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• Media roundtable highlights employers’ need for well-rounded talent

  Guest speakers included Dr John Subritzky, New Zealand High Commissioner to Malaysia; Ryan Carroll, Director of Randstad Malaysia; Richard Tan, co-founder and Managing Director of lelong.com.my; and Jane Goh, ENZ Marketing and Strategic Relations Manager.

  The roundtable was well-received by the 11 editors and journalists who attended.

  Ryan Carroll said employers in Malaysia want talented individuals who possess various skills and competencies.

  “Employers today are looking for someone who can help the organisation produce productivity gains. They want candidates who have good skills in project management, are competent in the digital and social media space, and are confident communicators. All these can be acquired through internships, part-time work or even working on charity projects.

  “While it is still important that potential employees have the relevant skills and workplace experiences, they must also be able to articulate effectively about how they can contribute to the company. For example, if they have worked on a particular case study or project in university, they need to be confident talking about their experiences and what they learnt during that process,” Mr Carroll said.

  Dr Subritzky spoke about the New Zealand education system and institutions are committed to developing holistic educational experiences that are relevant to the workplace.

  “New Zealand recognises the importance of a well-rounded education to employability, which is why our education system focuses on helping students transition from academic life into the working world,” he said. 

  Richard Tan, a Victoria University of Wellington alumnus, shared his experiences studying in New Zealand.

  “What I liked about the New Zealand education system is that it encourages students to pursue and develop their interests. It doesn’t force a student into a particular stream but focuses on teaching him or her how to acquire information and meaningfully apply that knowledge across various situations. This means that even as a pure science student, I was given the flexibility to explore other areas of interest to me such as accountancy.

  “I was also able to work part-time at various places and this helped me pick up softer skills such as communicating effectively with peers and dealing with different types of personalities, which then eventually helped me in my career,” Mr Tan shared.

  Over the last year, New Zealand has seen an increase in Malaysian student numbers.

  “There was a 23 per cent increase in the number of first-time student visas approved year to-date in June 2016. In particular, we saw an increase in the number of student visas approved for the universities and Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics (ITPs) sectors,” said Jane Goh. 

  

  The media roundtable was well-received by media. A total of 11 editors and journalists attended.

• Medals for WelTec international student at top culinary competition

  Culinary students Tyler Langerveld and An, currently studying Level five diploma in cookery, went head-to-head with hospitality students from around the country to win silver at the Auckland event. Restaurant service student Reme Barkema, who also formed part of the team, picked up a bronze medal.

  An has been studying at WelTec since 2011, when she started English classes. She is thrilled to have won a medal. 

  “I found the opportunity to demonstrate what I have learnt at WelTec in a pressured competition environment really exciting,” said An.

  “After finishing Level five, I hope to work in a good restaurant in Wellington. Later I plan to travel to other countries to learn about their food and styles of cookery. I love food and travel.”

  At the Nestlé Toque d’Or event, Tyler and Thuay An Lai battled it out for over three hours against 10 other teams from around the country to create their three-course menu which was served to guests by Reme.

  The pressure was on throughout the live cook-off, as the team fought against the clock and scrutiny of top industry judges, including world-renowned chef, Gert Klotzke, of Sweden.

  This competition success comes a month after Weltec’s School of Hospitality won the City & Guild’s International Centre of Excellence – Asia Pacific award, which is one of only five awards distributed globally, and two months after WelTec culinary student, Jamie Bell, was a finalist in the New Zealand Viet Nam Culinary collaboration held in Ho Chi Minh City.

  City and Guilds Regional Manager for the Pacific, Glenn Fulcher said WelTec’s City and Guilds success was “an amazing achievement”.  WelTec delivers City and Guilds culinary arts, food & beverage service, hotel reception, international barista and international tourism courses, with many of its graduates gaining employment around the world.  

• Otago Chemistry lecturer attracts a crowd at Kuching fair

  Jane Goh, ENZ’s Marketing and Strategic Relations Manager, Malaysia, said that around 150 students, parents and teachers in Kuching met with representatives from higher learning institutions, high schools and polytechnics from New Zealand at the fair.

  These included Riccarton High School, UC International College (UCIC), University of Canterbury, Lincoln University, The Ara Institute of Canterbury, University of Otago, The University of Auckland, University of Waikato, New Zealand Tertiary College (NZTC) and Academic Colleges Group (ACG).

  During the fair, Dr David Warren from the University of Otago gave a lecture on the relevance of chemistry today to teach students how best to study and excel in the subject.

  

  Dr David Warren delivers a lecture on ‘Chemistry and its relevance in today’s life’ during the New Zealand Education Fair 2016 held at Kuching Hilton Hotel.

  After the lecture, all participants were given a chemistry quiz contest. Rebecca Chen from Lodge International School won the main prize.

  

  Rebecca Chen from Lodge International School – the top winner of Chemistry Lecture and Quiz.

• Gambier Islands students ‘snowstruck’

  The 33 students and their guardians spent three days travelling from their home in Mangareva Island, the largest island in the remote Gambier archipelago, which is more than four hours’ flying time south of Tahiti, to reach Taupo.

  This remoteness means the Gambiers are known as 'the islands at the end of the world'. With a tropical climate, coral white sands, coconut palms, mountainous peaks and expansive fishing lagoons, the French-administered Gambiers are most famous for their black pearl industry. The 14 islands are also a popular sailing destination.

  Unaccustomed to Taupo temperatures, the group – a sizeable proportion of the entire 1530 Gambier population – had to borrow warm clothing from their homestay families when they arrived. There are no clothing shops and very few stores on their remote island. The teenagers quickly discovered Taupo's shops and got busy buying clothing and gifts to give to their families.

  As part of their two-week English immersion course, the students took part in activities in and around Taupo, including indoor climbing, meeting pupils from Taupo-Nui-a-Tia College and visiting a marae. The visitors could understand the Māori language, as their local Marquesan language is similar.

  However, the highlight of the trip was two days spent learning to ski at Happy Valley, the “magic carpet” learner slope of Whakapapa Ski Area on Mt Ruapehu near Taupo.

  Parents and teachers accompanying the group said Taupo Language School was recommended by Air Tahiti nui because it could offer the skiing and adventure activities, and the town is an easy and safe place to shop. They spent nine months planning and fundraising, although some expenses were subsidised by local government.

  One of the parents, Denis Salmon, said they were pleased with how much the students' English had progressed.

  "Not only have they become more independent and confident, but they now realise the importance of learning this language."

  Taupo Language School director Rose Blackley said attending multi-cultural classes meant the students made friends with Saudi, Chinese, Japanese, Thai and South American nationals.

• International students dig deep

  The student volunteers were a mix of high school (Shirley Boys High School, St Bedes College and Riccarton High School) and university students (Ara Institute of Canterbury, Lincoln University and University of Canterbury), said Izzie Guo, Student Experience Coordinator, Canterbury International Education Leadership Accord and Christchurch Educated.

  “There was also a great mix of cultures, with students coming from China, India, Japan, Russia, Thailand, Botswana and Zimbabwe, Bolivia, Philippines, Malaysia and New Zealand,” she said.

  The students took around two hours to plant 500 native plants, including rushes and sedges.

  “The international students learned about native bush, while several locals stopped by to talk to the internationals and learn about the reasons they were in Christchurch, and how they were enjoying studying and living in New Zealand,” Izzie said.

  The event was followed by a Kiwi-style BBQ thanks to the Christchurch City Council park ranger involved, Robbie Hewson. It finished with a soccer game, where team China and Japan competed with team Russia and New Zealand.

  “After the BBQ, some of the students walked around the Sister City gardens at the quarry – they were very excited to see that the garden was built to signify the relationships between their countries and Christchurch.

  ”I had a wonderful time!” said Omar Sheta, from Egypt who is studying at Riccarton High School. “I met lovely people from different parts of the world, we volunteered together as one, chatted and played soccer together.

  "It was definitely a fun and meaningful experience for all,” said Sigred Yamit, a Filipino who is studying at the University of Canterbury.

  “Not only were we able to contribute a bit to the local gardens and community, but we also made new friends. Everyone had a great time and tons of selfies were taken at the end of the day."

  This event was supported Christchurch Educated International Student Association and Ara’s student events team.

• A school trip from Tauranga to Yantai

  The group travelled with support from Education New Zealand’s (ENZ) New Zealand China Sister Schools Fund. 

  Deputy Principal, Kathy Colville, who accompanied the students along with International Student Coordinator, Annemieke Hart, said “very strong bonds were established”.

  “Our students met many challenges,” she said, but “they rose to the occasion and took everything in their stride.”

  The students attended school and stayed with local families. An exhibition of Tauranga photos was held as part of the sister city celebrations, and the group enjoyed giving their hosts an insight into Tauranga life. The group also spent a day in Shanghai.

  Kathy said the students – all of whom learn Mandarin at school – were carefully chosen.

  “It was an extremely difficult task but we chose some that had travelled with us [overseas before]. We knew that we could rely on these students to be great ambassadors of our school, city and country.”

  There were lots of differences at school in Yantai, the principal one being the long school hours. The school day starts at 7.15am and ends at 5.30pm in China, with students then staying up till 11pm to complete homework.

   “The long school hours were a bit daunting,” said Riley Bartosh.

  The students also enjoyed learning calligraphy, and doing physical exercise Chinese-style – always carried out in groups.

  The students said the experience had made them more independent and opened up their minds to further travel in the future.

  “Now I’m more open to different cultures and how others live,” says Riley Bartosh.

  “I am interested in pursuing a career that involves communication with other countries. China has opened up opportunities that would never have been available otherwise,” says Stephanie Austin.

   “I’ve been on school trips to Portugal, Amsterdam and Turkey since I’ve been at this school,” says Ngawaka Ririnui. “It’s inspired me to travel more and experience how others live.”

  “I am going to continue learning Mandarin at our school so that I can speak three languages – English, Maori and Mandarin,” says Te Wairere Te Moana.

  Annemieke said Tauranga Intermediate School has offered biannual overseas school trips to its students since 2000. The school reinvests some of the revenue it receives from international students to fund these trips.

  She said that in Term three, a group from Yantai Number two Middle School was making a reciprocal visit to Tauranga.

• Scholarship applications going online

  What is changing?

  From 1 September 2016, there will be a change in process for ENZ’s two biggest outbound scholarships, the Prime Minister’s Scholarship for Asia and the newly launched Prime Minister’s Scholarship for Latin America. From that date, the application forms will be available here on our website.

  What does this mean for scholarship applicants?

  Applicants can now submit the full application online, and will be able to upload the requested documents (transcripts, CV, citizenship documents) via the online form. Even reference requests can be sent via the online form – all that’s needed is the referee’s email address. No more posting of applications or chasing on referee’s doors!

  Key dates

  Applications for the Prime Minister’s Scholarship for Asia go live from 1 September 2016 and close 30 September 2016.

  Applications for the Prime Minister’s Scholarship for Latin America go live from 1 September 2016 and close 30 October 2016.

  The Prime Minister’s Scholarships for Asia and the Prime Minister’s Scholarships Latin America are initiatives by the government to enable New Zealand students to study or complete an internship in Asia or Latin America and, in doing so, build lasting connections. 

  More information

  For more information, please contact the scholarships team by emailing scholarships@enz.govt.nz 

• Proposed changes to Export Education Levy

  Currently, international education providers pay a flat fee of $185 per provider and 0.45 per cent of international tuition fee revenues.

  The Ministry of Education proposes to reduce the percentage rate and remove the flat fee component, so providers pay less. The Ministry also proposes to allocate some funds from the EEL on a variety of additional activities over the next few years – with an initial focus on initiatives to improve the wellbeing and safety of international students in New Zealand.

  You can find more information as well as the full version of the EEL consultation discussion document on the Ministry’s website.

  The Ministry welcomes any input on the proposed changes by 8 September by email, post or via its EEL online survey. 

• 2016 International Student Experience Survey for PTEs and English language providers

  Find out how your institution performs compared to national and international benchmarks in terms of:

  • overall satisfaction and recommendation
  • the arrival experience – satisfaction with the arrival experience in New Zealand and at their institution
  • the learning experience – satisfaction with their course of study, subject choice, learning environment and resources
  • the living experience – satisfaction with such things as accommodation, living costs and day-to-day life
  • support services – satisfaction with support services.

  If you participated in the 2012 or 2014 studies, see how your results have changed over time.

  Participation in the study is free for institutions. If you would like to take part, please complete the registration form as soon as possible but no later than 7th October 2016.

  More information about the 2016 International Student Experience Survey (including reports from the 2014 study) is available in the Frequently Asked Questions document.

  Or, please don’t hesitate to contact Kyla Steenhart, Director, i-graduate New Zealand for more details – kyla.steenhart@i-graduate.org or +64 21 857 054.

• Wellington's international students raise funds for local charity

  Local Wellington businesses donated items to the auction, including Vodafone, the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, Embassy cinema, Flight Coffee and Havana Coffee Works. In a true spirit of generosity, many students also pitched in to donate what they could, giving both financial contributions and items to be auctioned.         

  Together with a little help from its Auckland campus, The Campbell Institute raised over $2,000 for DCM.

  “It’s a great chance for international students to contribute something extra to the community that is hosting them,” says Tim Mahren Brown, CEO of The Campbell Institute.

  “It’s also a valuable language learning exercise in itself as students need to listen very carefully to follow the bidding!”

  The Campbell Institute charity auction is an annual event and, in 2015, also raised funds for Sir Edmund Hillary’s Himalayan Trust to help rebuild Nepal after the earthquakes.