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  • Fifty years celebrated with Chile

    Cultural performances, together with a series of panel discussions on government initiatives, research connections, educational exchanges, and the experience of Chileans in New Zealand showcased the variety and depth of the relationships that have been developed over the past 50 years. 

    Speakers included both Ambassadors, as well as academics from all New Zealand’s universities, alongside alumni and government specialists. A number of distinguished guests were part of the large audience that attended throughout the day at Parliament Buildings in Wellington and online. 

    (l to r) Former Prime Minister Helen Clark and Javiera Visedo, Director of Engagement Latin America for ENZ, took part in a panel discussion on government initiatives.

    Lisa Futschek, ENZ’s General Manager International, chaired the panel discussion on educational exchanges.

    Videos of the event are available on the CAPE website here.  

  • Latin America masterclasses showcase New Zealand education

    From 25-26 October 2022, the Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao team in Latin America hosted the second edition of the Latin America Masterclasses, an online event that brings Latin American audiences closer to New Zealand universities and showcases the quality of a Kiwi education. There were more than 1700 registrations, and more than 1000 people joined during the six live broadcasts. 

    Centred around ‘Education for sustainable development’ as the main theme, the event brought together researchers from different subject areas to deliver classes focused on the importance of sustainability for the development of society. Lecturers from Massey University, Victoria University of Wellington, University of Waikato, Auckland University of Technology and Lincoln University participated. 

    The goal of the initiative was to highlight the quality of education in New Zealand, explore key themes in sustainability, and demonstrate how a New Zealand education prepares students for the future. To promote the event, ENZ carried out an extensive communications campaign on social media, press and trade channels, focusing on countries such as Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Mexico and Argentina. The campaign shared key messages about a Kiwi education with thousands of people across Latin America. 

    Dr Christian Schott of Victoria University of Wellington discussed sustainable tourism development

    Dr Silvia Serrao-Neumann of University of Waikato talked about what makes cities more liveable

    Attendees were able to learn why New Zealand education is considered a world leader in promoting independent thinking – through practical and collaborative teaching – with an emphasis on issues such as environmental preservation and sustainable business innovation. 

    The students also learnt about the concept of kaitiakitanga, which represents taking care of people and place, preserving traditional knowledge for the benefit of future generations. 

    The event's production team at work during the live broadcasts

    All classes were broadcast in English, with simultaneous translation into Portuguese and Spanish. Participants were able to chat with ENZ staff and send through their questions for the speakers to answer live. 

    Following months of preparation for the event, the masterclasses were broadcast on ENZ’s own online platform in Latin America. The site is available to Latin American audiences and features the 2022 and 2021 Masterclasses. There are plans to transform the site in the future, into a permanent hub of events and content on New Zealand education for Latin America audiences.  

  • Education delegation to Asia

    One of the real highlights of the trip for the Minister was meeting New Zealand alumni, compelling ambassadors for a New Zealand education. Vikra Ijas is a former University of Auckland student and co-founder of Kitabisa, a crowd-funding platform in Indonesia. His story of schooling and tertiary study in New Zealand leading to the establishment of his fundraising platform for social good in Indonesia was truly inspiring. 

    South Korea  

    The programme in South Korea included the Minister’s speech to the Korean International Education and Career Fair. This is the largest international education fair in South Korea, with an estimated 25,000 attendees.  More than 40 New Zealand providers were present, many exhibiting on the Education New Zealand country pavilion. 

    The Minister also witnessed the signing of the Education New Zealand-Incheon Education Cooperation Arrangement (ECA). The formal partnership, based on the ECA, has been designed to establish and strengthen communication ties between ENZ and the Incheon East Asia Global Education Institute, to identify creative areas of potential collaboration and to open up more learning possibilities for our institutions and students.  

    Minister Hipkins also attended an event with New Zealand education agents, alumni and institutions to celebrate the 60th diplomatic anniversary between South Korea and New Zealand. 

    One of the highlights of the Minister’s visit to South Korea was on 24 October 2022, when the education delegation visited Kyodong Elementary School, the oldest school in South Korea (established in 1894). The delegation toured the school and interacted with the students who are participating with Raumati Beach School in the New Zealand - Korea digital cultural exchange programme supported by Education New Zealand and facilitated by Learn English Live. 

    Indonesia  

    The programme in Indonesia included bilateral meetings with the Secretary General of the Ministry of Education and Culture, the Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture, the Minister for National Development Planning and the ASEAN Secretary-General. The Minister also met with the President Director of Lembaga Pengelola Dana Pendidikan (LPDP), the key Indonesian government scholarship agency, to discuss opportunities to promote New Zealand as a destination for the awardees while further expanding the number of New Zealand institutions eligible to receive the scholarship students. 

    As well as the visit to Kitabisa, the Minister also had the opportunity to meet a group of Kiwi students interning at WIR Group (Metaverse) in Jakarta under the Prime Ministers Scholarship for Asia. The students were thriving on the unique opportunity and wringing every bit of experience from their internship at WIR. He also launched KIWI Challenge 2022, the annual entrepreneurship competition for Indonesian high school students organised by Education New Zealand. 

    As with South Korea there was a reception in Jakarta with agents, alumni, PMSA students and key stakeholders.   

    Singapore Visit    

    The focus of the Singapore leg of the visit was signing the refreshed Education Cooperation Arrangement with the Minister of Education from Singapore.  The arrangement, first signed in 2018, confirms New Zealand’s commitment to engaging with Singapore on education cooperation initiatives in key policy areas including early childhood education, digital classrooms/blended learning, vocational and lifelong learning, sports and physical education, STEM uptake, and the development of mental health support programmes for the sector. 

    The Minister also made several institutional visits. The first was to the Institute of Technical Education Central College to understand where Institutes of Technical Education fit within Singapore’s education ecosystem; and the second was the Public Service Sector and Civil Service College. The purpose of this visit was to understand the role that the Civil Service plays in designing, developing and delivering programmes for the Public Service. 

    The final visit of the trip was to the Centre for Strategic Focus. The Centre is part of the Strategy Group in the Prime Minister’s Office which was set up to focus on whole of government strategic planning and prioritisation.  

    “The messages around the strong commitment of the New Zealand government to international education were very well received by our partners,” says ENZ Regional Director Ben Burrowes. “Whether via student mobility, international education partnerships or systems level dialogue, it’s exciting to see the interest generated through New Zealand stepping up its international engagement once again.”   

  • Hands-on environmental studies for US students

    EcoQuest Education Foundation is a charitable trust and PTE based in Whakatīwai, with strong connections to Ngāti Paoa and Ngāti Whanaunga.  

    “We had a wonderful day on the Wharekawa Coast,” says Ria Brejaart, EcoQuest’s Academic Director.  

    “Led by mana whenua, our students welcomed special guests US Consul General Sarah Nelson, Director of USA Study Abroad Heidi Manley, and Senior Education Advisor US Consulate General, Katie Sleeman. EcoQuest’s Board of Trustees and academic associates also attended the event, along with other key supporters.  

    EcoQuest team and manuhiri at the bird hide.

    “It was a great way to celebrate both the return of our US students after a long Covid-19 hiatus, and our enduring relationships with our collaborators and supporters. It felt particularly apt to be on the shores of Tikapa Moana, where the kuaka (bar-tailed godwits) return each year from Alaska.  

    “The morning of observing birds on the shell-banks was followed by a visit to Pūkorokoro Miranda Shorebird Centre, for a talk by Keith Woodley, Centre Manager. We then returned to EcoQuest where we marked the occasion by presenting Tū Ngātahi pins to all our students, on behalf of Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao.”  

    A presentation from Keith Woodley (Pūkorokoro Miranda Shorebird Centre Manager). Front row left, Beth Coleman (EcoQuest Board Chair) and Sarah Nelson (US Consul General).

    Beth Coleman (EcoQuest Board Chair) and Jono Clark (Director) presented Tū Ngātahi pins to the students.

    The eighteen students are from the University of New Hampshire (UNH), Cornell University, University of Michigan, and Colorado State University. They are participating in a fifteen-week residential semester programme with EcoQuest, which offers undergraduate programmes in partnership with UNH. Students gain credits for their undergraduate degrees back home. 

    “Within the international education sector, EcoQuest contributes high-quality, niche programmes,” says Alana Pellow, Business Development Manager at ENZ. 

    “These international student programmes align well with New Zealand’s areas of excellence in ecology, restoration ecology, environmental policy, and sustainability. EcoQuest students undertake real-time research for many different collaborators including iwi, NGOs and trusts, councils, private land owners and the Department of Conservation. Academic and scientific rigour are the basis for these unique hands-on learning opportunities.” 

    “EcoQuest also contributes to international thinking around indigenous approaches to sustainability, through inclusion of elements of Te Ao Māori and mātauranga in its education and research activities.”  

    The current students are part of Cohort 4, the final cohort of international students to be given entry to New Zealand through a border exception earlier this year. Cohort 4, which was jointly led by ENZ and the Ministry of Education, saw 5,000 international students from 109 different countries nominated for student visas, before New Zealand’s borders fully reopened in August. 

  • Getting to know the Chinese government education agencies

    To introduce Michael Zhang, incoming Regional Director Greater China and to farewell outgoing director Miranda Herbert, the China team at Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao (ENZ) met with key education agencies in Beijing in October 2022.  

    “The meetings were an opportunity to reaffirm the long-term good relationship between New Zealand and Chinese government education agencies,” Michael Zhang says.  

    “We were able to share updates about recent work, hear from each agency about their plans, and discuss possible opportunities for future collaboration with New Zealand institutions.”  

    Ministry of Education, People’s Republic of China (MoE)  

    The Ministry of Education is the key government body responsible for the development of China’s education system, from early childhood education through to higher education. Key focus areas include the development of national strategies, policies and plans for education reform and development. 

    The Department of International Cooperation and Exchange coordinates the Ministry’s engagement with foreign countries. The Department’s key functions include:  

    • Managing and guiding international education cooperation and exchanges  
    • Drafting guidance and policies for the management of Chinese students studying abroad, international students studying in China, Chinese-foreign cooperative joint ventures and schools for foreign children  
    • Supervising international cooperation and exchanges in the education sector  
    • Guiding the work of education departments/divisions in Chinese embassies/consulates  
    • Planning, coordinating and guiding the teaching of Chinese as a foreign language  
    • Conducting educational cooperation and exchanges with the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Macao Special Administrative Region and Taiwan Region of China. 

    L to r: Rosemary An (ENZ), Kieran Knight (MFAT) Director You Jia (China MoE), Deputy Director-General Chen Dali (China MoE), Director-General Liu Jin (China MoE), H.E. Clare Fearnley (NZ Ambassador to China), Michael Zhang (ENZ), Miranda Herbert (ENZ)

    New Zealand’s Ambassador to China, Clare Fearnley, hosted a lunch on 27 October 2022, for China Ministry of Education Director-General Liu Jin and his team, in partnership with ENZ.  

    Both sides emphasised the value and warmth of the bilateral education relationship, underpinned by a long history of cooperation and several recent milestones despite the challenges of COVID.  

    There was strong interest to build on the positive ministerial engagement in August and the upcoming 10th Joint Working Group in late November, including hopes for high-level visits next year in both directions. Opportunities to engage with China MoE include high-level visits, and policy advice through ENZ’s China team.  

    Chinese Service Centre for Scholarly Exchange (CSCSE)   

    Initially founded in 1989, CSCSE is a public organization under China Ministry of Education (MOE). CSCSE specialises in offering professional services for international scholarly exchanges, including Chinese students and scholars studying abroad, returnees from overseas, and international students and scholars coming to study in China.  

    CSCSE is also dedicated to promoting the internationalisation and capacity-building of Chinese higher education institutions, as well as improving education resources through international exchanges and collaboration.  

    CSCSE is the only official organisation that provides overseas credential evaluation and recognition services in China. The statement of comparability of overseas qualifications issued by CSCSE is widely recognised by Chinese employers and institutions from various sectors. CSCSE is an active member in the international education community, facilitates global talent mobility and improves international recognition of qualifications. CSCSE has long-term partnership with foreign qualifications authorities, including NZQA.   

    CSCSE manages and executes the China International Education Exhibition Tour (CIEET), which New Zealand has regularly attended in past years. CSCSE also organises the China Study Abroad Forum in March each year, in which ENZ is a regular speaker and participant.   

    L to r: Xu Chenxing (CSCSE), Director Yu Haiying (CSCSE), Miranda Herbert (ENZ), Deputy Director-General XIA Jianhui (CSCSE), Michael Zhang (ENZ), Rosemary An (ENZ)

    Opportunities to engage with CSCSE include student recruitment fairs, study in China, international conferences, verification of foreign credentials, and transnational education programmes. 

    China Education Association for International Exchange (CEAIE)  

    CEAIE was founded in 1981 as a not-for-profit organisation to encourage international exchange and cooperation. It is a key organisation in facilitating foreign engagement with the Chinese education system.   

    Headquartered in Beijing, it has provincial associations for international exchange in 31 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities in China, as well as local chapters in 16 major cities. It has relationships with more than 170 education organisations in more than 50 countries (including Universities New Zealand). CEAIE has been granted Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations and has established official relations with UNESCO.   

    Every year in October, CEAIE organizes the China Annual Conference for International Education (CACIE), and the China Education Expo (CEE) both of which ENZ attends. New Zealand was designated Country of Honour at the 2015 conference and expo, which has provided remarkable marketing exposure for New Zealand education. Miranda Herbert from ENZ attended CACIE in October 2020 as a VIP guest and delivered a keynote speech, and in 2021 received a prestigious award recognising ENZ as an ‘outstanding international partner’. Among its activities, CEAIE supports major people-to-people dialogue and exchange mechanisms with partner countries and provides quality assurance services for China-Foreign cooperative transnational education programmes. 

    Currently, there is strong collaboration between the New Zealand education sector and CEAIE, and their initiatives across various sectors. The university sector held the 5th NZ-China Higher Education Forum with the support of Universities New Zealand and CEAIE on 10 November 2022. CEAIE also expressed interest in collaborating with the New Zealand school sector around Sister School Programmes and exploring opportunities to facilitate Leadership and Capacity building. ENZ is following up with CEAIE on the leadership opportunities and plans to run an Expressions of Interest process once more details are available.  

    Opportunities to engage with CEAIE include student recruitment fairs, conferences, school cooperation, training, and Quality Assurance for joint programmes.   

    Positive meetings were also held with other agencies affiliated to China MoE, including the China Center for People-to-People International Exchange (CCIPE) and China Scholarship Council (CSC).  

    CCIPE highlighted the growing strength and success of our Early Childhood Education Symposium, while CSC emphasised their desire to see increased numbers of Chinese scholarship students choose New Zealand for their studies, particularly at PhD level. All eight New Zealand universities have signed MOUs with CSC. New Zealand students can also study in China on fully-funded scholarships, by applying directly through CSC. There are programmes in English and Chinese: CSC Scholarships | China Scholarship Council | Chinese Government Scholarships (chinesescholarshipcouncil.com) 

  • Prime Minister’s Scholarships to study in Asia and Latin America announced

    Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao (ENZ) Chief Executive Grant McPherson, today announced the names of 111 New Zealanders who will travel to destinations in Latin America and Asia for an international education experience on a Prime Minister’s Scholarship for Asia (PMSA) or Latin America (PMSLA).  

    Funds awarded for individuals in this scholarship round total $1.5 million.  
    The individual recipients are the second round of scholarships to be announced this year. The earlier round of scholarships was awarded to groups.

    The recipients will undertake study, research and internship programmes in fields such as business, language, indigenous rights, sustainable development and architecture for a minimum period of four weeks (Latin America) and six weeks (Asia) up to two years. The top Latin America study destinations for this round are Chile and Colombia, with Japan and the Republic of Korea most popular destinations in Asia among scholars.

    “The merit of our scholarship applicants continues to be impressive – we are proud to offer this opportunity for people to develop their inter-cultural skills, build networks and enjoy experiences abroad,” said McPherson. “We know they will make us proud to have them representing New Zealand in this important time of rebuilding and reconnecting with overseas partners.”

    “Interest for this programme continues to grow, building collective skills and understanding of different cultures helps our country show leadership in matters of significance for Asia and Latin America regions.”

    Māori Participation lifts significantly

    A group of Māori Prime Minister’s Scholarship alumni, Te Kāhui Kaupapa, have been working to raise access and participation for Māori. Participation in this round increased to 22% for PMSA and 17% of PMSLA recipients, compared to an average of 5% for PMSA and 8% for PMSLA rounds in 2016 to 2019. This is part of a wider programme of work to ensure the scholarship programme is more accessible to all New Zealanders over the age of 18, and that it delivers on our Te Tiriti obligations.

    The Prime Minister’s Scholarship programme aims to strengthen New Zealand’s ability to engage with key Asian and Latin American trading partners, improving the internationalisation of indigenous communities, New Zealand tertiary institutions, showcasing the strength and quality of New Zealand's education system and enhancing inter-cultural awareness and connections between New Zealand and other countries.  The scholarship offers flexible funding to support both short and long-term programmes including study abroad / exchange, internships, postgraduate study, and language programmes. 

    The scholarships programme is funded by the New Zealand Government and administered by ENZ.

    The PMSA was launched in 2013 and extended to Latin America in 2016. To date, there have been 2,879 PMSA and PMSLA scholarships awarded.

    There are two scholarship rounds each year, and applications for the next individual round will be held in August 2023. Many of the awardees are enrolled in universities across New Zealand, but this is not a requirement for the scholarship. Any New Zealand citizen or permanent resident over 18 can apply for a PMSA or PMSLA.

    More information on the application process can be found here.

    A full list of this round of scholars can be found here.

  • From the CE: Promoting New Zealand’s education in Asia

    The visit by Education Minister Chris Hipkins to South Korea, Indonesia and Singapore in October 2022 was an opportunity to reaffirm the Government’s strong commitment to international education. Representatives from the university sector, Te Pūkenga, schools, as well as the PTE and EdTech sectors, and ENZ were part of the accompanying delegation. Bilateral meetings were held with key Ministers in each country, and there were opportunities to meet with alumni, agents local school children and others. You can read more about this trip in this edition of E-News. 

    This month, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s visit to Asia also included a significant international education component, particularly in Viet Nam. Education was highlighted as an important pillar of partnership in all bilateral meetings, and we were delighted to help arrange and participate in an education forum in Hanoi. We will report on this trip in more detail next month. 

    Our recent international education events have featured a mixture of ENZ-run events and commercial and global events. The key aim has been to raise the awareness and profile of New Zealand education, and provide a platform for New Zealand education providers to engage directly with prospective students and their families, with education agencies and other key stakeholders, particularly within Asia. Recent events have included a Korean agent seminar, COEX Fair and New Zealand education night reception in Seoul, a reconnecting series with Japanese partners in Tokyo, Viet Nam agent seminars and fairs in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, and a Thai agent seminar and fair in Bangkok. Looking ahead to next year’s events, ENZ’s international event calendar for the first half of 2023 is now on our website here. 

    The second phase of New Zealand’s successful international marketing campaign, I AM NEW, is now underway with a primary focus on China, India, South Korea, Japan, USA, Brazil, Viet Nam, Thailand and Germany. While the initial campaign aimed to raise awareness that New Zealand has reopened for international education, this second phase is focussed on reigniting interest in a New Zealand study experience, and transforming that interest into a commitment to study with New Zealand. A Spanish version of the I AM NEW campaign has also just been launched yesterday in Bogotá, Colombia, to reach this important segment of the Latin America market. 

    As we work with our partners and stakeholders within New Zealand and offshore to promote New Zealand education in the lead up to the 2023 student intake, we are hearing about a shortage of homestay accommodation that it would be good to resolve. More families are needed to welcome international students into their homes. This can be an enormously rewarding experience for everyone involved, one that builds lasting friendships and a deeper understanding of people from another language and culture. We will be talking with the sector to agree the best approach to addressing this challenge.  

    Finally, if you are looking to contact our Auckland-based team, please note that we have moved out of our office on Quay Street, and will be in a new office at 191 Queen Street from 5 December 2022.  

    He rau ringa e oti ai – Many hands make light work. 

  • Join us for the Latin America Study with New Zealand Virtual Fair 

    “The fair will be a great opportunity for providers to connect with prospective students in the Latin American market, using an interactive digital platform,” says Javiera Visedo, Director of Engagement Latin America for Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao (ENZ).   

    “ENZ is seeking expressions of interest in the fair, which we are hosting in collaboration with FPP. If you are interested in participating, please fill out the Expression of Interest form by 9 December 2022.”   

    Invitations to register will follow in the new year.  

    Find out more about Latin America 

    Key areas of focus for ENZ in Latin America include Brazil, Colombia and Chile, and we have staff based in São Paulo and Santiago.  

    Close to 6,000 international students came to New Zealand from Latin America in 2019, and Brazil is our eighth largest market. Since the pandemic there has been intense activity from our competitors with many of them establishing in-country representatives, which demonstrates the importance of this region in international student recruitment.  

    Beyond student recruitment, ENZ also values the government and education connections with the region. 

    ENZ recently hosted a series of Latin America Masterclasses, which saw participants from around Latin America tuning in to watch live lectures delivered by New Zealand academics.  

    In June this year, Education Minister Chris Hipkins created great buzz with his visit to Brazil and Chile, part of his first international trip since the beginning of the pandemic.   

    Group recipients of the Prime Ministers’ Scholarships for Latin America have recently started making their way to Brazil, Colombia and Chile to participate in short study exchanges. These include several Māori led groups, supporting connections with indigenous nations in the region.    

    In September, ENZ attended the FPP Virtual Fair in Colombia. The fair had more than 800 visitors, with over 100 visiting the ENZ booth. There was strong interest in tertiary programmes and language studies. The virtual fair was a great opportunity to promote New Zealand as a study destination within the Latin American market.  

    A group of 100 high school students from Paraná State in southern Brazil had a three-month study experience this year with schools in Auckland, Rotorua, Hawkes Bay, Palmerston North, Wellington, Canterbury and Invercargill.

    Brazil 

    In 2019, there were 3,324 Brazilian students studying in New Zealand. Being from non-English speaking countries, the majority of Latin American students will start their education experience in New Zealand studying English. Scholarships offered by the local state governments have also contributed to the presence of Brazilian students in New Zealand and in 2022, 100 students from the state of Parana in Brazil travelled to New Zealand on a 3-month exchange. The students were placed at high schools across the country and gave positive feedback about their time here.  

    Colombia 

    Colombia is New Zealand’s second largest market in Latin America, second only to Brazil. In 2019, there were 1,360 Colombian students studying in New Zealand. 

    In 2023, 22 students from Bogotá, Colombia, will travel to New Zealand to study during terms one and two. Most of the students will be based at schools across the North Island, with one group heading down to Nelson.  

    On 23 November 2022, ENZ launched the I AM NEW campaign in Spanish at an event in Bogotá, to promote a New Zealand education.  

    Chile 

    The recent CAPE LatAm ‘Celebrating 50 years of diplomatic relations with Chile’ event, hosted at Parliament, was a great example of the rich history of connections between New Zealand and Chile.  

    Chile is New Zealand’s third largest market in Latin America. In 2019, there were 1,193 Chilean students studying in New Zealand. The majority of Chilean students come to New Zealand to study English Language, but enrolment in schools has also been consistent, with 17% of students studying at New Zealand schools in 2019. 

    Flights 

    Latam will be resuming their daily flights to Sydney via Auckland from mid-December and Qantas is flying three times per week from Santiago direct to Sydney. Although the cost of flights is high, in line with worldwide trends, the resumption of regular flights demonstrates the high demand for the Latin America to Oceania route.  

    Expressions of interest in the Latin America Study with New Zealand Virtual Fair are due by 9 December 2022. You can access the online form here.  

    If you have any questions about the event, please contact  latinamerica@enz.govt.nz   

  • Indigenous Malyasian students learn about Te Ao Māori

    Scholastica Philip, who is of Kadazan descent, together with Diana Bah Said and Norazah Din, both of Semai ethnicity, have been studying the Te Ao Māori and Sustainability course on the Mission New Zealand online platform. 

    All three say they gained a great deal from the short course, which included an introduction to biculturalism, and the five stages of the design thinking process.  

    “Biculturalism in Aotearoa New Zealand is fascinating,” Norazah said. “We learned about Māori settling in New Zealand, and I really want to experience their culture and daily life if I have the chance in the future.” 

    Scholastica noticed some common themes around sustainability in Te Ao Māori, and the importance of nature and food in her Kadazan culture, which is from East Malaysia. 

    “We take care of nature as we take care of humans - we need to take care of all living things. 

    “There is an ancient story for Kadazan people about Huminodun, a very beautiful woman who sacrificed herself to create food and bring rain to stop the cursed drought season for her people. This story is about how closely we are connected with nature. 

    “We learned on the course that Māori and non-Māori are working together in New Zealand to achieve a sustainable ecological system – I love the concept,” Scholastica said. 

    Norazah and Diana also noted how important trees and rivers are in their distinctive Semai culture, which is based in North Malaysia.   

    “We have a very strong connection with nature - as much as we respect each other,” Diana said. 

    Norazah with a friend at the Festival of Langauge

    Scholastica and Diana at university in Kuala Lumpur

    Norazah and Diana are in their second year of study at Universiti Malaya, and Scholastica is in her third year.  

    Scholastica has also completed an introductory course in te Reo Māori, and you can hear her pepeha here.

    Ben Burrowes, Regional Director Asia for Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao (ENZ) says the Whakatipu Scholarships are funded by ENZ and Universiti Malaya. 

    “We are aiming to empower talented young indigenous students, support them with learning and exchange opportunities, and encourage knowledge sharing. 

    Scholastica at the Sabah Fiesta with a group of Thai buddies

    “This is the first year of the scholarship, and it’s great to see these students making the most of this opportunity.” 

    Read more about the Whakatipu Scholarships on the ENZ website here. 

    Read more about Mission New Zealand on ENZ’s New Products and Services website here 

     

  • Reconnecting with stakeholders in Japan 

    Across the two days, 68 representatives from education and travel agencies, schools, universities and ENZ’s education partners in Japan networked with 19 New Zealand education providers, regional representatives and edtech company, Chasing Time English, and heard updates from ENZ.  Networking opportunities included one-on-one meetings, and a reception at iki, a newly opened New Zealand-themed roastery and eatery in Tokyo. Key Japanese partners including ENZRA agents, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, and ENZ’s Education Cooperation Partners: Tokyo Metropolitan Board of Education, Japan Women’s University and Waseda University attended the event.

      

    In terms of market trends, Misa Kitaoka, ENZ’s Director of Education in Japan, noted the increasing demand for “one term school study” in New Zealand, which can be attributed to changes made in admission requirements by the Japanese universities.  

    “With the Japanese government’s internationalisation efforts, more and more universities in Japan are now adopting a holistic assessment of applicants, based on their high school grades, English language skills, extracurricular activities, and essays, in addition to the traditional written exams,” Ms Kitaoka says.  

    “Students who study abroad have a competitive advantage in these assessments – their English and communication skills improve, and they gain a wide range of life experiences overseas. With this new trend, we are expecting to see more secondary schools sending their students for one term or longer to New Zealand, to help them prepare for admission to university.”  

    Japanese agents and educators are also interested in New Zealand’s full Bachelor’s degree programmes, given the increasing number of bilingual Japanese/English students in Japan. With more International Baccalaureate (IB) schools (the Japanese government’s current target is 200 IB schools) and the improvement of English language education in Japan, more students in Japan are prepared to apply directly to New Zealand tertiary institutions after finishing high school.  

    “We are excited to work with ENZ to start an annual, outbound group study programme for our affiliated schools,” Ryohei Matsuoka from the International Office at Waseda University said. “We are planning to send more than 70 Waseda high school students to Manawatu and Hawke’s Bay in March 2023. With Waseda’s increasing interest in New Zealand’s tertiary education, the programme will incorporate visits to tertiary institutions in addition to study at secondary schools.”  

    ENZ and Air New Zealand are co-hosting and co-funding a “famil” for the executive members of Waseda University and its affiliated schools in late November, visiting schools and tertiary institutions in the two regions mentioned above.  

    Due to Japan’s border restrictions which were in place until October, and the ongoing Covid-19 restrictions, ENZ did not undertake a student-facing event this year, and is planning to restart student fairs in 2023.

     

    Social media coverage of the stakeholder events was well received and generated a high level of engagement. 

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