7 November 2018 at 9:00 am

Kiwis team up at AIEC 2018

The 32nd annual Australian International Education Conference (AIEC) last month was a chance for New Zealand international education representatives to gain insights, build relationships and explore new approaches.

ENZ Aus 2
The Australia – New Zealand government and international education sector roundtable meeting at AIEC 2018.

Held 9-12 October at the new International Convention Centre in Sydney, the theme for AIEC 2018 was ‘empowering a new generation’ and featured a diverse range of Australian and international speakers. With some 1,600 attendees, it was the largest AIEC to date.  

ENZ joined the strong New Zealand contingent there, including 40 representatives from seven New Zealand universities and Ara Institute of Canterbury.

Greg Scott, ENZ’s General Manager, Industry Development said it was a good opportunity to look at international education approaches across the ditch. 

The conference sessions provided valuable insights for participants on approaches from Australia, such as work-integrated learning and employability, internationalisation, transnational education and professional development for international education practitioners.” 

Hayley Shields, ENZ’s Director Student Experience, noted that many Australian international education representatives were impressed by New Zealand’s approach to the sector. 

“The industry in Australia is taking a keen interest in the New Zealand government’s strategic approach to sustainable growth, and our student-centred approach to experience and development of global citizens. 

As well as presentations from a number of our industry representatives, ENZ provided a New Zealand perspective through a number of sessions: 

  • Hayley appeared on a panel discussing innovative models of social inclusion and community engagement, while Ross Crosson, ENZ’s Student Experience Manager, took a deep dive into work led by ENZ’s Student Experience team, which garnered lots of interest and follow-up questions. 

  • Anna Dekker, ENZ Scholarships, joined Catherine Stephens (University of Auckland Careers team) and Kate Moore (Academic internship Council) to present how the Prime Minister’s scholarships are an enabler for international internship programmes. 

  • ENZ Business Development Managers Richard Kyle and Mary Camp explored the role of SIEBA in the international schools sector and the benefits of a strong and transparent sector/government partnership. 

  • Greg Scott joined Rebecca Hall, International Education leader for Austrade, to facilitate a New Zealand-Australia Roundtable meeting with participation from AustradeDepartment of Education and Training, International Education Association Australia (IEAA), New Zealand Ministry of Education, NZQA, Immigration NZ, Universities New Zealand and ENZ. They explored the potential for aligning activity in professional development, research and industry practices in areas of mutual advantage. An action plan is being considered to guide initial priorities during the next year. 

 

What's in it for me?