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ENZ Agent Seminars in China make a strong impact for rebuilding connections

China is the largest source of international students for New Zealand with agents being the leading channel for student recruitment in this market. Building strong connections between providers and agents in China is critical to recovering student mobility, improving awareness of New Zealand as a study destination and strengthening New Zealand's market position. ENZ's Agent Seminars in China are a well-recognised and impactful way of building relationships with a range of key agents.

Education Counsellor and ENZ’s Regional Director Greater China, Michael Zhang, (far left) at the Beijing Agent Seminar with representatives from New Oriental Education Agency and H.E. Grahame Morton, New Zealand Ambassador to People’s Republic of China.

In addition, Agent Seminars also help to keep agents informed with the latest official information and is an important tool that Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao (ENZ) and other NZ Inc agencies use to share such information. According to recent Immigration New Zealand (INZ) data, agents in China have a high approval rate for student visa processing.
Currently, ENZ runs its Agent Seminar series twice a year in this region and this latest series of events held in Chengdu, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Beijing were supported by the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) and INZ. INZ’s China-based representatives gave in-person presentations, an initiative which was well received with 88% of agents reporting its inclusion as “very or extremely important to their attendance” in a post-event survey.

Participants at the Hong Kong Agent Seminar discuss New Zealand education offerings.

Kevin Wang from the International College of Auckland presenting at the Shanghai Agent Seminar.

To leverage the visibility of New Zealand education providers in the China market, ENZ facilitated media interviews and social media recordings for participants at the Shanghai and Chendgu Seminars. New Zealand providers and ENZ representatives in Chengdu conducted interviews with 13 journalists, the highest response rate for media attending Agent Seminars to date. As a result, three million views were achieved from 58 stories published by 27 local media outlets, with New Zealand university representatives quoted in a media story and an exclusive interview and story for Te Pūkenga on the uniqueness of New Zealand's vocational education in a separate article.

Joyce Zhang, University of Otago, is interviewed by a journalist from local media in Chengdu at the ENZ Agent Seminar.
In Shanghai, the ENZ Shanghai team delivered a China marketing insights session for sector representatives. The presentation titled “Unlocking China’s Education Market: Insights and tools for success” covered:
- The key drivers of the consumer
- China’s media/digital/social media landscape
- The big four – WeChat, Little Red Book, Douyin and Bilibili (case studies included)
- ENZ’s China local marketing plan.
Anyone interested in receiving a copy of the Marketing Presentation can access this here on ENZ’s Intellilab.

ENZ collaborated with Shinyway, the largest agent in the eastern region of China to produce short videos for the agency to promote online. The online promotion aimed to leverage brand awareness of a New Zealand education showcasing New Zealand providers attending the Shanghai event. A big kudos goes to the 18 brave New Zealand representatives who accepted the invitation to participate in the filming. Education Counsellor and Regional Director Greater China, Michael Zhang, was also interviewed to present the advantages of a New Zealand education and our institutions across all sectors.

Shinyway has published all the videos on their consumer-facing social media platforms, including WeChat, Little Red Book, and Weibo. The collaboration enhances New Zealand providers’ market exposure by leveraging Shinyway's influence across their digital platforms and reaching prospective audiences in China elevating our brand profile within a highly targeted audience group.

Mary Nixon, Principal of Takapuna Grammar School participating in the recording for sharing on social media. The first trial video published on Shinyway's WeChat received over 300 engagements including likes, shares, favorites and comments.

87.5% of New Zealand education providers also said that “attendance at the seminars was either “very valuable” or “valuable” for their organisation.”

The dates and locations for the next round of Agent Seminars in China will be announced soon. These details will be posted on the ENZ Events page along with the link for registering.
Meet the Team: Matt Penney
Could you please outline your own role and the role of the Corporate Services team?
I head up our Finance and IT teams and sit on the leadership team. I am a member of the Audit & Risk committee and chair the Digital Steering group.
Finance is responsible for paying our invoices, keeping accounting records, business partnering, helping to set budgets and reforecasting those as things change. We do a lot of reporting and work with tax people, auditors and do other forms of compliance. Audit NZ has awarded us their highest rating for the past three years.
IT provides many of the essential tools, technology, and training for us to be able to do our job. ENZ is putting in place one of the most, if not the most, advanced IT-managed cloud computing solution within the public sector.
We operate in many different jurisdictions around the world, so we face many different challenges at a local level. We are also part of the NZ Inc government sector and there is a lot of knowledge and services that we can and do share with each other.
How has COVID-19 impacted your team’s work, and what work do you have ahead of you with the recovery?
In the current environment, we have helped to reconfigure ENZ’s work programme. We have supported the identification of new activities that support the international education sector, connect with the international students in New Zealand, and gather intelligence about the markets for New Zealand providers. I think we have all gone through a reboot the last few months and as is often said, “we should never let a good crisis go to waste” and miss the chance to make positive change.
In terms of my team’s work programme, that’s actually full steam ahead. We have nearly completed our IT-managed cloud computing solution, desk phones have been replaced with soft phone telephony, we are trialling updated Zoom hardware, and putting in new, improved global managed internet connections. We are also go-live shortly with a new finance system to ensure ENZ staff can spend less time on administration and more time on value-add activities.
Can you tell me a bit about your professional background?
I belong to the New Zealand professional bodies for Directors and Chartered Accountants. and have 25 years of business experience in a mixture of private and public sector roles. Six years of that experience was gained in the UK and Ireland. I really enjoyed my time working overseas.
I joined ENZ in 2014; this is my first government agency role.
Accounting is a transferable skill, so I have had an interesting journey across many different sectors. I have toured around power stations, air traffic control towers, coal mines – who says accounting is boring!

Matt (about to receive a hand up) competing in an adventure race in China.

What do you like to do in your spare time?
My interests are built around my family; I am married with 11 and 8-year-old boys. I like my travel – one of the benefits of COVID is that my leave balance is now positive again!
Once upon a time we backpacked our way around Asia and Europe and did a truck tour across southern Africa. I have been to something like 60 countries, but these days we do more family-friendly things like go to Ohope, Rarotonga and the South Island ski fields.
I have done the annual Coast to Coast race across the South Island four times and Ironman NZ once. In the past couple of years I’ve tried adventure racing in China where we’ve won enough prize money to cover the costs of getting there. We raced in Wulong and I could not go all that way without popping in to see Felix in our nearest ENZ office in Guangzhou.
Thirty groups awarded PM's Scholarships for Asia and Latin America
The successful groups were announced by Education Minister Chris Hipkins today, and mark the outcome of the first round of the scholarships since they were paused due to COVID-19.
Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao (ENZ) congratulates all the successful recipients, who include a marae, non-profit organisation TupuToa, six of New Zealand's eight universities, Te Pūkenga, and a number of private training establishments.
A full list of recipients is available here.
Chris Hipkins also announced that the scholarships will open for individual applications this month. Applications will be open from 18 July - 31 August 2022. More information, including how to apply, is available here.
About the scholarships
The Prime Minister's Scholarships for Asia and Latin America are funded by the New Zealand Government and administered by Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao.
Since 2013, the scholarships have supported more than 2,400 New Zealanders on learning experiences in Asia and Latin America.
Update from Immigration NZ
Improving how Immigration New Zealand processes Student Visa applications

You may be aware that Immigration New Zealand (INZ) will move student visa applications onto its enhanced Immigration Online platform in the second half of 2025.

As part of this work, INZ is designing ways to improve the experience of applicants by:
- making it clearer which type of student visa to apply for
- improving information on the evidence requirements (especially financial evidence and demonstrating genuine, or bona fide intentions) and
- improving visibility of the progress of applications.
After initial designs are developed, INZ will test these with a group of students and nominees from education provider peak bodies that include:
- Universities New Zealand
- Te Pūkenga
- Schools International Education Business Association (SIEBA)
- Independent Schools NZ (ISNZ)
- Independent Tertiary Education New Zealand (ITENZ)
- Quality Tertiary Institutions (QTI)
- English New Zealand (Private and University English Language Colleges)
This work is centred around ways customers apply for student visas, and how INZ processes these. Substantive policy change is not part of this work.

INZ's focus is on implementing key improvements for students and the sector and ensuring a successful transition to its enhanced Immigration Online platform.
GP practice for international students
Caring Clinic is focused on meeting the needs of international students and migrants from Asia, providing services in Cantonese and Mandarin as well as English, and offers innovative services including Skype consultations after hours and e-prescriptions.
The new clinic has been welcomed by the Auckland Agency Group (AAG), a cross-agency collaboration of central and local government agencies formed to lead communication with international student groups, ethnic communities and providers in Auckland.
Hayley Shields, ENZ’s Director of Student Experience and Chair of AAG, said the new clinic reflects the shift to make support services more attuned to students’ cultural needs.
“More than 60 per cent of international student enrolments are in Auckland, and it’s important for students to be able to access culturally appropriate healthcare services.
“This is one of the key objectives in the New Zealand International Student Wellbeing Strategy.”
Dr Jessie Liu and Dr Ruoh Sim, the two principal doctors at Caring Clinic, came to New Zealand as teenagers and both studied medicine at Otago University.
A new home for international students
After extensive refurbishment, the Ellen Melville Centre and redesigned Freyberg Place in the heart of the city have re-opened to the public in September 2017.
The combined facility offers an open air public space for relaxing and enjoying the sunshine, as well as an indoor community centre with an exciting new range of programmes and activities – many of them free of charge.
The Auckland Agency Group (AAG), a cross-agency collaboration of central and local government agencies set up to improve international student wellbeing in Auckland, welcomes the new space and format.
Hayley Shields, ENZ’s Director of Student Experience and Chair of AAG, said the location of the new community centre makes it an ideal spot for international students to meet locals and other students.
“An estimated 20,000 international students reside in the CBD and want to be part of the local community.
“The centre will be a great place where international students can converge, meet and make new friends and feel part of the community.”
Formerly known as Pioneer Women’s and Ellen Melville Hall, the new Ellen Melville Centre has five diverse spaces that can be booked for meetings, private functions, exhibitions, films, concerts and performances.
Individuals, and arts, cultural and community groups interested in providing programmes at the centre are encouraged to make contact on this link.
From the Acting Chief Executive: Cold temperatures, warm hearts

Tēnā koutou katoa

As a recent “polar blast” bought frost and icy conditions across New Zealand, my thoughts turned to the international students who arrived here in the warmth of summer. Living a long way from home in a different country is challenging enough without being subjected to freezing conditions. The good news is that all our research and everything we hear from our international students is that the welcome and manaakitanga they receive is universally warm.

In our Student Experience survey of 4,755 international students from the end of last year, more than 70 nationalities, 84 percent rated their overall experience positively, while another 83 percent said they would recommend New Zealand as a study destination.

Last Wednesday, along with our Chair, Tracey Bridges, we appeared before the Education and Workforce Select Committee comprising nine Members of Parliament. This happens every year. As a government agency it is part of reporting to Parliament. I am extremely heartened by the level of interest all the committee members had in international education. It is good to know the sector has advocates within Parliament.

Tracey has recently returned from Singapore, Thailand, and the Philippines as a member of the business delegation supporting Prime Minister, Rt Hon Christopher Luxon. Education was a big part of the Prime Minister’s itinerary, and it was great to have Tracey in the delegation. Throughout the entire trip we took every opportunity to emphasise the benefits of international education to the Prime Minister. A good example was in Thailand where ENZ hosted a series of engagements, including the New Zealand Alumni Networking Event. At this event the Prime Minister met 25 accomplished New Zealand alumni, who have made substantial contributions to the bilateral relationship between New Zealand and Thailand. You can read more about the visit in our E-News article here.

New Zealanders going offshore for an experience is an important part of international education and ENZ’s work. It is pleasing then to see 60 applications for the group round of the Prime Minister’s Scholarship for Asia and Latin America that closed 19 April 2024. Of the 60, 22 were for Latin America and 38 for Asia. The applications are being assessed and successful scholarship recipients will be determined in a few weeks’ time.

In summary it has been, as it always is, a busy and productive month across international education. May will be no different.

Waiho kia pātai ana, he kaha ui te kaha

Let the questioning continue; the ability of the person is in asking questions.

Keep warm everyone.

Dr Linda Sissons
Acting Chief Executive
Indigenous Malyasian students learn about Te Ao Māori
Scholastica Philip, who is of Kadazan descent, together with Diana Bah Said and Norazah Din, both of Semai ethnicity, have been studying the Te Ao Māori and Sustainability course on the Mission New Zealand online platform.
All three say they gained a great deal from the short course, which included an introduction to biculturalism, and the five stages of the design thinking process.
“Biculturalism in Aotearoa New Zealand is fascinating,” Norazah said. “We learned about Māori settling in New Zealand, and I really want to experience their culture and daily life if I have the chance in the future.”
Scholastica noticed some common themes around sustainability in Te Ao Māori, and the importance of nature and food in her Kadazan culture, which is from East Malaysia.
“We take care of nature as we take care of humans - we need to take care of all living things.
“There is an ancient story for Kadazan people about Huminodun, a very beautiful woman who sacrificed herself to create food and bring rain to stop the cursed drought season for her people. This story is about how closely we are connected with nature.
“We learned on the course that Māori and non-Māori are working together in New Zealand to achieve a sustainable ecological system – I love the concept,” Scholastica said.
Norazah and Diana also noted how important trees and rivers are in their distinctive Semai culture, which is based in North Malaysia.
“We have a very strong connection with nature - as much as we respect each other,” Diana said.

Norazah with a friend at the Festival of Langauge

Scholastica and Diana at university in Kuala Lumpur

Norazah and Diana are in their second year of study at Universiti Malaya, and Scholastica is in her third year.
Scholastica has also completed an introductory course in te Reo Māori, and you can hear her pepeha here.

Ben Burrowes, Regional Director Asia for Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao (ENZ) says the Whakatipu Scholarships are funded by ENZ and Universiti Malaya.
“We are aiming to empower talented young indigenous students, support them with learning and exchange opportunities, and encourage knowledge sharing.

Scholastica at the Sabah Fiesta with a group of Thai buddies

“This is the first year of the scholarship, and it’s great to see these students making the most of this opportunity.”
Read more about the Whakatipu Scholarships on the ENZ website here.
Read more about Mission New Zealand on ENZ’s New Products and Services website here
Big audience for ECE symposium streamed live from China
The New Zealand-China Early Childhood Education Symposium streamed live from Qingdao in Shandong Province in September, attracting an audience of around 24,000 viewers on a Chinese language streaming service, 170 at the venue and dozens more online from Norway, Mexico and Turkey.
The audience for the symposium, organised by Education New Zealand, has grown 20-fold since the first event in 2020, proving the appeal of events streamed in several languages.
The theme of this year’s symposium was the best practice for developing high-quality early childhood education (ECE) teachers.
Data from 2020 show there were over 48 million children enrolled in Chinese kindergartens and a shortage of nearly 300,000 full-time ECE teachers.
Delegates heard from New Zealand experts at the Ministry of Education, the University of Auckland, the Open Polytechnic, AUT, Te Rito Maioha Early Childhood New Zealand and Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology.
Toi Ohomai presenter Dr Rosemary Richards spoke from New Zealand on how to interact with children on visual art. She welcomes chances like these to share her work with a large and diverse audience.
“In this increasingly globalised world of education, it is important for educators to find ways to have meaningful connections that extend our intercultural and professional understandings,” Dr Richards says.
“The online symposium and live streaming also allowed for connections with wider communities and audiences that are not possible in traditional formats. Perhaps our future holds more potential for a combination of both.”
ENZ worked with the China Ministry of Education and the China Centre for International People-to-People Exchange to organise the symposium.
Local organisers included the Qingdao Municipal Education Bureau, the China National Society of Early Childhood Education, the Qingdao Preschool Education College and the Shanghai Institute of Early Childhood Education under Shanghai Normal University.
New Zealand and China collaborate on early childhood education under the mechanism of the Joint Working Group on Education and Training, last held in February 2021.
Want to know more about the symposium or upcoming ENZ initiatives in China? Contact China@enz.govt.nz

The University of Auckland’s Dr Marek Tesar and Dr Kiri Gould gave a keynote presentation on the pathway to becoming an ECE teacher. Audience members could scan the QR code on the screen to connect on WeChat.
Kiwi schools hit the road in the Philippines
Led by a team of ENZ staff, the group made the journey through Manila and Cebu over one week in September in a (very cosy) ENZ bus.
Desiree Lee, ENZ’s Market Manager, Malaysia and Philippines, said it was great to see the camaraderie shared by New Zealand providers and the shared vision of promoting New Zealand education to the world.
“We had a blast hosting our energetic providers from the university, ITP, PTE and school sectors across the Philippines. We braved the Manila traffic together, met with more than 200 international school students whose interests ranged from medicine to creative writing.”
The providers had another chance to meet school counsellors, New Zealand alumni and parents at the ENZ Networking Night hosted by Ambassador to the Philippines, David Strachan, at the Official Residence.
“Most Filipino students considering study abroad are from the private education network and, to attract these students to New Zealand, we have to be prepared to compete against strong brand names like there are in the US,” explains Desiree.
“The US is the most high-profile study destination for Filipino students, with a very active in-market presence including many Ivy League names such as Stanford University.
“Targeted activities such as the Schools Roadshow is a chance to get some face time with these students and present our unique offering.”
The tour of the Philippines was capped off with an oversubscribed agent seminar in Cebu, where Immigration New Zealand gave key market updates.
“They revealed that Cebu, Quezon City, Metro Manila, Davao del Sur and Cavite are the top five regions where student applicants are coming from.
“INZ also highly recommends the use of its online application platform which is far more cost and time efficient.”
New Zealand providers included Carmel College, Rangitoto College, University of Auckland, Massey University, ACG Education, Ara Institute of Canterbury, Southern Institute of Technology, Toi Ohomai, WelTec & Whitireia, Eastern Institute of Technology, Manukau Institute of Technology, Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology, and more.
Braving traffic in Manila on the ENZ Bus

At the Chinese International School Manila