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• From the Chief Executive: Greater clarity for 2022

  The past couple of years have undoubtedly been tough. Despite this, we’ve worked together to provide additional support for current students, diversify programmes and services, strengthen relationships, build social licence, and maintain a presence in our key markets.  

  Our immediate focus now is on making best possible use of key steps in the government’s five-step plan to progressively reopen the borders: 

  • Fourth cohort of up to 5,000 international students as a border exception (step 3), with visa processing from mid-April in time for students to start their studies here in July
  • Up to 3 months for visitors to come from visa-waiver countries (step 4) by July  
  • Visa applications open for all international students by October, in time for students to arrive at the start of the 2023 year. 

  Government decisions have now been made on the composition of the fourth cohort of students. Student numbers will be allocated across the sector, based on the proportion of international students who were attending each type of education provider pre-COVID in 2019:

  • University 1,450
  • Te Pūkenga 700
  • School (Year 9 and above) 1,000
  • PTE 850
  • English Language School 1,000

  Students will need to meet the same living cost requirements as the previous cohort, namely funds of $15,000 for school students and $20,000 for other students.

  Over the coming weeks, we will work closely with peak bodies, education providers and the Ministry of Education, to finalise the allocation of these places to individual providers.  In this respect, we have been able to set up an online system that should streamline the application process, and you will hear more about this soon.

  At the same time, we are continuing to work towards the overarching goals set out in the International Education Strategy:

  • Delivering an excellent education and student experience
  • Achieving sustainable growth
  • Developing global citizens.

  In this month’s E-News, you can read about our participation at the Dubai Expo, as well as two key upcoming events in Oman and Saudi Arabia related to tertiary education: Global Higher Education Exhibition Oman from 27 to 29 March 2022, and the International Conference & Exhibition for Education in Riyadh from 8 to 11 May 2022.

  As a reminder, other major education conferences in the first half of the year include APAIE 2022 from 27 to 31 March, which will be held online, FAUBAI 2022 which will be held online from 25 to 27 April, and NAFSA which will be held online from 4 to 5 May 2022 and in person in Denver, Colorado from 31 May to 3 June 2022.

  I look forward to working with you over the coming year.

  Ki te kotahi te kakaho ka whati, Ki te kapuia e kore e whati - Alone we can be broken. Standing together, we are invincible. 

  Grant McPherson

• ENZ welcomes restart of PM's Scholarships for Asia and Latin America

  Education Minister Chris Hipkins today announced that Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao (ENZ) is restarting the Prime Minister's Scholarships for Asia and Latin America, initially for group programmes only.

  The Prime Minister's Scholarships for Asia and Latin America support New Zealanders to undertake life-changing international learning experiences through study, language and internship opportunities. 

  Since 2013, the programme has supported more than 2,400 New Zealanders to broaden their horizons and gain experience in Asia or Latin America. 

  The upcoming round will be open for group applications from 21 March – 2 May 2022. New Zealand universities, wānanga, institutes of technology and polytechnics, private training establishments, iwi and other educational organisations are invited to apply on behalf of a group of students. 

  “After two years of disruption due to COVID-19, we are thrilled to now be in a position to open a group scholarship round", says ENZ's Global Citizens Manager Carla Rey Vasquez. 

  “For Prime Minister's Scholars, the experience is truly transformational. Recipients develop their global citizenship through growing cultural understanding, developing language skills, learning about culture, business and trade practices in Asia and Latin America, and building lifelong friendships and networks.  

  “This benefits all New Zealanders, as upon their return the scholars are tasked with building on those reciprocal relationships, sharing the learning, and taking action to strengthen and foster the growth of local and global communities. 

  “Our scholars come from a wide range of backgrounds and all walks of life, and we see countless examples of alumni who have used their Prime Minister's Scholarship experience to make a positive impact through their careers and communities.” 

  One of those alumni is Denym Bird, whose Prime Minister's Scholarship for Asia took him in 2014 to study at Hong Kong's prestigious City University. At age 29, Denym is now living in Amsterdam and running his own business. Denym credits his scholarship experience with helping him cultivate international relationships and understand how the world works outside of New Zealand.

  

  Image: Denym Bird, a Prime Minister's Scholarship for Asia recipient, in Hong Kong

  “Developing an understanding of other cultures has been super valuable as I’ve developed my career and my business. And travelling at a relatively young age with the scholarship gave me a tremendous amount of confidence. All of this has contributed to me being able to set up business on my own.” 

  ENZ has chosen to initially open the scholarships to group applications only with the health and safety of participants in mind. Group programmes involve a higher level of oversight and will allow both education providers and government agencies to offer on-the-ground support to participants while on programme in Asia or Latin America. 

  Group programmes also allow individual participants to be recruited by education providers closer to the time of travel, when there is likely to be greater clarity on travel restrictions and safety. Flexibility will be built into this round, and travel will only take place once it is safe to do so. ENZ anticipates most groups will embark on their programmes in 2023. 

  "Safety of our participants continues to be our top priority throughout all stages of the scholarship programme", says Carla. “We have robust risk management systems and emergency procedures in place, the ability to monitor the changing global conditions as well as resources and tools to support recipients on programme. We will be working with other government agencies, as well as our own staff located in Asia and Latin America, to ensure that our Prime Minister's Scholars are well looked after throughout their scholarship experience.” 

  Currently enrolled students who are interested in taking part in a group programme should enquire with their education provider's international office to check if there are opportunities available.

  For more information about the group scholarship round, including how to apply, click here.

   

  Education providers can also learn more by registering for the following webinars:

  Asia Market update

  Date: Thursday 24^th of March 2:30pm- 4pm NZT

  Description: Join us for an update about what is happening across Asia and the opportunities for outbound mobility. We will cover tips, key considerations and strategies for establishing partnerships offshore that increase the impact of your outbound scholarship programmes. The meeting will include a half hour country specific session.

  Link:  https://enz.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUvf-CppzItGNx86LKroP8qKSsu3LYtB7jy

  Latin America Market update

  Date: Friday 25^th of March, 9am- 10:30am NZT

  Description: Join us for an update about what is happening across Latin America and the opportunities for outbound mobility. We will cover tips, key considerations and strategies for establishing partnerships offshore that increase the impact of your outbound scholarship programmes.

  Link:  https://enz.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0kf-uvrTkjHNV95MeQWbE3TwaoemcH4nHp

  Scholarship 101:

  Date: Friday 25^th of March 12- 1pm NZT

  Description: New to the Prime Minister's Scholarship to Asia and Latin America? Come and find out what the programme is all about and how your organization can make the most of the opportunities available.

  Link:    https://enz.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEqf-mhqz0tEtLYMvgPEOqb0AN6QcY1NK-D

   

• Webinars: PM's Scholarships for Asia and Latin America

  The current round of Prime Minister's Scholarships opened on Monday 21 March for group applications and will close on Monday 2 May 2022. Learn more about the scholarships here.

  Universities, wānanga, institutes of technology and polytechnics, private training establishments, iwi and other educational organisations can apply for a programme on behalf of a group for students.

  Whether you are completely new to the scholarships, or have successfully run group programmes before, our webinars will cover everything you need to know. Register below!

  Asia Market update

  Thursday 24^th of March 2:30pm- 4pm NZT

  Join us for an update about what is happening across Asia and the opportunities for outbound mobility. We will cover tips, key considerations and strategies for establishing partnerships offshore that increase the impact of your outbound scholarship programmes. The meeting will include a half hour country specific session.

  Register here.

  Latin America Market update

  Friday 25^th of March, 9am- 10:30am NZT

  Join us for an update about what is happening across Latin America and the opportunities for outbound mobility. We will cover tips, key considerations and strategies for establishing partnerships offshore that increase the impact of your outbound scholarship programmes.

  Register here.

  Scholarship 101

  Friday 25^th of March 12- 1pm NZT

  New to the Prime Minister's Scholarship to Asia and Latin America? Come and find out what the programme is all about and how your organization can make the most of the opportunities available.

  Register here.

• Celebrating Women of the Future with India

  Women leaders from New Zealand and India shared inspiring stories at the event, discussing equity and the inclusion of women in society.   

  ENZ announced a range of initiatives to inspire young women and enable them to experience cross-cultural values and learning:   

  • Virtual India Immersion programme for New Zealand-based tertiary students, focussed on enhancing knowledge of Indian culture and business environment. Students interested in taking up this programme can apply here by 30 April. Find out more here.
  • 10 virtual micro-internships, in partnership with the University of Auckland, for female undergraduate students from India. Interested Indian students can apply here by Saturday, 16 April. 
  • A virtual exchange programme involving a cohort of 40 high school girl students from India and New Zealand offering the Global Competence Certificate. Details of the programme for Indian students are available here. Applications close on 22 April.  

  Hon Priyanca Radhakrishnan, Minister for Diversity, Inclusion and Ethnic Communities opened the summit and encouraged all women to challenge stereotypes and break barriers.  The Minister mentioned that she herself had previously come to New Zealand as an international student.  

  Other speakers included women leaders in education from both countries, as well as Tashi Malik and Nungshi Malik, the twin mountaineering sisters who are winners of New Zealand Prime Minister Sports scholarships and Sir Edmund Hillary Global Impact Visa Awardees, and Miss Malini, a well-known Indian digital influencer.

• Rautaki Māori update - March 2022

  The first wānanga explored what ‘global citizenship’ means from a Māori world view. The second wānanga discussed the Prime Minister’s Scholarship programme, how to grow Māori participation in it, and how to support rangatahi through creating programme connections with iwi and the Māori economy, so the programme provides greater value for Māori. 

  The sessions were attended by 22 participants from across iwi and sector interests, including from universities, other education providers and the Centres of Asia-Pacific Excellence.  

  Representatives from the newly formed Kāhui Kaupapa also attended – Māori alumni of the Prime Minister’s Scholarships for Asia and Latin America. 

  This work is long-term in nature. We aim to build partnerships with iwi, Māori and Māori providers of education services, to transform the understanding of international education and ensure the education system delivers with, and for Māori in the international context.

• Haere ra Afiqah, Haere mai Vikram

  We spoke recently with the former NZISA National President for 2021, Afiqah Ramizi, and with the National President for 2022, Vikram Selvaraj. 

  Afiqah Ramizi, NZISA National President 2021

  Afiqah has been in New Zealand since 2015, when she left Malaysia to undertake tertiary study here.  After completing a foundation course at ACG (now known as UP International College), Afiqah started on a six-year medical degree at the University of Auckland (UoA) and is now in her final year.   

  Afiqah’s advocacy work started during her time at ACG, when she was selected to represent the college under an International Student Ambassador programme, run by the New Zealand Police in Auckland. The main focus was to support engagement with the student community, and lift students’ understanding about how to keep themselves safe in a foreign country and what support is available.  

  At university, Afiqah joined the Malaysian students’ association and became Vice President.  In 2019 and again in 2020, she was elected as the International Students Officer for the UoA Students Association.  During these years, she became involved with NZISA through their multiple lobbying efforts and community engagement. Afiqah was elected NZISA’s Vice President in 2020, before being elected National President in 2021.   

  Looking back on her experience at NZISA, Afiqah says she is proud to have been involved in making sure that the voices of international students were heard as New Zealand responded to COVID-19, amongst many other achievements of NZISA since 2017. 

  “Last year we were successful in lobbying for temporary changes to international students’ maximum working hours, so they could work more during alert levels 3 and 4,” Afiqah says. “This was really important for students at a time when their studies were disrupted, and some students were facing financial hardship. This temporary increase was also appreciated by local employers, as they were needing more people able to work full-time, to keep their businesses running.”  

  In her role as National President, Afiqah was involved in supporting the groups of international students coming back to New Zealand while the border was closed. Her team’s continuous advocacy to government bodies saw more international student cohort border exceptions announced, which meant more international students were able to return and resume life in New Zealand. 

  “Staying in managed isolation and quarantine was a big extra cost for these students, and we know many hesitated to return because of that.  By talking with the institutions involved and advocating for subsidies, we were able to encourage them to cover part of the costs for their returning students. This was a win-win for both the universities and the students.” 

  Supporting students over the holidays was another key focus for NZISA during the past two summers, primarily to help onshore students who couldn’t reconnect with their families while borders were closed.  

  “We worked with ENZ and our regional networks to encourage summer internships, to remain connected in the international community and to indulge in the real Kiwi summer,” Afiqah said. 

  Afiqah herself spent the last summer at the coalface of the COVID-19 response work, drawing on her medical knowledge to support public health. She was initially working to find the source of COVID-19 when contact tracing was a key focus, and through the Omicron surge, she has learned other public health skills as the nature of her work changed from eliminating to managing COVID-19.    

  Now it’s time for her to pass on the baton to the 2022 President, and an opportunity to focus on her final year of medical school! 

   

  Vikram Selvaraj, NZISA National President 2022

  

  Now in the final semester of a Bachelor of Criminal Justice degree at University of Canterbury, Vikram came to New Zealand in 2018 from Singapore with his partner and began studying here the following year.  

  “The Bachelor of Criminal Justice was a new degree, and I realised it was exactly what I wanted to study,” Vikram says. “It combines law with a range of other subjects, all related to criminal justice.” 

  Vikram is the eldest of three siblings and the sole breadwinner for his family, having lost both parents. His two siblings are still living in Singapore, and Vikram has continued to run a hairdressing salon there during his years in NZ. It’s more than three years since Vikram last saw his family in Singapore, but he isn’t planning a trip home any time soon, because of the risk that border settings might change again.  

  Vikram brings a range of relevant experience to his new role as NZISA National President.  At University of Canterbury (UC), he was a UniLife Leader, the first to be in charge of mature students, both domestic and international.  It was his role to support them, provide pastoral care and a voice on the issues they were facing.  His work was recognised with a Blues Award from UC Students Association in 2021, for Outstanding Achievement in Community Engagement.  

  Vikram is excited about his new role as NZISA National President.  He was elected in December and took up the role in late January, along with an all-new executive team of eight students.   

  “We’re planning a number of projects for the year ahead,” Vikram says. 

  UC joined NZISA last year and continuing to increase membership will be one of the priorities for Vikram and his team this year.   

  “We also have ideas for a range of projects for students that different members of the team will lead during the year.  This includes working with NZ Police to help students understand the risks of scams and online gambling; supporting students with resources to combat racism and discrimination; and empowering women.” 

  Vikram says it’s his belief that he can do something that has brought him to where he is today.  He’s very conscious of the challenges faced by many international students, for example when their financial situation changes, and they find it hard to get the support they need.  

  “Kiwi students aren’t always aware that international students are paying a premium price for their studies,” he says.   

  “Sometimes students feel homesick, or experience racism – whatever the particular challenge, it’s important for them to know that someone is listening to them.” 

  Fun fact about Vikram:  Vikram has a Japanese Spritz dog called Tiger that he brought with him to New Zealand.

  Sahinde Pala, ENZ’s Director Student Experience & Global Citizens, says ENZ sets great store by our relationship with NZISA. 

  “We have really valued the contribution Afiqah has made during her years with NZISA, and we look forward to working closely with Vikram and his team over the coming year,” Sahinde says.

• Tokyo Online School Forum

  Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the BoE in 2017 to promote educational and cultural exchange between Tokyo and New Zealand. The result has been a series of continuously successful exchanges between the two countries, including this latest forum.

  For many students, this was their first time interacting with so many high school students from outside their own country, in a virtual forum.

  Japanese neuroscientist Kenichiro Mogi, a visiting professor at Tokyo Institute of Technology, spoke about AI and the human brain, and the importance of eating well to maintain a healthy mindset. Following his lecture, students were given several topics to discuss in breakout sessions. They chose specific English words which they felt connected to the 17 SDGs, such as ‘humanity’, ‘compassion’, ‘education’, ‘resonance’ and ‘power’. 

  Students had a range of positive responses when asked what they had enjoyed most about the experience:  

    

  “The chance to connect with other students from across the world.” – Nandana  

    

  “I enjoyed listening and interacting with students from different countries. I also enjoyed learning about foods and ways to make food I’ve never seen before.” – Tammy 

    

  “Learning new things and what other people thought” – Eliza   

    

  “The speeches were very interesting, and the hosts were entertaining. I loved the information I learnt in this forum!” – Rio

    

  “It was great to see such a large New Zealand presence at the Tokyo Forum, which supports the ‘Creating Global Citizens’ pillar of the New Zealand International Education Strategy,” says Misa Kitaoka, ENZ’s Director of Education – Japan.

  “We look forward to bringing more opportunities to connect Japanese and New Zealand students through our shared commitment to progress towards UN SDGs.” 

  Other projects that ENZ and Tokyo BoE have been working on together include the development of an SDG lecture series, featured on their Tokyo English Channel.

  Get a flavour of the event by checking out the promotional flyer here (Japanese language).

• Upcoming offshore events related to international education

   

  Dates	Event	Location
  21-25 March	Forum on Education Abroad Conference 2022  Annual conference of the Forum, a non-profit membership association that provides training and resources to support high quality education abroad experiences.  Contact: Lewis Gibson	Chicago, Illinois, USA
  24, 31 March, 7, 14,21,28 April	Agents Workshop Series: The NEW Choices  A series of 8 webinars aims to provide Vietnamese agents with updates on new programme offerings across sectors, and new perspectives when looking at NZ offerings.  Contact: Van Banh	Viet Nam
  26 March	New Future, New You, New Zealand  A co-funded virtual session between ENZ and one of our ENZRAs in Indonesia, SUN Education. The objective is to maintain a pipeline of interested students ready to pathway to New Zealand universities when the border reopens. The event will feature reps and gradvocates from UC, Otago, Waikato, and Massey University.  Contact: Naluri Bella	Indonesia
  27-31 March	Asia-Pacific Association for International Education Conference and Exhibition 2022  APAIE brings together professionals who are passionate about international education from across the globe to network, improve professional skills and learn about new developments in international education.  Contact: events@enz.govt.nz	Online
  27-29 March	Global Higher Education Exhibition (GHEDEX)  Organised by the Omani Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation, GHEDEX brings together education providers, secondary and tertiary students, parents, and young professionals from across the Gulf region.  Contact: Bronwyn Shanks	Muscat, Oman
  27 March, 3,10,17 April	NZ Scholarship Boot Camp for students  Part of ENZRA Co-funding Activities, this initiative offers a series of workshops for Vietnamese students to obtain updated scholarship info, enhance necessary skills and meet up with NZ institutions to plan their study abroad journey.  Contact: Van Banh	Viet Nam
  31 March	Kōrerorero: Conversations That Matter – UN Sustainable Development Goal 4  Join an exclusive conversation about access to quality education with university vice-chancellors from Brazil, Colombia, and New Zealand.  Contact: Bruna de Natale	Latin America
  2, 3, 9, 16-17, 24 April	Youth Runway Campaign – NZ and Viet Nam school students  Part of ENZRA Co-funding Activities, this initiative offers a series of workshops for Vietnamese students to obtain skills and knowledge about Global Citizens towards SDG – Marine Health, as well as make friends and interact with NZ students.  Contact: Van Banh	Viet Nam
  25-27 April	FAUBAI Conference 2022: Known Concepts, New Meanings - What has changed in the internationalization of higher education? How can the future of the internationalization of higher education be projected?  ENZ is a silver sponsor for this year’s virtual event and will have a virtual booth.  Contact: Bruna de Natale	Latin America
  28 April	FPP Latin America virtual postgraduate fair  An easy and convenient way to meet with over 90 international universities to find the right postgraduate program. ENZ will host the "Study With New Zealand Pavilion”, having 14 institutions representing a variety of NZ institutions (English New Zealand, PTEs, Te Pūkenga and universities).  Contact: Bruna de Natale	Latin America

• Appreciating our agents in Viet Nam

  The main purpose was to acknowledge the work of Vietnamese agents and thank them for their commitment. This is part of a programme of work to maintain and build our education brand offshore, ahead of the reopening of student visa processing in October 2022.

  As well as hearing the latest updates from ENZ and other key education speakers, agents took part in a quiz and brainstorm.  This provided some useful market insights into Vietnamese students’ and parents’ demand in a post-Covid world. 

  We were delighted with the positive feedback from agents about the event, including a renewed commitment to promote New Zealand education.  To build on this interest, ENZ is now organising a series of eight workshops themed “The NEW Choices”, to update Vietnamese agents about new programme offerings across sectors. 

  Other projects underway in this market include a sustainability competition and a scholarship bootcamp, in collaboration with ENZ Recognised Agents based in Viet Nam.

• Online education pilot with FutureLearn enters second phase

  A webinar for interested providers on 31 March will be followed by an international campaign from 30 June to end of September 2022.  

  Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao will again partner with FutureLearn, a London-based platform with a global learner base of 17+ million people. The successful first phase saw 22 online courses from New Zealand providers attract more than 80,000 enrolments from learners in over 200 countries, highlighting the potential of online study platforms to reach new global audiences. 

  The focus of this second phase will be on how to convert an online audience into a sustainable commercial proposition for New Zealand-based providers.  

  We are interested in hearing from providers who have online content ready to go, or who are confident they can develop online content quickly. We are looking primarily to include short, taster courses (6-20 hours of learning). There is also scope for short credit-bearing courses, including micro-credentials. 

  This opportunity is open to both registered and non-registered education providers, EdTech companies, regional economic bodies and others. If you have education content and you’re interested in participating, please register for our information webinar on 31 March 2022 to find out more. 

  Participants have told us that the benefits of this initiative included being able to explore online distribution models and understand more about who the online audience is, and how they behave in a learning environment. It also presents an opportunity for providers to test and learn at low cost and with low risk, as well as profiling their brand to a global audience.   

  Online education is part of a programme of work to diversify international education products and services, in line with the New Zealand International Education Strategy 2018-2030. 

  Phase 1 pilot with FutureLearn

  Through the first pilot we confirmed there is demand for online courses from New Zealand providers, willingness by many in the sector to pilot online learning, and that New Zealand courses can attract learners in full-time employment. 

  View the New Zealand Collection on FutureLearn here.  

  You can explore the data and key insights we gathered from the first phase in our report here:

  Download our report about FutureLearn Phase 1 

  Key dates: 

  31 March 2022 – Pilot #2 Information webinar 

  30 June to end of September – Campaign goes live