Search
Showing 10 of 7355 results
-
Strategic famils identify opportunities
“New Zealand is a great environment for study. Not too crowded, not too quiet, just right”. That’s the view of an Indonesian agent who recently attended one of ENZ’s familiarisation tours.
In May and June Education New Zealand (ENZ) hosted four inbound agent visits with a view to increasing the number of international students recruited to New Zealand by agents.
Thirty-seven agents from five countries visited 33 campuses and schools around New Zealand.
Kaye Le Gros, ENZ’s Channel Development Manager with responsibility for agents, says the familiarisation tours and strategic visits had three objectives.
“We wanted to build agent relationships and awareness of agent barriers within government agencies and institutions; we wanted to collect base data on individual agents’ student numbers and their opinion on barriers to growth; and we wanted to showcase successful alumni, New Zealand employers recruiting international staff and possible employment outcomes for international students.”
“The familiarisation and strategic tours were very successful in that respect, but they’ve also left us all with some food for thought. We collated the feedback that was collected during the visits so you can read about the issues raised by other agents, and the way ENZ is responding or intends to respond to certain issues in line with our strategic plans.”
-
The global citizens helping connect New Zealand with the world
The future looks like arts and crafts. In a room at the TSB Arena in Wellington in August, the Festival for the Future expo floor is packed with things to paint and fold and stick and make. At a stall for the Sustainable Development Goals I pick up a wooden bead representing the 11th goal – sustainable cities and communities – and paint it carefully orange, ready to be strung into a bright pattern with everyone else’s. As a shameless eavesdropper, this is my natural habit. I listen to two people discuss 3D printing, while another group sip ethical soda on colourful beanbags and chat about responsible investment.
At the Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao (ENZ) stall people line up for coffee while filling out forms about their experience of “global citizenship”. ENZ is the crown entity responsible for international education in Aotearoa. In 2019, pre-Covid-19, there were over 100,000 international students in New Zealand, studying mostly at tertiary institutions, but also at primary and secondary schools. Since 2013, more than 2,400 New Zealanders have been awarded Prime Minister’s Scholarships to study in Asia or Latin America.
"Global citizenship is an essential part of New Zealand’s international education strategy, and these inbound and outbound students represent an opportunity to create global connections, research links and broad partnerships for New Zealand."
ENZ partnered with the Festival for the Future to discuss what international education and global citizenship looks like in the unique confines of 2021. For Carla Rey Vasquez, ENZ’s global citizenship manager, the strategy’s value in an era of limited travel is the gift of a dual perspective to complex problems. It is also an opportunity to help New Zealanders understand the nuanced and mutual benefits of international education and the long-term relationships it creates with people around the world.
“Our world is characterized by complex issues. Global citizenship offers an opportunity to find ways to navigate and respond to those issues through shared understanding,” she says. “It’s about realising the value and power of your identity and knowledge, but also acknowledging the potential of others’ experience and perspectives on the world.”
This is a worldview that Rey Vasquez says is built on a relationship of local belonging and responsibility to our people as well as people across the world. International education is an essential way New Zealand builds that bond with the rest of the world, bringing diverse people, organisations and countries together.
Vasquez, a former international student herself, knows how transformational international education can be for both the student and New Zealand.
“It brings the world to our home, if we can harness the cultural value that international students bring to New Zealand we will all grow as global learners,” she says.
ENZ sees global citizenship as a way to bring shared understanding and learning between countries and cultures. Marc Doesburg, senior innovation advisor at ENZ, believes it offers new perspectives on the world, and a chance to question one’s own understanding.
“We give young people an opportunity to critique [their cultures] by going overseas, to see that things are done differently here.”
International students are a significant source of income for education institutions and the New Zealand economy, contributing more than $5b in 2019. But for both ENZ and international students the benefits students bring New Zealand are far broader than a GDP injection.
“I don’t want us just to be seen as bringing money – we bring culture, we bring international values…we want to know local people,” says Claire Lu, a Taiwanese student studying politics and international relations at Victoria University of Wellington.
That works both ways – studying abroad was an “invaluable” experience for New Zealander Anna de Boer, who studied Mandarin in Shanghai as part of a Prime Minister’s Scholarship and has been back to China several times since. De Boer now works with international students at Victoria University of Wellington. She wants to reframe the narrative that international students “come here, take something, then go back to their home country.”
There’s a huge benefit in how international students can take a piece of New Zealand home with them, and leave an important part of their own story behind in Aotearoa too, says De Boer. This builds long term relationships that have value far beyond the years they spend studying.
This was originally published on The Spinoff as part of a content partnership between Education New Zealand and The Spinoff.
-
EdTech tour continues to raise New Zealand’s profile
Svenia and Audrey Jarre were hosted by Education New Zealand to visit edtech companies and educational institutions in Auckland, Wellington and Dunedin in December as part of their seven-country and five-month study of edtech ecosystems (see 16 March news story).
Last week, the pair released their report and New Zealand video in which some excellent initiatives from around the world and New Zealand are profiled.
Some key themes for successful edtech are:
- Local context matters – ‘there is no Uber for education’
- Requires a supportive eco-system and community
- ‘Teachers are the killer app’
- Requires infrastructure, professional development and teacher input.
-
US institutions tour New Zealand ITPs
Despite a shaky start to the week, the US visitors undertook a successful study tour which involved visiting six ITPs: Unitec Institute of Technology, Waikato Institute of Technology, Wellington Institute of Technology, Ara Institute of Canterbury, Otago Polytechnic and Southern Institute of Technology.
ENZ funded the IAPP as part of an agreement with IIE and was designed to focus on professional and vocational education (PAVE).
ENZ Director of Education - North America, Amy Rutherford said the US institutions had gained a solid understanding of the ITP sector during the study tour, as well as the unique offerings of each institution and potential areas for collaboration.
“Historically, ITPs have not had much interaction with US institutions, but ENZ’s presence in the US coupled with the support of US-based organisations like IIE will help develop PAVE collaboration,” said Rutherford.
The IAPP is designed to help develop partnerships between US institutions and institutions abroad. The programme began in April this year with a series of webinars involving New Zealand ITPs and US institutions, and will finish with development of strategic relationships between the New Zealand and US institutions in 2017.
US representatives from Hawaii, California, Michigan and Pennsylvania were particularly interested in how ITPs work with their communities, engage with industry and schools, and develop curriculum offerings to meet the needs of the local economy. They were also impressed with the breadth of ITPs’ internationalisation goals and successes, and the strong Māori cultural links of each institution.
For more information on IAPP or the work ENZ is doing in the US, please contact Amy Rutherford: Amy.Rutherford@enz.govt.nz
-
New Zealand universities connect with students across Hawai’i
Building on the momentum from last year’s inaugural visit, this year’s programme brought together an even wider network of students, counsellors, and partners – reflecting the growing interest across Hawai‘i in international pathways.
This year’s showcase again benefitted from strong NZ Inc engagement, with the New Zealand Consulate providing support including Consul General to Hawai‘i, Stuart Horne, opening one of the key events on the first day for O‘ahu school counsellors.
New Zealand Consul-General to Hawai‘i Stu Horne delivers opening remarks
ENZ’s Regional Director – Americas, Europe & GCC, Natalie Lulia, said the presence and support of the New Zealand Consulate team in Hawai‘i helped reinforce a unified New Zealand education presence.
“It was great to begin our Hawai‘i Showcase with the support of our Consul General and the New Zealand Consulate team in Hawai‘i. Their presence strengthened our regional relationships and reinforced the Aotearoa New Zealand message we aimed to convey as a unified ENZ-universities delegation, exemplifying the welcoming, community‑focused, and collaborative values we promote to students, families, and counsellors,” Natalie said.
Across the five days, the showcase delivered 14 events across three islands, including school visits, education fairs, and counsellor engagements.
Strong participation throughout the week reflected sustained interest in New Zealand as a study destination, with families eager to learn more about universities, programmes, and pathways.
Samuel Lafontaine-Tardif of the Victoria University of Wellington speaking to families at Seabury Hall Fair.
A key enhancement in 2026 was the addition of a dedicated leg on Maui. Seabury Hall generously hosted the fair, providing a welcoming space that highlighted the island’s warmth, curiosity, and enthusiasm for pathways to Aotearoa New Zealand.
Counsellors shared how the roadshow has already become a valuable touchpoint for families exploring global study options – and how early conversations are starting to translate into tangible planning for the future.
Associate Director of College Counseling Seabury Hall (Host of the Maui Fair), Francesca Cipro Shimada, said visits such as these were essential for their rural community.
“We were so grateful to be included in the Maui stop of the roadshow. These visits are essential for our rural community, providing global connections that our students rarely have the opportunity to see firsthand. The event sparked real excitement, families are now asking about Aotearoa, and several of our 11th grade students are already researching New Zealand universities. The impact has been immediate.”
Many parents also expressed how meaningful it was to have direct access to institutions, an opportunity they rarely receive. One parent, Erica Ledesma, whose son Logan is currently studying in New Zealand, shared how significant these interactions are for families:
“This was an important experience as many families are interested in sending their students to study in NZ but had no way to connect to the programs and universities. The presentations gave families a direction to figure out which university is the best fit for their student.
"In my personal experience with the staff from the University of Waikato, having a team who can help international students with their student visas, registration, financial aid, and figuring out accommodation has been amazing. It is a process to get any student settled at a university, and this international team has helped my son’s dream become a reality!”
Her reflections echoed what many families expressed throughout the week – that the visit not only opened doors but built genuine confidence in navigating international study.
Building on the enthusiasm shared by families throughout the week, many are now moving from curiosity to concrete plans, said Natalie.
“We are already hearing from parents and students who engaged with us during the visit, asking to set up campus visits in New Zealand. Their proactive steps demonstrate not only heightened interest but a clear commitment to pursuing study opportunities.”
ENZ extends sincere thanks to the New Zealand university representatives for their collaboration, commitment and partnership throughout the showcase, and to the students, families, counsellors, and partners across Hawai‘i for their warm welcome.
-
Bound for Asia
In September Lauren will move to Shanghai to begin her exchange at East China Normal University, one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in China to study the Global Curriculum programme as part of Victoria University's Study Abroad and student exchange programme.
“I expect my Chinese language skills to improve as well as my knowledge of Chinese consumers through living amongst them. Longer term I view this as an amazing opportunity to form networks with new friends, future colleagues and business partners.
“The university is also close to Fonterra’s headquarters in China. I will be interning there one day per week. This will give me a chance to link what I am learning in the classroom with actual business cases. The tangible benefits of learning the language are already becoming clear. I recently wrote my first email in Chinese,” says Lauren.
Increasing Kiwi students’ cultural awareness and understanding of our Asia-Pacific neighbours will strengthen their global connectedness and deepen New Zealand’s links in the Asia-Pacific region.
Through their Asian study experience students will gain confidence in operating in an international context and obtain knowledge and skills that will help them in their future careers.
Not only will some students make lifelong connections through these study experiences, all of them will be great ambassadors for the quality and strength of New Zealand’s education system.
With one of New Zealand’s greatest challenges being to overcome the lack of awareness of our education offerings, having some of our best and brightest participate in study in Asian markets is another way of raising our profile.
More about the Prime Minister’s Scholarships for Asia, including full list of recipients, can be found here.
Read Minister Joyce’s press release announcing the awardees here.
-
Victoria joins US-led international student network
GSA was launched in 2015 to provide an opportunity for more Americans to gain international experience through study abroad programmes. As of April this year, GSA has partnered with more than 400 colleges and universities around the world.
In late September, Victoria University’s Assistant Vice-Chancellor (International Engagement), Dr Matthew O’Meagher, flew to New York to sign a Letter of Commitment on behalf of Victoria University.
As part of the agreement, Victoria University has committed to:
- Increasing opportunities for US students to study at Victoria on non-degree programmes, including options for gap year and community college students.
- Offering scholarships for US students to study at Victoria. Two of these scholarships have been set aside for US students from diverse backgrounds, including indigenous, low income and first generation university students, and students with disabilities.
- Exploring new exchange partnerships with US tertiary institutions.
Matthew O’Meagher signing the agreement.
Victoria University hosted more than 300 American students in 2015, and hopes to double that number by 2025.
Dr O’Meagher said joining GSA was an exciting move for Victoria University, and a key way to further internationalise its campus and community.
- Regional Student Visa Dashboard October 2016
-
Introducing new offshore staff
Welcome to Education Manager Shelly Xu, who is based in Shanghai, and Market Development Manager Dinh Duong, who is based in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC).
Shelly Xu has joined Education New Zealand’s China team as of 2 September and arrives to the role with more than 10 years of experience at Immigration New Zealand’s (INZ) Shanghai Branch, where she built up a concrete understanding not only of visa policy and settings, but also of the New Zealand- China international education landscape.
“We are really thrilled to have Shelly on board and she brings invaluable strengths to this role,” says Regional Director – Greater China Alexandra Grace.
“Shelly’s appointment to this newly created “Education Manager” position will enable better identification and uptake of growth opportunities, as well as better support to industry, in this key region of the China market”.
Shelly’s involvement with industry through her student visa responsibilities led to a desire to work for Education New Zealand. “Through INZ I learnt about the high quality of New Zealand education and found my passion and strong interest in promoting New Zealand education to more international students”, she says.
Get in touch with Shelly when you are visiting Shanghai; or would like to update Shelly on your business or institution’s activities in Shanghai, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, and Anhui (Shelly’s areas of responsibility, working to the Regional Director). Her email address is shelly.xu@enz.govt.nz. Shelly is a part of the New Zealand Consulate-General effort in Shanghai, and will be based with New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE) at New Zealand Central.
Dinh Duong is the new Market Development Manager in Viet Nam, reporting to Izak Human, Regional Director – South East Asia.
Dinh will be working to promote New Zealand education in Viet Nam through fairs, events, exhibitions, meetings, workshops and other activities. She’ll be supporting New Zealand education providers and business by providing insights into the Viet Nam market, researching and working to establish high quality partnership opportunities for institutions, and keeping on top of developing education trends in Viet Nam.
Dinh joins Education New Zealand with four years’ experience in the education sector, having worked for a big English language provider as well as the British Council in Viet Nam. In addition to speaking English and Vietnamese, Dinh speaks Mandarin, Cantonese, and Chaozhou Chinese dialects.
Get in touch with Dinh when you are visiting HCMC; or would like to update her on your business or institution’s activities in Viet Nam. Her email address is dinh.duong@enz.govt.nz, and she works alongside NZTE staff at the Consulate-General office in HCMC.
-
From the CE: Growth on the go
Kia ora koutou,
This month, the Government announced the International Education Going for Growth Plan – this is an exciting, positive step forward for international education as we chase a big growth target to double the value of New Zealand international education by 2034.
It’s an ambitious target. However, with the strong and steady growth we have seen in international student numbers in 2024, the Growth Plan will help us boost that growth track to make New Zealand the destination of choice for international students.
At its heart, the Growth Plan is about striking the right balance between achieving sustainable growth for the sector, while providing our international students with an excellent experience in New Zealand and enabling our communities to understand the broad benefits that international education brings.
I am pleased with the work that is underway to progress the plan’s implementation. Over July and early August, ENZ is holding a series of market focused, cross-sector sessions to share market plans for 2025-26. The sessions will provide sector representatives with a topline update on market plans, growth targets, the approach for subsectors, and market activity.
I believe these sessions will prove useful in clarifying how ENZ intends to engage with the sector to activate and deliver the plan.
And with the way our latest 2024 enrolment numbers have continued their upward surge, we are on the right track to advance towards our growth goals. Our enrolments are now at 72 percent of pre-pandemic levels seen in 2019, with most sub-sectors contributing to this growth.
We are also seeing interesting trends in these enrolment numbers across subsectors, level of study and source markets and we look forward to sharing these insights with the sector. So make sure you sign up for ENZ’s webinar on 2024 international student enrolments to learn more about emerging trends with students, and how you can use this information in your organisational planning.
Last week, we said farewell to two of ENZ’s long-serving Board members, Linda Sissons and Lyn Provost, who completed their terms, and welcomed new members Sara Brownlie and Prabha Ravi with a mihi whakatau.
Finally, this week, I will be attending The PIE Live Asia Pacific event, where I will be speaking at a ‘New Zealand: Country update and trends’ panel session alongside University of Canterbury Vice-Chancellor Cheryl de la Rey and Deputy Editor of The PIE News UK, Kimberley Martin.
The session will discuss how New Zealand is poised for sustainable growth in international education and will cover the New Zealand International Education Going for Growth Plan and its ambitious target to double the value of international education by 2034.
For those of you attending the event, I look forward to seeing you there.
Waiho i te toipoto, kaua i te toiroa
Let there be closeness, not distance
Ngā mihi nui,
Amanda Malu
Chief Executive
