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Around the world in five
US
New international student numbers decline for the first time
The number of new international students in the United States declined by 3 percent in 2016-17 – dropping for the first time in 12 years according to the Institute of International Education’s Open Doors survey.
CANADA
Publicly-funded healthcare available for New Brunswick students
International students in the Canadian province of New Brunswick will now be eligible for publicly-funded healthcare if they are studying full time in post-secondary education.
AUSTRALIA
Locked out: Australian study visas and international students with disabilities
International students with significant health needs or disabilities could be restricted from studying in Australia because of regulations around who pays for the cost of their care.
AFRICA
Pan African University to offer virtual education
A new virtual higher education option will soon be launched to offer distance education to students from 54 countries in Africa, taught in both English and French.
JAPAN
Improving equity and efficiency in Japanese higher education
The Japanese government is considering major reform to higher education by moving to an income-contingent loan scheme, whereby students enter university at little-to-no immediate cost and pay off their tuition later.
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Patrick Au: a champion for international students in New Zealand
Disclaimer: This story was originally published on New Look, which was also operated by Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao. It has been republished here to ensure wider access and visibility.
He has spent more than two decades working with international students and Asian migrants in primary and tertiary healthcare settings, understanding their mental health needs and advocating on their behalf.
Patrick is a registered psychiatric nurse and counsellor who migrated from Hong Kong in 1991, completed his Master’s in Education in 1999, and has worked tirelessly to support Asian communities in New Zealand. He is now stepping down from his role as Asian Mental Health Coordinator for the Auckland District Health Board to commit more time to private practice.
It was Patrick’s emerging reputation for specialty expertise which led to the International Education Association ISANA asking him in 2010 to prepare a presentation to international education providers about the mental health needs of international students. This was quickly followed by a contract with the Ministry of Education to present a series of workshops nationally.
“I was overwhelmed by people calling me and asking me for advice,” Patrick says. “This is where I seriously started my work with international students.”
In more recent years, Patrick has been a key player in the Auckland Agencies Group, which brings together multiple organisations with the common goal of enhancing student wellbeing.
The issues which international students can face vary, depending on their age and stage of education. For younger school students it can be homesickness and lack of parental guidance. Older students also face settlement issues but can have the added pressure to succeed.
“People come here to study and so they need to be successful,” he says. “From an Asian perspective, we are a collectivist society. Your success is not just for yourself, the grades and glory are for your family too. If you are successful at your study you are acknowledged as a successful person, but what if you’re not able to finish your study? The pressure is on you.”
Prevention and awareness key to mental wellbeing
Patrick is a great believer in the importance of awareness and prevention when it comes to mental wellbeing and says New Zealand has made good progress with the availability of resources which students can access on campus, through workshops, and online. Support services are widely established, and the International Students Wellbeing Strategy ensures government agencies work together to support international students to feel safe, well, and welcome in New Zealand.
“Most Asian cultures believe the body and mind are not separated. So we need to address the root cause of problems in behaviourial terms - how to adapt to the new environment, how to get better sleep, how to cope with exam pressure, how to eat well, rather than talking about mental health. When they hear these two words they will withdraw from you,” he says.
“There is very limited mental health education in the students’ home countries, but with all the online resources available here students are researching the issues. There is much wider awareness, and sometimes it is friends who recognise issues and offer peer support in seeking help.”
Patrick knows that some students come up against cultural intolerance and misunderstanding but says that New Zealanders have come a long way since the early days of the international education sector in understanding the challenges which international students can face, but also the contribution they make to society here.
International students talented and motivated to contribute
“International students bring cultural diversity and increase cultural awareness among New Zealanders,” Patrick says. “The students who come here are quite talented and motivated to contribute. Once they have completed their education, they can contribute in many ways."
“International students bring cultural diversity and increase cultural awareness among New Zealanders” – Patrick Au, mental health expert and international student advocate
International students can be the bridge between their home country and New Zealand. If you want to do business in these countries, international students can play an important role as they often act as informal ambassadors for New Zealand and can open doors to business.
New Zealanders are also contributing to their success by creating a nurturing environment for them to complete their studies. Over the years we have seen lots of successful international students who have started working and contributing to the New Zealand economy after completing their education.
“If they have a positive experience, they are also instrumental in encouraging other students from their home country to come to New Zealand. I think it is a win-win situation.”
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2017 ISB results: Universities and ITPs
The ISB is a global study that investigates the decision making, expectations and experiences of international students including their arrival experience, the support they receive from their education provider, the quality of education provided, and their living experience in country.
Universities sector
Among the 5,487 international students surveyed from six New Zealand universities, 90 percent were satisfied with their institution experience overall. This is the same percentage as the last wave of the study in 2015 and in line with the global benchmark.
International students in New Zealand placed higher importance on several work- and visa-related factors than the global average: 77% considered ease of getting a visa to study as important (8% above the global average), 65% considered opportunities for permanent residence as important (6% above the global average) and 73% considered opportunities to work while studying as important (5% above the global average).
Of the four major components of the survey, universities outperformed the global benchmark on three dimensions:
New Zealand Universities
Global Benchmark
Learning overall
88%
87%
Living overall
86%
87%
Support overall
90%
89%
Arrival overall
91%
89%
And 81% international students in New Zealand would recommend their university to others, which is slightly lower (-2%) than international students globally.
ITP sector
Some 3,470 international students from 13 New Zealand ITPs were surveyed, and overall satisfaction remains high at 89%, similar to the proportion in 2015 (+1%) and in line with the global benchmark.
International students who come to New Zealand ITPs place relatively high importance on employment and employability factors both during and after study: opportunities for permanent residence were rated 12% above the global benchmark, ease of getting a visa and opportunities to work while studying were both 11% above the global benchmark and opportunities for full-time work following their studies was 10% above the global benchmark.
Of the four major components of the survey, ITPs outperformed the global benchmark on three dimensions:
New Zealand ITPs
Global Benchmark
Learning overall
87%
87%
Living overall
90%
87%
Support overall
89%
88%
Arrival overall
92%
90%
Despite high satisfaction, students’ likelihood to recommend their institution to others has fallen to 76%. This is 5% below the global benchmark and a 3% fall since 2015, continuing the downward trend from 82% in 2013.
Each participating education provider in the ISB survey receives a customised report based on their own international student survey results, which they can use to make informed decisions to enhance the student experience and drive successful recruitment and marketing strategies.
ENZ, who funds the survey, receives overall aggregate results for each education sector but does not have access to individual provider results.
Click here for the summary Universities report.
Click here for the summary ITP report.
