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Around the world in five
CHINA
HSBC launches international education payment service
HSBC has launched a mobile payment system on mobile app and WeChat for Chinese international students. The service offers tuition payment with currency conversion and transfer to major global universities.
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SOUTH EAST ASIA
ASEAN higher education more open to international engagement
Higher education systems in the ASEAN region, particularly Malaysia, Viet Nam, The Philippines, Indonesia and Thailand, are becoming more open for international engagement, according to a new British Council report.
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US
The continuing expansion of online learning in the US
Distance education enrolments continue to increase in the US, with total enrolments of 6.36 million, which equate to nearly 31.6% of all higher education enrolments in the country.
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CANADA
Ontario’s new international strategy for post-secondary education
The Canadian region has released a new strategy, Educating Global Citizens, in a bid to create study abroad opportunities for students, enrich the learning environment at Ontario’s public colleges, and build a stronger workforce by attracting more students to the region.
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GLOBAL
Google invests in app to prep students for TOEFL
Google has announced its investment in an app that helps students prepare for standardised English language tests such as TOEFL. This is part of the company's investment in start-ups offering developing technologies that will broaden features offered by Google’s virtual assistant.
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New Zealand-Viet Nam education ties deepen

This is the first New Zealand Government scholarship programme offered exclusively to Vietnamese secondary school students.

“A total of 36 New Zealand schools from nine regions are taking part in the scholarship initiative,” said ENZ Chief Executive Grant McPherson.

“We expect the programme will build partnerships and profile for New Zealand education across Viet Nam.

“The way we’ve tailored the scholarships to involve multiple regions across New Zealand also reflects a government commitment to ensuring the benefits of international education are shared widely.”

Among the 36 scholarships are 11 He Tohu Awhero (Ambition) scholarships supporting 30% of the tuition fees for the first year of study, and 25 He Tohu Hiranga (Excellence) scholarships supporting 50% of the tuition fees for the first year of study. One outstanding student recipient of the He Tohu Hiranga scholarship will be offered 100% of tuition fees for the first year of study.

Later this month, 35 of the New Zealand schools taking part in the initiative will visit schools in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi to promote the scholarship and explore further collaborations.

Entries for the scholarships opened 1 March and the Vietnamese students will begin their study in Term 3, starting 22 July 2019.

Alongside the scholarship initiative, ENZ has also signed a Collaboration Arrangement with Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training, the aim of which is to deepen the education relationship between New Zealand and Ho Chi Minh City, the largest city in Viet Nam with 13 million people in the metropolitan area.

“As part of this MoU, we will be exploring a range of partnership opportunities which includes the opportunity for New Zealand teachers and students to have an international education experience in Viet Nam,” said Grant.

“New Zealanders have a lot to gain from exposure to other cultures – language learning, for example. These experiences also expose our students and teachers to new possibilities.”

The Collaborative Arrangement and scholarship programme are part of a broader work programme being driven by ENZ.

Vietnamese school students studying in New Zealand contribute an estimated NZD $21m to our economy (2017 figures released in 2018).
Market insights from Japanese media
The journalists represented a range of Japanese news media with audiences of various interests, ages and social groups:
- Sachiko Habu, Editor-in-Chief of Nikkei DUAL, a digital magazine for working parents
- Ryo Fujii, Deputy Editor of CNET Japan, focused on technology and innovation news
- Yuko Okumura, a freelance journalist for Glolea!, promoting study abroad for Japanese students.
The journalists visited secondary schools, English language schools, early childhood education (ECE) providers and government agencies involved in technology-focused start-ups.
Misa Kitaoka, ENZ’s Senior Market Development Manager – Japan, said New Zealand’s approach to education was considered very forward-thinking in Japan.
“They realised that education in New Zealand is not about only acquiring knowledge, which is still the case in Japan, but about what one can do with the knowledge in dealing with the uncertainties that come with the accelerated globalisation and digitisation in society.”
New Zealand’s world-first education ranking for instilling future skills resonated with the journalists, as did the Government’s push to enable innovation in the private sector, its tertiary qualifications framework for ITPs, and unique ECE curriculum.
Government-led initiatives such as CreativeHQ were very attractive to the journalists as well.
“In Japan, it’s usually the private sector that drives innovation so seeing a government-led initiative in New Zealand really made an impression,” said Misa.
The journalists were interested that some New Zealand schools offered the International Baccalaureate (IB), which could be a pathway to tertiary study options in Japan, New Zealand, US and the UK.
“IB is a hot topic in Japan at the moment, with the Japanese government promoting international education and introducing international curricula such as the IB diploma to Japanese schools,” said Misa.
The journalists enjoy a Kiwi classic - hokey pokey ice cream.

The topic of Japanese parents bringing their pre-school children to an English-speaking country like New Zealand for a short-term immersion – the ‘barefeet study abroad’ experience, as one journalist put it – was also of interest. The journalists appreciated the “unique learning environment” offered by the New Zealand ECEs they visited.
“They were impressed to see children immersed in nature while learning how to be independent and resilient,” said Misa.
New Zealand’s high quality of life, healthy work-life balance and the flexibility of “work from home” also made a good impression.
Creating a China-first digital ecosystem
Western websites and social media platforms have issues with accessibility, performance and loading speed in China, so ENZ has had to create bespoke digital technology to share the New Zealand education story with Chinese students.
ENZ carried out focus groups with Chinese international students to gather insights while designing the website to ensure it met the needs of a Chinese audience.
Its new website has a China domain name (.cn), has been search engine-optimised and is tracked with Baidu analytics (China’s equivalent of Google).
The site has also been integrated with ENZ’s database marketing system, enabling ENZ to follow up leads and capture marketing data. Having a .cn domain name enables ENZ to run a marketing campaign to boost its search rankings in Baidu.
The site works strategically with ENZ’s account on WeChat, China’s most popular social media app with more than one billion users.
ENZ has had an account on WeChat since 2014, and now has more than 53,000 followers.
In October last year, ENZ brought My StudyNZ to WeChat. My StudyNZ provides personalised study matches for international students exploring study in New Zealand.
Three-quarters of people using My StudyNZ on WeChat browse their study matches for almost two minutes, which is a good level of engagement.
Students using My StudyNZ in China are more likely to fund their own studies than students globally (76% compared to 33%) and more likely to have tuition budgets of more than $30,000 (30% compared to 15%). Ten percent are interested in studying at a school, compared to 3% of students globally, which illustrates the high value of this market.
ENZ’s International Social Engagement Specialist, Nicole Baird, said ENZ has a frequent calendar of social media posts to engage with its WeChat audience.
“We are also increasing our capabilities to segment our WeChat audience to direct content specific to each follower’s needs,” Nicole said.
ENZ’s Digital Programme Manager, Lucia Alarcon, said ENZ’s bigger and more robust ecosystem offers useful insights to help inform its marketing strategy.
“We are able to strengthen and increase our data capabilities and gain insights to inform our marketing decisions.”
Visit the China site here. Read more about My StudyNZ on WeChat here, or take a look at it by searching for its official Chinese name on WeChat (新西兰留学规划) or by scanning this QR code:
Chinese students engage with My StudyNZ WeChat

In October, ENZ brought My StudyNZ to WeChat, a social media platform with more than one billion users.

Students enter their study intentions into the programme and receive suggestions of institutions or courses that closely match. This enables ENZ to drive high value leads to New Zealand institutions and ENZRA agents from China.

Lucia Alarcon, ENZ’s Digital Programme Manager, said as ENZ has had a WeChat account since 2014, it made sense to build on the existing social community which is easier for Chinese students to use than the China version of the Study in New Zealand website.

“It has enabled us to engage with students in a more personal way, and to share tailored information. It also provides a more seamless user experience for the student, allowing them to assess study options using their mobile phones, and to contact institutions directly if they want.

“While it’s early days, we’re already seeing high-quality leads coming through.”

My StudyNZ China has gained strong interest from Chinese students, particularly those with an interest in tertiary and secondary institutions:

ENZ’s efforts in China have included a media campaign using WeChat banner ads with Future Proof key messages and an invitation to join ENZ’s social community on WeChat. Seen by more than three million prospective students and parents so far, this has helped increase ENZ’s WeChat followers by 25 percent.

“Our Future Proof Campaign and Wechat development are part of a wider programme of work in China. As we continue investing in our China audience, we will also find new ways to reach students and share useful information personalised to their study plans,” said Lucia.
From the CE: The next phase
One of the first projects to be discussed in the early days of lockdown, the Future Focus Programme, was launched last week.
The programme has reallocated $1.2 million of our existing funding to provide our sector peak bodies with the support to reimagine international education in a post COVID-19 world. ENZ has already approved funding for two peak bodies.
Initially, funding will assist peak bodies in developing an innovation plan with their sub-sector. Once planning is complete, funding may also be provided to support the introduction of innovation projects.
ENZ’s Industry Team will work in close contact with the sector on the programme, and although it’s a little while away, I’m looking forward to seeing what creative initiatives come out of it.
Since my last update, we have also stood up an internal group who will be charged with preparing and planning for ENZ’s role in any possible relaxation of border controls for international students.
This group will work with other Government agencies and representatives from the international education community to develop an understanding of what the challenges are in reducing border restrictions and implementing strict quarantine requirements, as well as how the sector can prepare.
We are aware that some international students are experiencing unusual hardship because of changes to their personal circumstances due to the global impacts of COVID-19. The Government has established a hardship grant fund for international students to address urgent, temporary needs, which ENZ will administer.
The $1 million fund is designed to meet emergency, temporary needs, and must be both applied for and administered by either an education provider or a community group. You can find out more information on the ENZ website, International Student Hardship Grant Fund. Applications opened yesterday.
I would like to finish with a whakataukī that has been in high rotation around ENZ.
He waka eke noa (we’re all in this together).
Ngā mihi,
Grant McPherson
Chief Executive
Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao
Journey to transformational student experience
To tackle this challenge, ENZ and Study Auckland recently undertook an International Student Experience design project.
The goal of the design project was to provide detailed international student experience insights that can help education institutions lift their student satisfaction and referral rates, says ENZ Director of Student Experience, Hayley Shields.
Four areas of opportunity were prioritised: information provision, employability, social connectivity and shared values. From these, guiding principles were developed for how international students’ needs can be addressed to create unique value to the student experience in these areas.
Hayley says the New Zealand industry needs to focus beyond the on-campus experience.
“International students come to New Zealand to experience life beyond their studies and to grow as individuals.
“In true manaakitanga spirit, if we want to host, care for and respect our international students, we need to design programmes that are student centred.”
As part of the report, more than 80 face-to-face conversations were undertaken with students, business people and local community representatives. The students interviewed came from 16 countries in Asia, Latin America and North America.
The findings of the report were also informed by a wide range of international research projects which featured insights from leading global surveys on international student, parental and employer expectations.
The full report can now be accessed in IntelliLab here.
An example of an off-campus student experience was Study Auckland’s Rugby Have-a-Go Day for international students in July, where All Blacks players taught basic rugby skills. Through this, international students had a taste of Kiwi culture, and learned how rugby’s values can help form bonds and leadership skills. You can read more about the experience here.
Brazil’s untapped potential
Brazil is New Zealand’s largest source of international students in Latin America. Last year, almost 3,600 Brazilians studied in New Zealand and Ana Azevedo, ENZ’s Senior Market Development Manager for Brazil, says there is more room for growth.

“For institutions seeking quality students and diversity, Brazil may be the answer. According to the Brazilian Educational and Language Travel Association, more than 300,000 Brazilians studied abroad in 2017, so there is huge untapped potential in this market to be explored,” said Ana.

As country of honour, Brazil featured in two NZIEC breakout sessions.

In From Zero to Hero: How to lead a successful education strategy in Latin America Professor Kerry Taylor from Massey University shared his experience in developing links with Brazilian universities, jumping from zero to 10 agreements in only three years. Taylor emphasised that “nothing substantial will come from one single visit” and highlighted the importance of a proposition that meets your partner institution’s needs, saying “the best relations are mutually beneficial.”

The second session, Spotlight on Brazil: Finding your place in the sun, featured a panel of representatives from New Zealand secondary and tertiary institutions about their own success in the Brazilian market. Key recommendations included maintaining a consistent presence with the market, building and maintaining a personal relationship with local education agents and institutions and investing in digital marketing so Brazilian students can find you – Brazilians spend an average of three hours a day on social media platforms, mainly YouTube, Facebook and WhatsApp.

Delegates also  enjoyed delicious Brazilian appetizers, drinks and live Brazilian music at an energetic conference dinner. The Brazilian Ambassador to New Zealand, HE Mr Paulo Cesar de Camargo, also attended and spoke about bilateral relations between our countries in the education space.

"Education is a very important aspect of the relationship between Brazil and New Zealand. As some 3,600 Brazilians choose New Zealand to study, we have also seen a growing interest in Kiwi students travelling to Brazil. This exchange builds foundations and pushes Brazil-New Zealand partnerships closer, and in future will create ties in various other fields.”

If you want to know more about the Brazilian market, check out the BELTA SEAL Market Survey 2018 here.
Thailand education expo coming in October
TIECA (Thai International Educational Consultants Association) is Thailand’s only peak body of education agents. It provides quality assurance of more than 70 agent members and ensures high counselling standards for Thai students seeking to study abroad.
The 34^th TIECA Study Abroad Expo will run in Bangkok in October, where education providers will meet prospective students and network with TIECA agents for future collaboration.
Jaruwan Pongjaruwat, ENZ’s Programme Manager for Thailand, says the TIECA expo is the best agent-led event in Thailand, making it important to have New Zealand representation.
“Having New Zealand institutions join this event shows New Zealand’s commitment to the Thai market. It’s also a good opportunity for institutions to expand their connections with TIECA agents and interact with students face-to-face – especially in Thailand where agents still play a major role,” says Jaruwan.
“TIECA Expo also runs seminars on the latest insights on the Thai market, providing useful recommendations for institutions to increase enrolments.”
The Expo’s primary focus is high schools, language schools, universities and exchange organisations from New Zealand, Australia, Canada, United Kingdom, the United States and many other countries.
The 2018 Expo had around 400 visitors; 60 percent were school students looking to study abroad, and 45 percent of this group would make a study travel decision within 1-2 years.
New Zealand institutions wanting to attend must download and complete an application form and submit it to manager@tieca.com.
Date: Saturday, 26 October 2019
Venue: The Westin Grande Sukhumvit, Bangkok, Thailand
Exhibit Profile:
First Tier: High schools, language schools and exchange organisations
Second Tier: Universities, technical schools
Visitor Profile: Students, families, professors, teachers
Fees: Single Table $2,145/Table (Early bird rate due Aug 24)
Shared Table $2,789 /Table (Early bird rate due Aug 24)
International students welcomed to the capital
More than 300 students from over 20 countries attended the official welcome to New Zealand’s coolest little capital last week.
The event was held at the Michael Fowler Centre and organised by WREDA (Wellington Regional Economic Development Agency).
Wellington City Mayor Justin Lester was on hand to give the students a warm welcome alongside current international student Khang (Kyle) Phan from Massey University.
The students learned about Kiwi culture through a series of interactive and fun activities. Students were introduced to Māori culture with a Kapa Haka performance from local Wellington group, Te Kapa Haka o Pukehuia. They also had a chance to cuddle puppies and bunnies with SPCA staff, learn juggling and tricks from the Circus Hub, try on police vests and hats and have a go at rugby alongside a few Hurricanes players.
As well as celebrating Kiwi culture, the event was a chance to celebrate students’ own cultural backgrounds. Many prizes were given out on the day including a free helicopter tour to the student who was judged best dressed in the traditional clothes of their home country.
Chloe Kincaid, WREDA Project Coordinator for the event said that international students are an important part of the Wellington community.
“Each year, thousands of international students find a second home in Wellington, bringing a rich cultural diversity to our schools and community,” said Chloe.
“This event is another way for Wellington to welcome and celebrate all of our wonderful international students.”