13 April 2023 at 11:30 am
ISANA - Enhancing international student experiences
International Education Association New Zealand (ISANA NZ) showcases a new “Capability Toolkit” to help New Zealand practitioners enhance international student experiences.
The ISANA New Zealand Annual Conference held at AUT University in Tāmaki Makaurau last month provided the perfect forum to address the challenges of strengthening capability and ensuring sustainability as the sector addresses ways in which to grow international education.
A key feature of the conference was the presentation of a new online ‘Capability Toolkit’ - a collaboration between ISANA NZ and Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao (ENZ). Developed as a resource for education practitioners, the toolkit presents strategies, tools, tips, guidelines, case studies, scenarios and more to assist with every facet of engagement with international learners.
ENZ’s General Manager Sector Services, Sahinde Pala, said that the conference provided a great opportunity to reconnect face-to-face with professional colleagues.
“We all enjoyed the opportunity to exchange experiences and hear from frontline practitioners how the rebuild of the sector is going from their perspective. It was a great opportunity to connect with those relatively new to the sector and let them know the role of ENZ and the resources available to assist them in their role.”
“It was also encouraging to see our industry coming together to collectively focus on improving our services for students. The Capability Toolkit is an important, practical resource that will assist education practitioners provide even better support for our international learners.”
The Capability Toolkit provides links to resources in the following areas:
- Wraparound tailored support for international students
- Critical incident management for international students
- Innovative leadership in international education
- Intercultural competence in educational contexts
- Student experience information for agents.
ENZ is continuing to work with ISANA to further develop the Capability Toolkit and other content will be added over time. In the meantime, anyone who has not had a chance to look at the toolkit, can explore this further on ISANA NZ’s website here.
Vaelyn L, International Student Representative (second from left) with ENZ representatives at the ISANA conference Ross Crosson, Student Experience Manager, Sahinde Pala, General Manager Sector Services, and Faymie Li, Senior Advisor Student Experience
