with several government agencies, supports strategic research partnerships between one New Zealand and two Chinese universities. The programme celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2025. 

    Learn more about the Tripartite Partnership Fund here.  

    Professor Nic Smith, Vice-Chancellor Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington exchanges a Memorandum of Understanding with Fudan University President, Li JIN. Photo credit: New Zealand Trade & Enterprise.

    Another key part of the event was Victoria University of Wellington renewed an agreement with Fudan University to revitalise the relationship, achieve resumption of student flows, and pursue research cooperation in the areas of public health, bio-tech and climate science.   

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