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Investment in growing academic mobility with South America
ENZ invites proposals for new research
ENZ and Brazil’s São Paulo Research Foundation (Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo – FAPESP) are jointly funding new research projects to encourage academic cooperation and mobility between our countries.
Each is contributing $100,000 to enable eight or more established academic researchers across all fields, to conduct research in the other’s country. The first year of the funding agreement will act as a pilot.
FAPESP is a public foundation with a mission to support research projects in higher education and research institutions, in all fields of knowledge.
As part of the agreement with FAPESP, successful applicants from New Zealand will develop their projects in cooperation with researchers in Brazil. The researchers will then travel to Brazil to undertake the research with their partners. Brazilian researchers will be funded to come across to New Zealand in turn.
ENZ General Manager International, Lisa Futschek, says the funding collaboration will create opportunities for New Zealand researchers that did not exist before.
“South America is a key market for Education New Zealand – particularly in relation to outbound academic mobility. This new funding collaboration showcases ENZ's commitment to creating new pathways for New Zealand institutions with South America."
This announcement builds on years of relationship-building, and an agreement with Universities New Zealand (UNZ) in November 2016 to enhance cooperation, enable academic mobility and encourage the exchange of knowledge between participating higher education institutions.
ENZ Senior Market Development Manager – Brazil, Ana Azevedo, says: “The professors and researchers that will be involved in these research projects will have the opportunity to play a vital part in driving this relationship forward. They will be ambassadors for their university and New Zealand.”
Applications for funding are open now and close on 27 January 2020.
Download the application guidelines
Download the application form
Universities explore deepening 'south-to-south' connection with delegation
This October, senior academics and researchers from all eight New Zealand universities took part in a 10-day visit to Colombia and Brazil. The delegates explored options to collaborate in new areas such as pharmaceutical sciences and build on previous historical collaboration in areas such as agri-business.
In Colombia, the delegation were part of the official New Zealand presence at Conference of the Americas on International Education (CAIE-CAEI).
“At CAIE-CAEI, members of the delegation spoke on a panel to highlight areas of ‘south to south’ academic collaboration between Latin American and New Zealand universities,” says ENZ Regional Director – Americas and Europe, Amy Rutherford.
In Brazil, the delegation met with the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (“Fiocruz”), the most prominent health-focused science and technology institute in Latin America.
They also visited the University of Campinas (UNICAMP) and São Paulo State University (UNESP). At UNESP, the programme included meetings with Brazilian academics from universities across the country, including the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), the Federal University of Parana (UFPR), the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), and the University of São Paulo (USP).
In both Colombia and Brazil, the delegations participated in ‘Innovation and Education in New Zealand’ seminars for students, where they met with undergraduate and postgraduate students interested in studying in New Zealand. These seminars were co-hosted by members of the Universities New Zealand (UNZ) Latin America Elite Agent programme.
“I was pleased to see the high calibre of the New Zealand, Colombian and Brazilian academics and researchers who came together during the 10-day programme," Rutherford says. "The future of New Zealand-Colombia and New Zealand-Brazil academic and research collaboration looks bright!”
The delegation at the New Zealand booth at CAIE-CAEI in Bogotá, Colombia. L-R: Ellen Duval, Deputy Head of Mission and Consul, Embassy of New Zealand in Colombia; Jairo Gutierrez, Acting Head of School (Engineering, Computer and Mathematical Sciences), Auckland University of Technology; Amy Rutherford, Regional Director – Americas and Europe, ENZ; Richard Watt, Professor and Head of Department of Economics, College of Business and Law, University of Canterbury; Constanza Tolosa, Senior Lecturer, School of Curriculum and Pedagogy, Faculty of Education, University of Auckland; John Lowry, Senior Lecturer – School of People, Environment and Planning, Massey University; Margaret Anderson, Deputy Director, International, University of Waikato; Lucy Duncan, New Zealand Ambassador to Colombia; Javiera Visedo, Senior Market Development Manager – Colombia and Chile, ENZ; Joel Tyndall, Associate Professor, School of Pharmacy and Associate Dean International, Division of Health Sciences, University of Otago; Shane Ball, International Marketing Manager, University of Auckland and VP Latin America New Zealand Business Council; Benedikt Fischer, Hugh Green Foundation Chair in Addiction Research, and Professor, Schools of Population Health and Pharmacy, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland; Ana Azevedo, Senior Market Development Manager – Brazil, ENZ.
The delegation at the Innovation and Education in New Zealand seminar in São Paulo, Brazil. L-R: Benedikt Fischer, Hugh Green Foundation Chair in Addiction Research, and Professor, Schools of Population Health and Pharmacy, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland; James Carson, Senior Lecturer, Assistant Dean, School of Engineering, University of Waikato; John Lowry, Senior Lecturer – School of People, Environment and Planning, Massey University; Arun Elias, Associate Dean International and Accreditation, Victoria University of Wellington - Wellington School of Business and Government ; Javiera Visedo, ENZ Senior Market Development Manager – Colombia and Chile, ENZ; Ana Azevedo, Senior Market Development Manager – Brazil, ENZ; Chris Langley, New Zealand Ambassador to Brazil; Hugh Bigsby, Dean, Faculty of Agribusiness and Commerce, Lincoln University; Richard Watt, Professor and Head of Department of Economics, College of Business and Law, University of Canterbury; Joel Tyndall, Associate Professor, School of Pharmacy and Associate Dean International, Division of Health Sciences, University of Otago; Margaret Anderson, Deputy Director, International, University of Waikato; Amy Rutherford, Regional Director – Americas and Europe, ENZ; Vinicius Barreto, CEO, AC.
NZQA update for Thai students
The Council of University Presidents Thailand has agreed to support continuation of the NCEA Level 2 - Matthayom 6 qualifications recognition arrangement, whereby Thai universities will continue to use the equivalence criteria to make their admission decisions.
This arrangement provides two options for students to meet requirements for NCEA Level 2 - Matthayom 6 equivalency. Students who meet either of these options are eligible to apply for study at a Thai university under the Thai University Central Admission System.
The criteria for these options can be found on the NZQA website, which should be used to advise students on their programme planning and subject choices.
For more information visit www.nzqa.govt.nz/thailand.
Spotlight on Japan
When young Japanese student and talented rugby player Megumi came to New Zealand for six weeks to learn English in 2018, she loved it so much she decided to stay.
Her welcoming host family and peers were a large part of why she chose to make the move – on top of the chance to play rugby four times a week and learn at a high-quality secondary school.
Megumi is just one of the over 9,000 Japanese who come to New Zealand annually to study.
In fact, Japan is the third largest source country for New Zealand’s international education sector.
“New Zealand really values its education relationship with Japan, which stretches back over 60 years,” ENZ General Manager International, Lisa Futschek, says. “It’s economically important, but it also helps to enrich our young people’s lives and maintain strong cultural and people-to-people ties.”
The number of Japanese students coming here to study has grown steadily since 2013, and looks likely to increase as a number of Japanese government policies centred on internationalisation take effect.
ENZ Senior Market Development Manager for Japan, Misa Kitaoka, says 688 people visited the 2019 ENZ Fair, held in September; an all-time high and up from 500 visitors in 2018.
“I noticed significantly more parents with young children were present at the fair and this is likely driven by the fact that English will become a compulsory subject for primary-schoolers in Japan next year from 2020,” she says.
While the market demand has traditionally been focused on short-term programmes (less than three months), Misa also saw increasing interest in the long-term studies among the visitors. Given the Japanese government’s internationalisation agenda, Japanese universities are increasingly adopting the Admission Office (AO) method of assessing applicants. This means there is less emphasis on Japan’s university entrance exam held once a year, allowing those students who return from New Zealand with NCEA certification to more easily apply to Japanese universities.
Scholarships are also playing a part in generating interest in New Zealand. The Japanese government also support a series of scholarships. The Japan Student Services Organisation (JASSO), for example, offers monetary awards for both inbound and outbound students studying at tertiary level. The TOBITATE (“leap for tomorrow” in Japanese) Study Abroad initiative administered by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) also provides scholarships for both school and tertiary students to study overseas.
What do Japanese students love about New Zealand?
Most Japanese students travel to New Zealand to study at secondary school level.
The opportunity to learn English in a safe and supportive environment is attractive to many Japanese learners, as is the chance to visit a country that is almost as rugby-mad as Japan. Programmes such as Game On English leverage both interests, bringing students here to both learn English and play sport at the same time.
New Zealand’s unique style of teaching is also a major attraction for prospective Japanese students and their parents. From primary school on, Kiwi students are encouraged to work collaboratively with digital devices, which develops the “21st century skills” promoted by the Japanese government and outlined in a report published by the World Economic Forum. Additionally, Japanese students coming to New Zealand will experience this learning environment in an inclusive and diverse environment with many different cultures.
Many Japanese alumni report that the Māori culture made a big impact on their time in New Zealand. Research released by the Asia New Zealand Foundation in September this year, New Zealand and Japan: To Our Future, identified Japan as the Asian country that held the most culturally similar views and values to Māori culture.
“The importance Japanese people place on reciprocity and hospitality resonates with values like manaakitanga and kaitiakitanga. Both cultures emphasise respect for elders, take a long-term perspective and stress personal relationships underpinning business dealings.”
2019 Rugby World Cup
Education New Zealand, alongside other NZ Inc agencies, have concentrated efforts on raising New Zealand’s profile in Japan during the Rugby World Cup 2019.
New Zealand and Japan: To Our Future found that many Japanese have a limited view of New Zealand. New Zealand was seen as being safe, clean and green, but also a little unsophisticated and not as technologically advanced as Japan.
Tourism New Zealand led the hosting of a pop-up event with support from ENZ last month.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern attended and posed for pictures with former All Blacks captain Richie McCaw and international alumni.
ENZ’s Misa Kitaoka says cross-agency collaboration like this is one of the most effective ways to increase awareness of New Zealand among the Japanese public.
“As destination marketing plays a key role for us, I hope to leverage high-profile NZ Inc activities and ministerial visits.”
Introducing International Education Sector Future Directions
“The challenge sector representatives are seeking to address is to identify a series of priorities and actions in international education that can be worked on collaboratively,” said ENZ Chief Executive Grant McPherson.
The programme is complementary to the recently launched cross-government International Education Strategy for New Zealand, which was co-developed by ENZ and the Ministry of Education.
“Priorities identified through the workshops include more collaboration, facilitating student pathways, joint activation of new markets offshore and prioritising the student when it comes to decision making,” said Grant.
The work was initially proposed at September’s International Education Peak Body Forum, attended by representatives of Universities New Zealand, ITP International, Quality Tertiary Institutions, Independent Tertiary Education NZ (ITENZ), English NZ, Schools International Education Business Association of NZ (SIEBA) and Independent Schools NZ.
Five sub-sector workshops were held in October and November, run by an independent facilitator, with a range of representatives attending each. Areas of common interest were fed into a pan-sector workshop at the end of November. The Peak Body Forum will govern the process from this point.
“This piece of work is a long-term project – and we plan to keep the sector as updated as possible throughout the process to ensure everyone has the chance to contribute,” said Grant.
International education providers can find the summary report of work to date in IntelliLab here, which includes information about how to get involved.
Connecting with industry (2017)
The 2017 Connect roadshow attracted 250 participants in eight sessions and offered an opportunity for ENZ to update participants on what’s happening globally and nationally in international education, to share ENZ’s strategic direction for the coming year and to receive feedback from industry.
Greg said ENZ currently has four strategic priorities: leading international education in thinking and implementation, telling our stories in New Zealand, driving more value to New Zealand through student mobility and supporting offshore delivery for value to New Zealand.
“In these sessions we were able to share with industry what we have done and what we plan to do to meet these goals,” said Greg.
“We then heard directly from providers about what ENZ initiatives they value the most, and how we could better help them.”
Better market intelligence was a common theme in feedback from attendees. There was therefore a positive response to the news that, in August, ENZ will launch Intellilab, a new intelligence portal that will serve as a one-stop-shop for easily accessible data to help providers make well-informed decisions.
Providers also said they appreciated the opportunity to talk directly with senior ENZ staff, to ask questions and to network with other industry professionals.
“We’re taking this on-board. Going forward, Connect will be a regular part of our annual calendar,” said Greg.
Attendees also noted that telling the international education story in New Zealand should be a key priority for ENZ.
“Because we’re in this industry, we see the richness, diversity and global connectedness that international students bring everyday – but that often isn’t reflected in the media,” said Greg.
“We encourage providers to share their own stories with media as often as possible.”
Greg said it is an exciting time to be involved in international education and that the Connect sessions provided a chance to celebrate what the industry has achieved over the past nine months.
“We know there are challenges but there’s also lots to be proud of. Connect was a chance to remind us all of this.”
ENZ is currently collating feedback from the sessions to be sent out with the Connect presentation to attendees later this month.
ENZ introduces tā moko to young people in Japan
Tattoos are increasingly popular among younger Japanese, so ENZ worked with BuzzFeed Japan to tell the story of the cultural importance of the traditional Māori form of the art.
The BuzzFeed story featured ENZ Manapou ki te Ao Chief Advisor Māori, Karl Wixon of Ngāi Tahu, explaining tā moko's meaning for Māori as an expression of identity.
"There are nearly 100 tribes in New Zealand. Tattoos symbolise your own tribe or identity to express your roots," Mr Wixon told Buzzfeed.
"Tā moko design represents your tribal roots but can express your position in society. For instance, if you are a healer in your tribe, if you are a leader in society, that can be incorporated into the design of tā moko.”
Mr Wixon said tā moko can also reflect things like the natural world around you and the ancestral stories you connect with.
His tā moko is inspired by the tītī (sooty shearwater). The bird makes its home on small islands surrounding Rakiura (Stewart Island), south of Te Waipounamu (the South Island). It is an important food source for some Ngāi Tahu and his family has been involved in the customary hunting practice for generations.
Mr Wixon explained that while modern tattoos are done with ink, tā moko artists use natural materials including dyes made from the soils of their tribal lands, and carve them on the skin using tools made of wood and bone.
"Tā moko is a design that’s created through kōrero (conversation). Even if you are not Māori, if you go through that process, some can take on tā moko. In fact, many tā moko artists are open to collaborating with cultures other than Māori," he said.
BuzzFeed Japan attracts more than 35 million unique visitors a month and has a strong following among younger people. It is an arm of the global BuzzFeed media platform, which has more than 200 million users and operates in 11 countries.
The BuzzFeed article is the latest in a series of initiatives by ENZ in Japan. In another, ENZ and the Hokkaido Board of Education have signed a partnership deal to promote cultural exchange through the shared interests of Hokkaido locals and New Zealanders, which include indigenous culture, primary industries and rugby.
ENZ’s Director of Education in Japan, Misa Kitaoka, says it is important to recognise the links between the two cultures.
“I look forward to introducing some other aspects of Māori culture that will resonate with young people in Japan and promoting cultural exchanges between Māori and the Ainu people of Japan,” she says.
According to a survey by the Asia New Zealand Foundation Te Whītau Tūhono, Japan is most often identified as the country that shares views and values that are culturally similar to those of Māori. The shared aspects of culture included valuing kaumatua (elders), mahinga kai (food customs), manaakitanga (hosting guests) and whanaungatanga (valuing relationships).
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These free interactive sessions will provide New Zealand education providers with useful information for some of New Zealand’s key markets, including market trends and intelligence, tips for converting students for your organisation, and a Q&A session with ENZ’s in-market teams.
The webinars would be useful for anyone who is recruiting or planning to recruit from these markets.
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Please note: the webinars are only open to New Zealand education providers.
ENZ confirms 2021 Recognised Agencies
Education agents play a crucial role in New Zealand's international education ecosystem, including supporting students and their families during COVID-19.
ENZ’s recognised agent (ENZRA) programme aims to increase engagement with quality education agencies that have demonstrated a long-term commitment to promoting New Zealand as an international study destination.
More than ever, ENZ Recognised Agencies contribute to a unique and high-quality student experience and to the positioning, market share and overall achievement of New Zealand within the international education sector.
To acknowledge the impacts of COVID-19 on agents and their inability to place students with education providers in New Zealand, all current Recognised Agencies were provided an opportunity to extend their time in the programme subject to meeting conduct requirements.
The new list of ENZ Recognised Agencies is now available to view online on our StudywithNewZealand website. For queries regarding education agents, please email: agenthelp@enz.govt.nz.
The next round of applications to the programme will open in early 2022.
Future Focus Programme helps Publishers Association go digital
October usually sees many from the book industry depart Aotearoa’s shores for the biggest and most prestigious event on the publishing calendar – Germany’s Frankfurt Book Fair. Travelling to large, international book fairs has long been a standard part of selling New Zealand stories to the world. But with publishers, authors and agents unable to leave the country, and book fairs like Frankfurt increasingly going online, this year called for a new approach.
With support from Education New Zealand and Creative New Zealand, PANZ worked with its publishers to make the most of the Frankfurt Book Fair’s online offering. Central to this is the creation of a digital rights platform to promote and showcase New Zealand books across a breadth of publishers’ lists.
In addition to the Frankfurt fair last month, the platform will be used for other upcoming events, such as the Guadalajara Book Fair in December and the 2021 Bologna Children’s Book Fair.
“PANZ is delighted to be partnering with ENZ and Creative NZ to find new, innovative and effective ways to take New Zealand stories to the world. We know that our writers, illustrators and publishers are producing excellent books across all genres; we anticipate that this new initiative will help us to spread the word even further”, PANZ Director Catriona Ferguson says.
Rights sales in international markets are an important revenue stream for many in New Zealand publishing. In 2019, export rights sales accounted for $22.3 million across the sector. For publishers, book fairs have long offered the chance to network and find buyers in new markets as well as to buy rights to new works to bring home to New Zealand readers.
“Educational publishing is an important part of New Zealand’s international education sector and ENZ is pleased to support PANZ and help create the digital rights platform. We want to help the international education sector look at new approaches to the way they operate in a vastly changed global marketplace. The platform provides a way to promote education products and services digitally and ensure New Zealand products continue to be seen by global markets,” ENZ General Manager – Partnerships and Marketing Paul Irwin says.
The FFP was set up earlier this year in order to provide support to the international sector at a time of great challenge. It provides $1.2 million of funding to help sectors develop new approaches to strategic challenges or opportunities, through grants to peak bodies of up to $200,000 per sector. For more information, head to the FFP webpage.
NZQA approves micro-credentials
NZQA has announced the implementation of micro-credentials as part of New Zealand’s regulated education and training system.
Content: Micro-credentials, also known as badges, nano-credentials and nano-degrees, are stand-alone products that enable learners to access specific knowledge and skills in a cost-effective and time-efficient way. At 5 to 40 credits, they are smaller than qualifications.
NZQA is currently reviewing the New Zealand Qualifications Framework. One aim of the review is to enable the framework to allow for the recognition of other types of learning, like micro-credentials. This will ensure the new framework reflects the evolving nature of work, globalisation and the impact of digital technologies.
The move reflects the disruption we’re seeing in education delivery and potential for further online delivery.
While many jobs will always require full qualifications, there is a growing number of cases where micro-credentials might be more appropriate, as people require new up-to-date skills to keep pace with the changing workforce.
A micro-credentials system allows learners to ‘future-proof’ themselves by accessing a wide range of education and training options.
In August 2017, NZQA undertook a micro-credential pilot project with a range of organisations, which revealed a high degree of interest in the concept from a range of individuals and organisations in New Zealand.
For more information, please visit the NZQA website.