22 May 2019 at 9:00 am

Kiwi mobility in the GIC spotlight

Graduate mobility and the growing demand for global internships will be explored at the Global Internship Conference (GIC) in July, hosted by the University of Auckland.

Global Internship Conference2

Brett Berquist, University of Auckland Director International, says while New Zealand counts 4.5 million people onshore, another 15% of Kiwis reside abroad. 

“New Zealanders travel – for work, for study and for the joy of it. The Kiwi cultural phenomena of the ‘Big OE’ is a key part of this international experience.

“In particular, New Zealand university graduates have among the highest mobility rates in the world. One in three domestic university graduates are overseas within seven years of graduation, and 41% of doctoral graduates are on their OE within five years of graduation, according to the Ministry of Education.  

“Traditionally, the OE has been a post-graduation undertaking, but we see that the current generation is keen to begin their OE during study and are particularly driven by employability outcomes. Most Kiwis then return to our shores with new skills and experiences to contribute to our community and economy.”

In 2017, the University of Auckland received more than 400 applications for 10 eight-week internships in Mumbai, India. Since then, more than 100 students have participated in global internships enabled through ENZ’s Prime Minister’s Scholarships, or self-funded. 

“Demand is growing for global internships among our students. They understand the value of work-based learning opportunities and increasingly can see the connection to international experience also,” said Brett.

This increasing interest in offshore learning experiences is encompassed in goal three of the New Zealand International Education Strategy – global citizenship.

New Zealand representatives from the University of Waikato, Canterbury University, Victoria University of Wellington, Auckland University of Technology and the University of Auckland will present at the GIC on their own experiences in growing participation in global internships, including perspectives from student participants.

These sessions will enable conference delegates to learn more about how New Zealand is engaging with global internships through analysis and case studies of different models for work-integrated learning being implemented across the country.

The 2019 Global Internship Conference will take place on 2-5 July, bringing together more than 300 delegates from around the world to discuss integrating employability and internships with study. 

To register or to find out more about the GIC, click here.

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