Diverse New Zealand experience on show at the symposium on offshore delivery

Dr Rob Griffiths, Programme Director of Occupational and Aviation Medicine at the University of Otago summed up the mood of over 70 participants from across the university, Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics (ITP), Private Training Establishments (PTE) and educational services sector that attended a symposium on offshore delivery organised by Education New Zealand (ENZ) in partnership with Victoria University of Wellington on Thursday 9 June. Senior education professionals shared their experiences - both the good and bad – in delivering education services offshore. Sessions covered quality assurance, sustainable models, collaboration and the power of partnerships, critical success factors and explored a variety of markets from Singapore to Russia, the Middle East to Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). 

The future of digital and online learning technologies to transform and disrupt higher education was discussed with examples ranging from early childhood training, software development, and aviation medicine to training in wildlife rescue after an oil spill.  ENZ’s General Manager Business Development Clive Jones said that the day “created a network bringing together a diverse group at different stages of development who were keen to stay together”.

One of the keynote speakers on international trends was Boston-based Richard Garrett from The Observatory on Borderless Higher Education, an education think tank with a focus on transnational education (TNE).  Garrett was positive about the huge global opportunity and the TNE potential for New Zealand. In particular, the opportunity to learn from the main TNE providing  countries - UK and Australia – and take a strategic approach in partnership with destination countries.  His view that offshore delivery was like a permanent start up resonated strongly with participants. 

“With around 3,500 offshore international student enrolments there is quite a way to go to achieve the target of 10,000 by 2025 set by the Government’s Leadership Statement for International Education.  But the diversity of providers, markets and projects showcased at the symposium confirmed that New Zealand has the products, range of capability and interest in moving forward together.  ENZ has been challenged to keep the conversation we started in Wellington going” said Adele Bryant, Business Development Manager at ENZ.

For more information contact Adele Bryant.