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Improving orientation programmes
At NZIEC 2018, a number of breakout sessions talked about the need to reconsider current approaches to orientation and student support in order to improve the student experience and increase their intercultural competence.
Izzie Guo
In the Inspiring global citizens panel discussion: How can we make a difference? Izzie Guo, ChristchurchNZ’s Student Experience Coordinator talked about their Student Ambassador programme, and how positive student experiences are often shaped by the social and extracurricular space, not the academic.
“Student Ambassadors are involved in events and activities around the city, some volunteer, some organise and MC big events like our Student Welcome. It’s a way to improve their interpersonal skills and make new friends. It helps them settle in and build connections,” said Izzie.
Student Ambassadors are also the first connection that new international students make – they run the airport welcome and support orientations at institutions, welcoming and greeting new students in their own language, asking them about their home and breaking the ice.
Education Tauranga has taken a similar approach. In Redefining orientation programmes, Anne Young talked about how Education Tauranga has redefined its orientation programme by holding events throughout the year to mitigate ‘culture shock’ and help students achieve a smooth transition to life and study in Tauranga.
Education Tauranga's international student orientation in February 2018
“For most people, orientation means the first two weeks a student arrives, but that’s really an induction to their education provider and region. Orientation should go well beyond that, because the transition to a new setting takes more than two weeks.
“The key is continual engagement. Throughout the year, you need to build relationships with international students and their families and show you have a continued offer.”
AFS research supports this approach. In her presentation, Global competence development in international education: Tools to make it happen, Marcela Lapertosa, AFS Director of Education and Intercultural Learning, said skilled facilitation and regular reflection is the answer.
Marcela Lapertosa
“It is not enough to make one phone call to a student each month asking yes or no questions, “do you like your homestay,” “do you like your school” – there needs to be an attempt to unpack differences, challenges and perceptions.”
AFS has undertaken research in this area to develop the AFS Student Learning Journey Curriculum, which includes a variety of one-on-one and group activities to help students reflect and understand their new surroundings and how best to navigate it.
“For example, you could ask the student and their host family to draw a picture of the floorplan of their home and use questions to learn more about each other: Where does your family spend the most time? What does a closed door mean? Does it mean someone is mad at you, or that they want privacy?” This kind of exercise shows how different cultural values are reflected in a building and can help students and their host family understand one another,” said Marcela.
“It can also make it easier for students to open up who are not natural reflectors, especially when done in a group with their homestay family or school peers.”
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Wellington celebrates international students
The winners, who came from both secondary and tertiary level, included an award-winning documentary filmmaker, a star kapa haka performer, a co-founder of the New Zealand International Students Association and students excelling in rugby, basketball and rowing.
They were selected from the following categories: academic excellence, alumni, arts and culture, community engagement, leadership and sport. Each winner received a trophy, certificate and tickets to a Wellington experience.
WREDA’s Talent, Skills and Education Manager Brook Pannell said the students’ achievements reflected extremely well on the individuals but were also a great reflection of the wider Wellington region.
"It not only speaks volumes about the students’ abilities and work ethics but also about the quality of education and mentorship they are receiving in Wellington,” he said.
At the ceremony, guests were treated to a musical performance by local international student Sojeong Kim, a violin soloist from Wellington East Girls College, as well as a rousing performance from South Wellington Intermediate School’s Kapa Haka group. Well-known playwright and actor Jacob Rajan MNZM was guest speaker.
Kapa Haka group from South Wellington Intermediate School.
Award Winners:
Academic excellence
- Vineet Kaur, Whitireia (India)
- Yucen (Ethan) Wu, Wellington High School (China)
Alumni category
- Siang Lim, Victoria University of Wellington (Malaysia)
- Yorke Yu, WelTec (China)
Arts and culture
- Yuki Sugito, Wainuiomata High School (Japan)
- Maja Zonjic, Victoria University of Wellington (Croatia, Canada)
Community engagement
- Anis Emalin Madihah Mohd Nadzri, Victoria University (Malaysia)
- Khang Phan, Massey University (Vietnam)
Leadership
- Dahee Sohn, Victoria University of Wellington (Korea)
- Ravethi (Rae) Jeyakumar, Victoria University of Wellington (Singapore)
Sports
- Sam Walsh, Scots College (USA)
- Amber Jiang, Queen Margaret College (China)
Click here for full details of the winners.
The awards were developed as part of WREDA’s Wellington International Student Growth Programme (WISGP), which has a goal of doubling the number of international students arriving in Wellington by 2025.
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Two new sector-facing leadership roles at ENZ
GM Sector Engagement
We look forward to welcoming Wendy Kerr to Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao (ENZ) on 3 October 2022. Ms Kerr will take up the newly-created role of General Manager, Sector Engagement. Joining us from fintech Valocity where she was Global Chief Operations Officer, Ms Kerr has rich experience in both education and commercial businesses globally.
Prior to Valocity, she was Director of the Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the University of Auckland. She led the team there to transform the Centre and enabled the University to be recognised as Entrepreneurial University of the Year in the Asia-Pacific.
Ms Kerr is also Board Director for The Icehouse and sits on the Board of Epsom Girls Grammar. Previous roles include General Manager for Pearson PLC London, and Asia-Pacific Marketing Manager for Apple. She has been a TEDx speaker and has published a number one bestseller on Amazon - ‘Corporate Crossovers’. Ms Kerr has a Ngāti Mutunga and Moriori heritage and will be based in our Auckland office.
The Sector Engagement group delivers strategic initiatives in partnership with sector partners and stakeholders, undertakes business development, and designs and delivers new products and services.
GM Sector Services
Sahinde Pala was recently appointed to the newly-created role of General Manager, Sector Services.Ms Pala joined ENZ in 2016 after 18 years working for a multinational group of English language schools. With a career dedicated to international education, she brought extensive private sector experience in international marketing, stakeholder engagement and student experience delivery to the organisation.
Ms Pala has held a number of roles at ENZ working with education providers, government stakeholders, regional groups, peak bodies, students’ associations and community groups. She was heavily involved in developing the International Student Wellbeing Strategy.
With a passion for delivering an excellent customer experience, Ms Pala will be leading the newly formed Sector Services team to deliver a suite of products and services that support the sector to rebuild and thrive. This includes student experience, global citizenship, global events, and agent engagement, as well as scholarships to support domestic students to have an international education experience, and international students to study in New Zealand.
Sahinde is based in our Auckland office and spends her time outside of work standing on the sidelines of sports fields supporting her young boys.
View all senior leadership team members here.
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Capability building in digital marketing
Conducted by George Hernandez of the Higher Education Consulting Group, the interactive, full-day workshops focussed on optimising student recruitment through all the seven stages of conversion.
Participants also assessed their internal marketing practices for each of the student conversion stages, from expression of interest to retention, and rated their practices against world standards.
Deanna Anderson, ENZ’s Business Development Manager, said the audit and assessment of marketing practices was a valuable exercise for the workshops.
“The assessment process was very useful for industry participants and helped spark some inspiration on tactics for new marketing plans for 2018,” she said.
Susie Robinson, CEO of the Higher Education Consulting Group, said the workshops highlighted the diversity of New Zealand's international student market, and the dedication of professionals working in the sector.
“A key benefit of the workshops was the realisation, for participants, that even small and cost-effective interventions can yield a big return when it comes to optimising the student recruitment pipeline.”
The workshop received encouraging feedback from participants as well.
“It was great that it [the workshop] took a holistic approach, looking at the whole student pipeline, and it really made you understand where your gaps are,” one participant wrote.
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ATEED launches new Auckland strategy to guide visitor economy
ATEED General Manager Destination, Steve Armitage, says while more visitors are good news economically, the growth comes with challenges.
“People travel to Auckland to experience the many things our region has to offer. For some, it’s the world-class food and wine; for others, it’s the sporting, cultural and business events; or international students, who come from around the world to study at our learning institutions,” said Steve.
“It’s important that we continue to attract visitors to support and create jobs and amenities that benefit locals and visitors…so that Auckland is better off not just economically, but also socially and environmentally.”
The strategy outlines six strategic imperatives and key focus areas, and a comprehensive list of actions to deliver these, with two directly relating to international education:
- A Captivating Place: A region that entices visitors to stay longer and that locals love more than ever. Actions include developing an international student visitor plan.
- A Skilled Place: A region where more young men and women are choosing globally relevant careers in the visitor economy. Actions include developing a visitor sector training and employment strategy for youth and enhancing standards across the service sector.
Destination AKL 2025 was guided by an industry leadership group, and involved extensive consultation including interviews, workshops and discussions, as well as international benchmarking and surveys.
ENZ Chief Executive Grant McPherson, who was part of the industry leadership group, says that ATEED is showing real leadership in the way it is looking at its visitor plan.
He said this is evident in the way the strategy is based around destination management and not just attraction. This should ensure visitors are acknowledged as an asset to the Auckland region – a perspective that will reflect positively on the experience visitors go on to have in Auckland.
“International students are an important part of the visitor community and we are delighted that the strategy reflects this through the inclusion of an international student visitor plan.”
"The strategy has involved significant cross-industry collaboration to get to this point, and the plan is to keep this going. We are very optimistic about the direction Auckland is heading in and are looking forward to working with Auckland to bring it to life.”
Click here to read or download Destination AKL 2025.
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Around the world in five
Asia
A shift towards non-recruitment based engagement with Indian schools could be key to better managing student expectations, stakeholders have suggested. Those who have done it well – particularly schools in the US – have created engagement through faculty, immersion trips, experiential learning opportunities, curriculum engagement and alumni, The PIE learned.
North America
British Columbia is Canada's westernmost province, and a leading destination for international students within Canada. On 1 March, the BC Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills released details of how the international student cap will be applied within the province's education system.
Europe
A new paper from a group of experts, including three former universities ministers, challenges suggestions that the United Kingdom has too many international students and warns that the government is using out-of-date data to predict the number of overseas students expected to come to the UK for their higher education.
Africa
International educators need to prepare for ‘The Africa Decade’, where enrolment growth rates of African students globally are expected to hit their fastest rates over the next 10 years. Modelling suggested African students will account for one in eight international students by 2050, but visa rejections are seriously hampering efforts to enrol students from across the continent.
Oceania
International students are more open to switching destinations following recent government policy changes in three of the top destinations – Australia, Canada and the UK, with the UK most affected and the USA looking set to benefit, according to a student survey conducted by global higher education-focused agency group IDP Education.
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Inaugural Chief Executive Grant McPherson moving on after 12 years of service
Grant has been in the role since ENZ’s inception nearly 12 years ago, leading the organisation’s development and growth to what it is today.
“Over the course of his leadership, we saw significant growth of the international education sector that saw it become New Zealand’s fourth-largest export earner pre-Covid.
“ENZ launched the “Think New” brand and received several international and local awards recognising achievements in public relations and marketing (including digital). We have been entrusted by our NZ Inc. partners with initiatives such as the Manaaki scholarships.
“Alongside the highs, Grant also led the efforts to help the sector manage the challenges brought on by the pandemic. He chaired the International Education Chief Executives' Group. Together with peers from other government agencies with interests in international education, the group helped to drive the Government's International Education Recovery Plan.
“If the New Zealand International Education Conference KI TUA in August 2023 was anything to go by, the international education sector is in good heart and energised to rebuild.
“I appreciated Grant’s support as I took on the Chair role earlier this year. The Board and I thank him sincerely for his service and wish him well,” Tracey said.
Grant says he is proud of the incredible work ENZ and the international education sector have been doing to take New Zealand education to the world, particularly how we have navigated the complex environment post the pandemic.
“It’s fantastic to see what ENZ and the international education sector have achieved in such a short span of time. It has been an amazing adventure made possible by the great people of this organisation and this sector, thank you,” he said.
Grant will finish his role in mid-November and Dr Linda Sissons has been appointed as Acting Chief Executive while ENZ undertakes the recruitment process for a new Chief Executive.
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Threads of Heritage exhibition highlights enduring New Zealand-India creative partnership
Auckland‑based design school Whitecliffe recently hosted Threads of Heritage, a vibrant exhibition celebrating global collaboration between Whitecliffe and India’s National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT).
The exhibition showcased student work inspired by India’s rich textile traditions, developed through an intensive academic collaboration supported by the Indian Ministry of Textiles. Through hands‑on learning with visiting NIFT academics and master artisans, students explored sustainable craft practices while translating cultural heritage into contemporary design outcomes.
Speaking at the exhibition, Whitecliffe Chief Executive Officer Dr Fay Amaral highlighted the value of international collaboration in creative education.
“Threads of Heritage reflects the very best of what creative education can achieve when students are supported by strong academic leadership and a deeply committed professional team,” Fay said.
“The exhibition speaks to the confidence, curiosity, and cultural intelligence of our students, and to the power of international collaboration in shaping designers who are both globally aware and creatively courageous.”
Whitecliffe Chief Executive Officer Dr Fay Amaral (left) with ENZ Group General Manager - International and Sector Engagement, Sahinde Pala, at the exhibition
Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao (ENZ) Group General Manager International and Sector Engagement, Sahinde Pala said the partnership between Whitecliffe and NIFT is a great example of how sustained connections deliver meaningful outcomes over time.
“Whitecliffe’s long‑standing relationship with NIFT shows what’s possible when institutions invest in partnerships and people get to know each other over many years. These collaborations aren’t just about programmes, they’re about sharing cultures, learning from one another, and building trust. That’s what really strengthens New Zealand’s global relationships.”
The partnership continues to build momentum, with Prime Minister’s Scholarship for Asia students set to travel to India in June to visit NIFT, further strengthening two‑way academic exchange between New Zealand and India.
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Student Ambassadors build global citizenship skills
Since it was set up in 2021, the programme has involved around 85 secondary and 50 tertiary students in six participating regions – Northland, Auckland, Tauranga and Western Bay of Plenty, Hawkes Bay, Whanganui and Wellington. Northland acted as national coordinator.
“International students can sometimes find it difficult to connect with locals, make friends or venture outside their campus,” says Sahinde Pala, GM Sector Services at Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao (ENZ).
“Language and cultural barriers, hesitation to meet new people, lack of knowledge of opportunities off campus, or budget constraints – many factors can play a part. The emergence of Covid-19 and lockdowns made it even more important to address these challenges, and so we worked with a range of people, including regional partners and Welcoming Communities, to develop the student ambassador programme.”
The programme has developed differently in each region, but with the same shared goals. Another common factor has been the training provided for student ambassadors – the opportunity to complete a New Zealand Global Competence certificate, training in social media, and specially tailored training provided by ISANA NZ.
“Student ambassadors are bridgebuilders and leaders, who create opportunities for students from different cultures to form relationships and learn about each other,” Ms Pala says.
“The ambassadors themselves also gain from the programme, by developing their understanding of cultural differences and learning new skills and strategies that are valued by employers. And regional communities benefit when international students feel valued and connected – they are more likely to remain in the area or recommend it to others.”
The ISANA NZ Student Ambassador Training explores intercultural concepts in an interactive and engaging format that can be run online or in-person. Participants are then able to apply their learning to develop activities and events that help students to connect with the wider community. Debrief sessions towards the close of a programme cycle support students to reflect on what they have learned from being a student ambassador.
“I enjoyed learning about how communication works between different cultures, going over cultural values and how some are visible and invisible and learning top tips to help me improve as an ambassador” – student feedback.
“Our Northland student ambassadors joined the ISANA workshop as a group of excited students interested in global citizenship and finished as a tight knit group of inter-cultural leaders in the school community. They learnt to work together, giving everyone a chance to contribute and respecting each other’s perspectives. The communication and planning skills honed in the workshop, enabled them to run a large-scale ‘Matariki Kai Festival’ event, introducing a range of food from cultures across the school to the students.” – Jo Lees, National Ambassador Coordinator and Project Manager at Study Northland.
Other activities sparked by the programme in different parts of New Zealand have included a Kiwi Cooking Class, an Auckland Weekly video series, international languages week events and Matariki events organised and run by the ambassadors, diplomatic events attended by ambassadors from other countries and an International Students Issues Panel Discussion.
One of the student ambassadors was recently profiled by ENZ: Michael Ren – Award-winning app designer eyes a future in tech | Education New Zealand (enz.govt.nz)
Several regions have indicated they hope to continue their student ambassador programme beyond 2022: Northland, Tauranga and Hawke’s Bay.
“This student ambassador training is much needed, not only for the international education sector but also across wider communities in New Zealand. In fact, I think everyone could benefit from this training if they have not received similar training before in intercultural communications and leadership,” says Wenhua Yang, Regional Manager at Learning Hawkes Bay.
To learn more about the ISANA NZ Student Ambassador Training, please contact: caroline.stevenson@isana.nz
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Indonesia's school influencer training
Some 250 participants were trained across two days in Jakarta, with another 100 participants trained in Surabaya. They included counsellors and principals from high schools, vocational schools and madrassah schools.
Karmela Christy, ENZ’s Market Manager for Indonesia, said school counsellors and principals are crucial to the development of their students. With this in mind, ENZ held training sessions delivered by the University of Otago and Otago Polytechnic.
“This year’s programme was aimed at empowering counsellors and principals to support and prepare students for working lives that would need to adapt to rapid technological and social change,” said Karmela.
Matthew Carter (Otago Polytechnic) trains school principals in Surabaya Four Pillar Leadership.
“The sessions emphasised that the role of the counsellor is not merely about subject choices but also about character and the development of the right soft skills."
The annual programme, which was first delivered in 2016, is a partnership with Fortrust Education which supports the coordination of all activities with schools in Jakarta and Surabaya.
This year, ENZ also partnered with Jakarta Capital City Government. Jakarta Vice Governor, Sandiaga Uno, as well as New Zealand Ambassador to Indonesia, Trevor Matheson, were also involved.
ENZ representatives, school counsellors and the Fortrust Education team together.
