17 July 2019 at 9:00 am
Korean students study in New Zealand under English scholarship programme
An extension of the education cooperation agreement under the 2015 Korea-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement brings 150 Korean students to New Zealand for eight weeks.
From mid-July, a group of 150 Korean students will attend intermediate and high schools in the Waikato, Nelson-Marlborough, Manawatu and Canterbury regions over eight weeks as part of a Korea-New Zealand English Scholarship Programme.
The scholarship programme is an outcome of a three-year education cooperation agreement (2016-2018), which is part of the Korea New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (FTA) that was signed in December 2015. Earlier this year, the two governments agreed to extend the programme for one more year to 2019.
Since the scholarship programme’s launch in 2016, 449 Korean students have visited New Zealand. The programme is operated by the Schools International Education Business Association (SIEBA) on ENZ’s behalf.
On 29 June, Korean students attended a pre-departure orientation session in Daejeon, where New Zealand Ambassador to the Republic of Korea, Philip Turner, congratulated the students and gave them an overview of school life in New Zealand.
ENZ’s Senior Market Development Manager – Korea, Kay Lee, said it was fantastic to think that at its conclusion the programme will have supported 599 Korean students to experience life in regional New Zealand.
ENZ’s Business Development Manager, Richard Kyle, said: “The scholarship programme is a great opportunity for Korean students to immerse themselves in a new culture, new language, and new experiences in New Zealand, and equally for Kiwi children to learn about the culture and lives of their Korean classmates.”
During their stay with Kiwi homestay families, the visiting students will be encouraged to share photos, study experiences and visit impressions through a mobile app as part of a Study in New Zealand competition.
