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From the CE: Honouring our commitment to international students
The Government has announced today that a new border exception will allow 250 international PhD and postgraduate students to enter New Zealand and continue their studies.
Read Minister of Education Chris Hipkins’ official release.
This is a positive first step on the path to recovery and is consistent with the Recovery Plan for International Education.
It is recognition that international education is important to New Zealand and will play a vital role in the country’s rebuild and recovery from COVID-19. Prior to COVID, international education was New Zealand’s fifth-largest export earner, earning $5 billion a year and supporting around 45,000 jobs.
Moreover, the international students included in this group have had their postgraduate study or research disrupted by COVID-19, and cannot complete it due to the practical nature of their course. They have made a commitment to New Zealand, and that’s something we want to honour.
ENZ’s next step is to work with tertiary providers as they identify and select eligible students, and to continue to work with other government agencies to ensure a safe and considered process is developed for these students to enter the country.
ENZ is looking forward to further border exceptions that will benefit as many providers and students as possible, when it is safe to do so.
We will also have work underway to make sure the students entering New Zealand receive a warm welcome and have the information they need to succeed.
I am very proud of the manaakitanga that New Zealand education providers have been demonstrating throughout the COVID-19 crisis this year.
Please continue to encourage your students to sign up to NauMai NZ, our digital home for students who have chosen to study in New Zealand. Over the COVID-19 crisis, it has continually been updated and expanded with information international students need to know.
In the early hours of Saturday, 2 October, ENZ’s NauMai NZ was awarded a Highly Commended in the Student Support category at The PIEoneer Awards. We are delighted to be recognised for this work alongside such a varied list of international organisations.
You can read more about NauMai NZ in this issue of E-News.
He waka eke noa (we’re all in this together).
Grant McPherson
Chief Executive
Manapou ki te Ao
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China and New Zealand discuss vocational collaboration
New Zealand ITPs, PTEs and a delegation of 51 senior leaders from Chinese vocational education institutions attended the 6th Annual Sino New Zealand Model Programme Symposium to share research and discuss collaboration in vocational education.
The symposium theme was fostering innovation and entrepreneurship skills in students at vocational and training institutions.
The head of the Chinese delegation, Mr Chen Qiaming, Chair of Council at Szenshen Polytechnic, said innovation and entrepreneurship skills are vital to China’s Made in China 2025 strategy and that Chinese TVET institutions must cultivate these skills in its students. For this reason, many Chinese institutions are looking to collaborate with New Zealand institutions for teacher and student exchanges and assistance with curriculum development.
It was apparent in discussions that Chinese delegates value New Zealand’s “integrated” multi-disciplinary approach and are keen to embed such approaches in their own education programmes. Besides an ongoing interest in vocational teacher training, there also seemed to be growing interest in work-readiness and English-language courses to help create an “internationalised” and employable workforce in China.
China’s appetite for establishing its credentials as a provider of international education also continues to grow – a number of Chinese representatives said hosting international students from New Zealand was a key priority for them.
ENZ’s Regional Director – China & North Asia, Adele Bryant, said the scale of Chinese representation there reflected the appeal of partnering with New Zealand.
“China’s interest in pursuing new opportunities with our vocational institutions is a testament to our reputation for creating creative and innovative thinkers and developing soft skills required for the modern workforce – as evidenced by New Zealand’s ranking first in the world for preparing students for the future.”
“It makes a lot of sense for our two countries to work together to leverage each other’s strengths.”
Tony O’Brien, Sino NZ Model Programme Director, said it was very unusual to get such a large group of senior leaders from China in New Zealand for such an event. It was therefore excellent to have so many New Zealand providers represented at the conference to network and form relationships with their peers in China.
ENZ Chief Executive Grant McPherson spoke at the forum, which was also attended by representatives from 11 New Zealand ITPs (NMIT, Weltec/Whitireia, SIT, WINTEC, UNITEC, Toi Ohomai, Otago Polytechnic, MIT, EIT, UCOL and NorthTec), four PTES (ACG, New Zealand Institute of Education, Tasman International Academies and Skills International), and delegates from the Industry Training Federation and New Zealand Council for Educational Research.
The Sino NZ Model Programme is part of the Strategic Education Partnership Agreement between New Zealand and China. It is a vehicle for deeper and broader collaboration between the two countries’ professional and vocational education and training sectors.
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Summer holiday fun for Vietnamese students at the 2023 New Zealand Future Skills Camp
At this year’s camp, in addition to NZ EdTech Code Avengers which specialises in digital skills training, Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao (ENZ) also worked with another NZ Ed Tech company Chasing Time English, a digital platform that enhances English language learning through exclusive short films. Three local partners were involved to help promote and deliver training sessions for the students.
20 teams were shortlisted for the camps which ran from Saturday 24 June to Sunday 2 July 2023. The teams could participate in a variety of online and in-person group work and interactive activities, learning coding skills together with English skills for an intercultural environment. After the camps, the teams were required to work on a coding project themed “Making a creative and impressive 'Our Future Profile' Webpage introducing your team 15-20 years from now”.
The top eight teams with the most impressive webpages were then invited to present their products, in English, to a panel of judges on Sunday 16 July. The other teams from the 20 who were shortlisted were also invited to the Awards Ceremony held on Friday 7 July to receive certificates and announcement of the final results either in person or virtually.
His Excellency Mr. Scott James, New Zealand Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City, attended the Awards Ceremony. In his remarks, he said “All of the students here are already winners because you have not only surpassed many contestants to come this far, but you have also taken the courage to step out of your comfort zone and embark on this adventure to learn new skills.”
Assoc. Prof. Minh Nguyen, Head of Department Computer Science and Software Engineering at Auckland University of Technology, was one of the judges who evaluated the teams’ webpages and then the short-listed presentations. He commented: “It was an absolute pleasure to be a part of such an inspiring event. The creativity and innovation displayed by the teams was truly impressive.”
Ms. Karen Kemsley, Production Manager at Chasing Time English who taught students at online sessions, said: “I had a wonderful time with the NZ Future Skills Camp students. Everyone participated enthusiastically which made the classes both fun and engaging. They took every opportunity they could to share creative opinions and ideas while demonstrating excellent English language skills. They were an absolute delight!”
The 1st prize winning team, together with two 2nd prize winning teams went on to represent Viet Nam at the New Zealand – Asia Code Camp Day on 5 August with other students from Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea and Thailand.
NZFSC not only provided an exciting and meaningful summer event for the participating students, but also left both students and their parents with a very positive impression of Aotearoa New Zealand as an innovative, welcoming and beautiful destination for their potential international education plans.
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Japanese teachers tour Kiwi schools
The 10 teacher participants were carefully selected from New Zealand education seminars in 2018. It was oversubscribed, showing strong interest among Japanese teachers wanting to learn about what makes New Zealand education special.
In partnership with SIEBA and regional education bodies, the group visited four schools and enjoyed tourism activities in Hamilton, Cambridge, Rotorua, Taupo, Tauranga and Auckland including Te Puia, Huka Falls and the Waitomo Caves to show what each city offers students outside of the classroom.
Misa Kitaoka, ENZ’s Senior Market Development Manager for Japan, said the teachers were very interested to learn about Kiwi’s different approaches to teaching.
“A teacher from Tauranga Boys’ College showed us how Google Classroom was used in his class which was a great learning experience for the Japanese teachers as they transition from lecture style to more student-led learning,” said Misa.
“NCEA offering subjects like food technology, creative arts and performing arts was also seen as a real strength of New Zealand’s secondary school education, as it supports creativity as well as students’ wellbeing.
“The teachers were particularly impressed by the strong Māori influence in New Zealand schools.”
An English language teacher from Hiroshima Jogakuin Junior and Senior High School noted, “During this tour, I was so impressed with Māori culture and their spirituality. I would very much like my students to enjoy the lovely experience that I had there, to learn what well-being is, and to find a path they can follow.”
With Japan hosting the 2019 Rugby World Cup and 2020 Olympics and Paralympics, the Japanese government will be implementing education policies to promote English education, resulting in a strong interest from schools and universities across Japan to study abroad to learn English.
“Since 2015, school teacher famils have resulted in an increase of 735 students,” said Misa.
“These famils wouldn’t have been possible without our partnership with Air New Zealand. We are very interested in replicating it in the future for the tertiary sector.”
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ENZ to test new digital platform for improving students’ experiences
“After two years of research and consideration, we have developed a world-leading digital solution to improve student experience outcomes wherever they study and live in New Zealand,” said ENZ Student Experience Director, Hayley Shields.
Hayley said ‘nau mai’ was both an invitation and a welcome in Māori and, in this instance, a call to action.
The platform, NauMai NZ, has been created in the spirit of manaakitanga – to welcome and respect our visitors, support them as they transition into a new country and culture, aid social inclusion and help them have the best possible experience whilst here.
“Students have consistently told us they require improved access to timely, accurate information, and guidance about the best places to find answers to their questions,” said Hayley.
“NauMai NZ will help international students get the pre-emptive information they need, and make suggestions to support them as they navigate daily life in their new home.”
The new platform will be rolled out in three phases. The first phase will help education providers to meet student needs by directing them to a single source of government information. Information on the site reflects the international student journey from pre-arrival and across the first six months.
“NauMai NZ is directed toward life, work and social connections beyond a school or campus – for example, information on housing and accommodation or the New Zealand accent,” said Hayley.
During the testing period, ENZ will invite a targeted group of students who are studying at a range of providers to engage with NauMai NZ as we prepare for its official launch.
NauMai NZ aligns with a key action in the International Education Strategy launched last August – to continue to improve the availability of clear, timely and customer-focused information about education and immigration to students and providers.
It also embodies the key objectives of the International Student Wellbeing Strategy, launched in June 2017, by providing content supporting and enhancing the social, cultural, community, health and wellbeing needs of international students.
“NauMai NZ is a distinctively New Zealand initiative, and will contribute to setting New Zealand apart as fully committed to the wellbeing of international students and ensuring they have a great experience here,” said Hayley.
“Stay tuned for announcements over the coming months – we will be sharing more once NauMai NZ is confirmed.”
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Updated timeframe for the re-opening of New Zealand's borders
Note: The information in this story was correct at the time of publication, however, some steps in New Zealand's border reopening plan have now been brought forward. Click here to check the current border reopening steps.
“To slow the rapid spread we have seen overseas, we are pushing out the start of non-MIQ travel until the end of February 2022”, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said.
You can read the full announcement from the Government here.
The Government has not yet announced the date from which any specific group of foreign nationals, such as international students, will be able to travel to New Zealand or apply for visas to do so.
Until then, New Zealand’s current border settings will remain in place. Most people outside New Zealand cannot apply for a visa unless they have a border exception. There are limited border exceptions for international students.
New Zealand suspended most offshore visa applications from August 2020 and that suspension currently extends to August 2022. The Government may decide to lift the suspension, in whole or in part, before August 2022 – in line with its decisions on the stages of the border re-opening.
It is Education New Zealand’s view that it is better for international students, education providers and agents to wait for certainty on border entry conditions before making new plans or commitments to students.
At this stage, in most cases, if international students who are now in New Zealand leave, they will not be able to return to the country for the start of the 2022 academic year. They will need to wait to apply for visas and to travel to New Zealand until the dates the Government sets for them to do so.
At Education New Zealand we understand how much international students and education providers have been through during the COVID-19 pandemic. We will keep students and providers up to date with the Government’s decisions as they are announced.
We are looking forward to welcoming international students back to New Zealand.
More information
Find out more about visas from Immigration New Zealand if:
- You want to enter New Zealand
- You want to study in New Zealand
- You are a student visa holder already in New Zealand.
Find out more about New Zealand’s response to COVID-19:
- Official government Covid-19 website
- International travel and transit
- Information for international students on NauMai NZ
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ENZ Regional Partners Workshop lands in Queenstown
This was ENZ’s twelfth Regional Partners Workshop, coordinated under ENZ’s Regional Partnership Programme which aims to ensure that regions throughout New Zealand increasingly share the benefits of international education.
Jo Keane, ENZ Business Development Manager, said the workshops are a chance to bring together regional representatives of international education to receive professional development training and learn the latest news and updates from ENZ.
“ENZ is committed to the development of international education in the regions. We work closely with our Regional Partners across 15 regions to grow value, deliver an excellent student experience and create global citizenship opportunities – in line with the goals of the International Education Strategy.
“Of course, our regional partners need to ensure their local communities see the benefits of international education too. For this reason, a key focus of the latest workshop was empowering our regional representatives to ‘Tell the Story’ of international education in their communities, with a session on news media and communication skills.”
The group also heard presentations from representatives of Destination Queenstown, Queenstown Resort College and Queenstown Lakes District Council on the opportunities and challenges for the region across tourism, infrastructure and international education.
Representatives from the Secondary International Education Business Association (SIEBA) also presented, focussing on partnership with the regions.
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Recipients of the 2026 New Zealand – China Tripartite Partnership Fund
The recipients are:
- Lincoln University, with Beijing Forestry University and Yunnan Agricultural University, on national park landscape management
- Lincoln University, with China Agricultural University and Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, on research in carbon emissions
- University of Canterbury, with Shanghai Normal University and Qufu Normal University, on digital leadership in early childhood education.
For over 20 years, the New Zealand – China Tripartite Partnership Fund has supported researcher-led collaboration through a distinctive three-way structure, connecting New Zealand universities with multiple Chinese partners to build academic linkages and enable knowledge exchange.
The Tripartite Partnership Programme has delivered tangible education outcomes, including contributing to recently approved joint institutes and programmes involving the University of Canterbury and Lincoln University, and their Chinese university partners.
Lincoln University’s joint education programme on National Parks management with Beijing Forestry University was recently approved by China Ministry of Education.
Announcing new joint education programme focusing on national parks management | Lincoln University
University of Canterbury’s cooperation in the early childhood education field with Shanghai Normal University has evolved from a tripartite research collaboration into a joint education institute.
UC advances NZ-China education opportunities | UC
Outcomes from the 2025 Fund recipients
The 2025 Tripartite Partnership Fund recipients completed their projects in May 2026, reporting strong progress in academic collaboration and student mobility, along with joint publication submissions.
One project, led by Associate Professor Fiona Ell from the University of Auckland, focused on preparing future teachers in mathematics and science through comparative study and exchange between New Zealand and China.
The project delivered three key outcomes:
- completion of comparative policy analysis on mathematics and science teacher education policies in both countries
- examining the signature teacher education pedagogies in both countries to learn about new ways to prepare teachers
- delivery of reciprocal exchange visits, enabling in-person observation of school and university practice in both countries.
Left: Associate Professor Fiona Ell and Jingjing Liang from the University of Auckland visited research partners at Hangzhou Normal University and Capital Normal University in October to November 2025 as the first reciprocal exchange.
Right: During Associate Professor Yiling Yao and Dr Sisi Han’s visit to Auckland in February 2026, the group visited Matipo Primary School to observe a Year 3 mathematics class. -
New Zealand universities connect with students and government partners in Indonesia
The programme began with a networking session for school counsellors and visiting New Zealand providers at the New Zealand Embassy in Jakarta, where attendees had the opportunity make connections and meet New Zealand Ambassador to Indonesia, His Excellency Philip Taula.
The following day, a mini fair at Global Jaya International School in Tangerang gave students and parents a chance to speak directly with university representatives about undergraduate study options in New Zealand.
To promote New Zealand postgraduate level study, the group then delivered information sessions at key government agencies including the Indonesian Ministry of Agriculture, the Indonesian Food Authority, and the Indonesian Quarantine Authority.
Attendees of the Indonesian Quarantine Authority information session.
These sessions, held in Jakarta and Bogor, were attended by officials and the Manaaki Scholarships team from the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and focused on postgraduate programmes and scholarship opportunities.
The roadshow concluded with participation in the Future Fest Expo in Jakarta and Surabaya, hosted by Mata Garuda – the alumni association of Indonesia’s government scholarship agency, LPDP.
Around 400 visitors visited the New Zealand booth to learn more about study and scholarship options.
While in Surabaya, New Zealand universities and ENZ also held a dedicated session with agent partners to share the latest updates on New Zealand’s education programmes, information resources and ENZ ‘New Zealand Taught Me’ campaign collateral to use in their promotions.
ENZ Market Manager Naluri Bella said the roadshow enabled New Zealand providers to engage with a broad range of stakeholders while in market.
“The roadshow helped connect the dots – linking student interest, agent capability, and government priorities in a way that supports long-term partnership between New Zealand providers and their partners in Indonesia,” she said.
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ENZ launches Korean Student Reporters Programme
Throughout 2021, this group of student reporters will share everything from their personal experiences to advice for Korean students about to embark on their New Zealand study.
ENZ Senior Market Development Manager – South Korea, Kay Lee, said that the ENZ Korea blog is an invaluable resource for prospective international students there.
“All the student reporters are very keen to help future international students avoid mistakes and make better decisions. Their vivid and inspiring stories will help potential international students from Korea to prepare for their study in New Zealand post-COVID.
“We’re encouraging them to write in an honest and informative way, as their insights as a student are priceless to someone thinking about studying in New Zealand in the future.”
The student reporters consist of 10 tertiary students (from University of Auckland, University of Otago, University of Canterbury, Unitec, WelTec and Up International College) and 10 secondary school students (from Nelson College for girls, Sacred Heart Girls’ Collage, Bethlehem College, St Peter's Cambridge, Takapuna Grammar School, St Margaret College and Auckland International College).
The first batch of stories in January included headlines like ‘My first summer break in New Zealand’, ‘Life in New Zealand during COVID-19’, and ‘University entrance preparation in New Zealand’.
The student reporters programme is the first time ENZ has asked international students from Korea to contribute to our digital content platform in the local language. It is part of ENZ’s Korea team’s efforts to keep the New Zealand education brand alive in-market under the New Zealand Government’s Recovery Plan for International Education.