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World-class fusion cuisine and culinary skills at Viet Nam gala dinner
The three teams, each consisting of two Vietnamese and two New Zealand students, showcased their culinary skills on stage in front of 170 guests, including New Zealand Minister of Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment, Steven Joyce.
The event was the outcome of two months’ hard work for the three teams, who initially worked together online to develop their menus under the guidance of culinary mentor and 2013 MasterChef New Zealand finalist, Vanessa Baxter. The teams met face-to-face in Ho Chi Minh City on 3 June, and then spent the following three days visiting Vietnamese markets to collect their fresh local produce before finalising their menus at the Caravalle Hotel kitchen.
At the gala dinner, the guests were treated to a selection of dishes from the students’ three-course fusion menus. Meanwhile, the three official judges – Haike Manning, New Zealand Ambassador to Viet Nam; Le Xuan Tam, Executive Chef, Caravelle Hotel and Brendon Partridge, Executive Chef, JW Marriott Hanoi – sampled all of the student’s dishes throughout the evening.
Decision making was tough and competition was high. Team 1 narrowly missed coming first, and Team 2 won the guest vote.
Minister Joyce announced Team 3 as the overall winner. Their braised lamb shanks with pickled cabbage, potato rosti and reduced jus proved most popular. This team included Jamin Gibson (Auckland University of Technology), Emma Waser (Otago Polytechnic), Phan Văn Lâm (Viet Giao Tourism School), and Nguyễn Ngọc Quân (VATEL International Business School Hotel & Tourism Management).
“It is so amazing that we won the competition,” said Emma Waser. “We gelled so well as a team throughout the whole competition but we worked especially well together on the night.
“We had to delve into each other’s cultures and traditions to come up with our fusion menu. I have learned how important it is to mix it up – to use different flavours and borrow from other traditions and cuisines.
“It has been amazing to come to Viet Nam and see what else is out there in the world – to find out more about different cultures, different people and different food.”
Said Jamin: “I have really enjoyed the food, the friendliness of the people and their hospitality. I definitely want to return to Viet Nam with my wife.”
Nguyễn Ngọc Quân enjoyed learning how to cook lamb the Kiwi way. “I learned to cook lamb the way that is more traditional in New Zealand. Typically the Vietnamese dislike the smell of lamb but our slow cook method and flavours in the lamb shank proved really popular.
“I admired my New Zealand team mates’ techniques and knowledge as well as their ability to think innovatively and creatively,” he said.
The gala dinner was the result of the New Zealand – Viet Nam Culinary Collaboration, an initiative that came out of the New Zealand – Viet Nam Strategic Plan on Education signed in November 2015. The plan is designed to deepen the level of engagement between the two countries and enrich students’ learning.
“The New Zealand – Viet Nam Culinary Collaboration is yet another example of the growing education relationship between our two countries,” said ENZ Chief Executive, Grant McPherson.
“While it has been fantastic to see the outstanding teamwork between the students, the gala dinner was also an opportunity to showcase New Zealand institutions’ vocational expertise and our education system’s world-renowned practical application of skills which prepare students for the working world.”
Grant emphasised that everyone involved in the collaboration was a winner.
Team 1 included Ryan Prouting (Ara, Institute of Canterbury), Tuainekore Taringa (NZMA), Trịnh Xuân Hoàng (Viet Giao Tourism School), and Nguyen Thuy Tra Giang (VATEL International Business School Hotel & Tourism Management).
Team 2 included Ella Ritson-Jones (Southern Institute of Technology), Jamie Bell (Wellington Institute of Technology), Dương Nhật Huy (Viet Giao Tourism School) and Phan Trong Bao Chau (VATEL International Business School Hotel & Tourism Management).
Study Auckland local agent forum
Connections were made via a series of 15-minute meetings plus networking over lunch at the Hilton Auckland.
“It was a great day and well organised,” said Lesley King, Director of International Students at Glen Eden Intermediate School.
“Meeting local agents is always worthwhile and hopefully we will gain some worthwhile partnerships.”
After lunch, the agents received an update from Immigration New Zealand’s Education Sector Relationship Manager, Katy Aldcroft.
The update covered Immigration Online and the Pathway Student Visa option.
“Local agent forums have been part of Study Auckland’s work for many years, and highlight the important role onshore agents play in driving international education growth in the Auckland region,” said Study Auckland Manager, Nick Arnott.
“The agents also really appreciated the Immigration New Zealand update and the lively Q&A session that followed.”
ENZ Emirates Airline promotion launches in Saudi Arabia
This promotion builds on a successful #YourSummerinNZ competition, which concluded on 5 June with the award of six prizes to study in New Zealand. The winners receive full scholarships to study English language at one of the six sponsoring New Zealand English language schools for up to six weeks, including return flights to New Zealand and accommodation.
The Emirates Airline promotional discount offer is on flights to New Zealand, booked from 1 June until 31 August, departing from Riyadh, Jeddah, Medinah, and Dammam. To redeem the offer, students need to use an infographic posted on ENZ’s Arabic Twitter page – @nzeducationsa.
“We are delighted to partner with Emirates Airline in promoting New Zealand as the premium destination for English-language students,” says John Laxon, ENZ’s Middle East Regional Director.
“Saudi students can now fly direct from Dubai to New Zealand via Emirates, and enter New Zealand visa-free when studying for up to 12 weeks.”
The flight promotion, and competition, are targeted to students looking at summer abroad study, given the longer summer holiday period in 2016.
New Zealand Ambassador, Hamish MacMaster, announced the Saudi #YourSummerinNZ scholarship winners: Abdullah Al Fifi (New Zealand Language Centres), Thamer Albugmi (Worldwide School of English), Ali Al Shahrani (Academic Colleges Group), Mohammed AlQabbaa (Southern Lakes English Language College), Majed Alzahrani (Languages International), and Fahad Alfifi (The Campbell Institute).
“The #YourSummerinNZ competition was a great success,” says Ambassador MacMaster.
“More than 3,000 entrants promoted New Zealand on ENZ’s dedicated Arabic-language Twitter channel – @nzeducationsa. ENZ now has more than 38,000 followers on its Twitter page, where students can find out how great it is to study in New Zealand.”
ENZ will continue a series of promotional and marketing initiatives during the summer period, and any providers looking to partner on further promotions can contact: rachel.simpson@enz.govt.nz
A new group of US Kiwi Ambassadors
Welcome Kiwi Ambassadors!
It was so difficult that ENZ decided the group of runners-up would be offered the chance to be ‘Honorary’ Kiwi Ambassadors. This meant they could still share their semester experience in New Zealand through the Study in New Zealand Instagram.
The #StudyinNZ page will therefore shortly welcome the next round of Kiwi Ambassadors, the 13 award recipients, and a further group of 29 Honorary Kiwi Ambassadors when they arrive in New Zealand in July.
The Instagram page has quickly become a hit with the US students and has already attracted almost 15,000 followers. Certainly, as you can see if you view the page, the current Kiwi Ambassadors have had no trouble finding picturesque opportunities during their semester in New Zealand! Images of nature, food, sunsets and wildlife predominate.
ENZ’s staff in the US, Amy Rutherford and Alanna Dick, have found the #StudyinNZ Instagram page a powerful tool in promoting New Zealand as an education destination.
“When I suggest students and study abroad advisors follow Study In New Zealand on Instagram, the conversation about studying abroad in New Zealand continues long after the study fair or campus visit is over,” says Alanna.
“It’s one thing me telling students what it’s like studying in New Zealand, it’s another when the students can see it in real time for themselves!”
More about the Awards
Education New Zealand partnered with the eight New Zealand universities and six institutes of technology and polytechnics to offer these awards as part of their support of the Institute of International Education’s Generation Study Abroad initiative, and its aim of doubling the number of US students who study abroad.
For Semester Two this year, ENZ awarded four US students the $2,000 Generation Study Abroad Travel Award to cover their airfare. The students are attending the University of Auckland, the University of Otago, and EcoQuest, a Private Training Establishment.
The universities awarded nine US students New Zealand Universities Excellence Awards (NZUEAs) which cover $500 of tuition fees and other associated costs. The students come from universities all over the US, from University of Florida to California Polytechnic State University.
Japanese Game On English Rugby clinic a big success
The rugby clinic was hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade in partnership with ENZ as an offshore programme of GOE Rugby.
GOE Rugby was launched by Prime Ministers Shinzō Abe and John Key in July 2014 in response to the Japanese government’s goal to improve the English language skills, and boost the sporting capacity of Japan’s young people, in preparation for the 2019 Rugby World Cup and 2020 Olympics. See here for more details on GOE Rugby.
Two coaches were selected from GOE’s partner rugby unions to lead the clinic: John Haggart, International High Performance Manager, Canterbury Rugby Football Union; and Clayton McMillan, Head Coach, Bay of Plenty Rugby Football Union.
The two coaches jointly led the Tokyo programme. This included a rugby clinic at Aoyama Elementary School, a press conference, and a reception hosted by New Zealand Ambassador Mark Sinclair and held at the New Zealand Embassy in Tokyo. Among the 150 guests were Panasonic head coach Robbie Deans, Japanese rugby legend Demi Sakata, sports-related government officials including former Vice Minister Shinichi Yamanaka, and business leaders including Adidas Japan president Paul Hardisty.
John Haggart and Clayton McMillan then travelled to Sapporo and Fukuoka respectively to lead the rugby clinic, supported by the host city and rugby club. More than 100 pupils attended the clinic in Fukuoka and 234 pupils in Sapporo.
“The feedback was very positive and it was a great occasion for ENZ to showcase the GOE programme on the ground for students to consider New Zealand as a study destination,” said Misa Pitt, ENZ’s Senior Market Development Manager in Japan.
ENZ has plans for other GOE initiatives for later in the year.
“We are picking up great momentum for GOE activities here in Japan,” said Misa. “We will have more updates to share in the coming months.”
Above: At the Fukuoka clinic
Above: At the Sapporo clinic
A taste of New Zealand
Kicking off on 20 May, proceedings got underway with an invitation-only event, hosted by New Zealand’s Ambassador to the Philippines, David Strachan.
ENZ engaged a number of successful New Zealand alumni for media interviews and delivered a keynote presentation to a highly engaged crowd at the Glorietta Mall, Makati City venue.
The ENZ booth was particularly busy over the three days. A number of prospective students came prepared with specific questions, with many focusing on postgraduate study options.
The Experience NZ event also coincided with the celebration of 50 years of diplomatic ties between New Zealand and the Philippines.
This event was the latest in a series of in-market ENZ activities in the Philippines. It followed a successful agent seminar in Manila earlier this year.
A second agent seminar is being held in Cebu on 14 July and is now open for registration.
Regional partners’ workshop goes to Hawke’s Bay
The workshop is an initiative of ENZ’s Regional Partnership Programme (RPP), and drew a group of more than 20 regional coordinators from across the country. The RPP is a part of a strategic focus by ENZ to grow the value of international education across the whole of New Zealand as part of the effort to grow the industry’s value to $5 billion by 2025.
“The aim of the workshop was for participants to share experiences and receive professional development to increase their effectiveness in working with education providers in their regions,” said Greg Scott, ENZ’s Regional Partnership Programme Manager.
Topics included:
- Product development
- Inbound familiarisation planning
- The upcoming regional digital resource
- Increasing awareness of the value of international education in regional communities.
Participants enjoyed a range of presentations including lively show-and-tell sessions from Education Wellington and Education Hawke’s Bay, as well as an update from Karen Chalmers, NZQA’s Director International and Policy.
The day before the workshop, a smaller group of new regional coordinators came together at an ENZ-facilitated orientation session. They learned more about the RPP, contributed to an interactive business plan workshop, and heard some first-hand insights from Education Taranaki’s Rachael Berndt.
Greg said feedback about both days was extremely positive.
“We've seen a good number of regions join the RPP over the last 12 months, and there is a significant increase in regional growth initiatives as a result of the formation and implementation of their strategies.”
Notice: Brief shut down of INZ’s online client accounts in late May
This means that education agents and providers will not be able to access their online client accounts for four days, from 8am NZT on Saturday, 28 May.
New online applications will not be possible during this period, except for working holiday visas and skilled migrant category expressions of interest. Hard copy paper applications will still be accepted.
IDme
IDme will significantly improve INZ’s ability to confirm a person’s identity, making it a vital new protection against identity fraud by visa applicants.
The system will enable biometric information (face photographs and fingerprints) from visa applicants to be uploaded online and automatically matched against personal information already held by INZ.
IDme will be released in two tranches – the first release, from 31 May, will enable automated matching of all biographic details (personal data), fingerprints and a small volume of facial photographs. The second release, in the last quarter of 2016, will allow automated matching of all photographs.
IDme is the latest in a series of business changes known collectively as Immigration ONLINE. Better customer service is a key aim of these changes, which include:
- online applications for student, work and visitor visas
- third party “apply on behalf” for INZ partners such as immigration advisors, and
- eVisas (passport-free and label-less visas).
The next new service will enable families and tour groups to apply online using a single form. Once this happens, 80 percent of visa types by volume will be available online.
Sitting behind these new services are business changes that standardise best practice and apply consistent, measurable quality standards across INZ. Traditional visa processing tasks will reduce as customers increasingly go online to apply for visas and check their visa status.
New acceptable photo rules
Photos can still be submitted online along with application forms, but they must now meet strict approval guidelines to avoid rejection by the system. INZ recommends that applicant photos be taken by a professional photographer or a business set up to take passport-quality photos.
Education initiatives during Indian President's visit
President Shri Pranab Mukherjee of India and Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Minister, Steven Joyce, launched the New Zealand Excellence Awards (NZEA) on Monday 2 May to an audience of 150 Indian students and staff from the AUT. The awards are the outcome of a joint campaign between all eight universities and ENZ, and offers scholarships to Indian students to study Level 7+ courses in the fields of STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), business and fashion.
The NZEA scholarships were promoted in India at a high profile media event attended by ENZ Chief Executive, Grant McPherson; the NZ High Commissioner to India, HE Grahame Morton and ENZ Brand Ambassador, Stephen Fleming on 4 May 2016.
New Zealand’s education story screening in Colombia
ENZ Senior Communications Advisor, Rose O’Connor, had the pleasure of spending a week with a television crew from Colombia recently, during which New Zealand turned on the very best of its crisp and sparkly autumn weather, and Christchurch treated the group to an impressive display of flame-coloured trees.
L-R: Cameraman, Jimmy Torres Bravo; Producer, Viviana Arjona Parra; Presenter/Director, Alavaro Velez Isaza; Kiwi UC student Hapi Tohiariki; and Colombian UC student Daniel Trocez enjoyed the spectacle of the Crusaders’ victory over the Reds
The warm Aotearoa welcome was matched by the warmth and generosity of the stars of the show – Natascha Diaz, a PhD student at Auckland University of Technology; and Daniel Trochez, a B. Comm. student at the University of Canterbury. Natascha and Daniel invited us in to their lives and shared their stories with us, and the participating institutions opened their doors and allowed the crew to capture footage of the campuses that will enable a rich story to be told.
From a backyard Kiwi barbecue to a Friday night rugby game; ice creams on the beach to pies in AUT’s Hikuwai Plaza; interviews with the students, their friends, homestay families and university lecturers – we were able to build a strong picture of Natascha and Daniel’s lives in New Zealand. Their stories will be told to a potential audience of 10 – 12 million in Colombia, via a popular programme called ‘Contador de Historias’ (The Storyteller). The programme is also broadcast extensively across the Americas.
Alvaro being greeted with a hongi by tour guide Gaz, before heading down to Piha beach.
The visit was the first time in New Zealand for all members of the TV crew, and the first time out of Colombia for the young woman from our PR agency, Viviana. They all declared their love for New Zealand and vowed to return.
The presenter/director of the show, Alavaro Velez Isaza, expressed in a recent email:
“This was an invaluable experience that surely will be reflected in the chronicles we will see in our program Contador de Historias that our Latin American audience will appreciate, through your eyes that were ours throughout the tour.”
The crew declared a preference for New Zealand’s style of coffee making!
Visits such as this are the result of collaboration between ENZ, education providers and the students themselves. While we’re in the thick of famil-season, with both agents and media touring the country, ENZ would like to thank all those involved in their organisation and hosting. The success of such visits relies heavily on our ability to provide meaningful, relevant and high-impact programmes, and it is the support that we receive from our industry partners that helps us achieve this.
We’ll share the link once the programme once available, but in the meantime you can follow this link to view the teaser.