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Around the world in five
UNITED KINGDOM
UK government announces fast track visa plan for top researchers
New visa regulations designed to attract the world’s top scientific researchers will be announced later this year.
GLOBAL
Why more international students are attending Australian schools
The number of international students at Australia’s international schools is up 11 percent from 2016.
GLOBAL
Better than rankings: three more meaningful metrics for choosing a university
While university rankings play an influential role for any prospective student choosing a university, there are many other factors that contribute to a meaningful tertiary experience.
GLOBAL
The link between employment outcomes and recruiting
Employability is now a top priority among international students when planning for study abroad.
UNITED STATES
Eliminating achievement gaps in tertiary education
Taking a systems approach driven by data, Georgia State University (GSU) managed to eliminate achievement gaps based on ethnicity and income.
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Register for ENZ’s market intelligence webinars for South Korea and Japan
An ENZ market intelligence webinar for Korea has been organised and registration is now open. It will offer local market updates and insights and share Immigration New Zealand updates.
Registration is also open for an ENZ market intelligence webinar focusing on the Japanese market. This will include local market updates and insights, 2020 dates and regional engagements and NZQA Amendments to the Code of Practice.
ENZ’s Director Asia, John Laxon, said the industry webinars will be a great opportunity for New Zealand education providers to receive local in-market intelligence from ENZ staff.
“This will ensure in-market recruitment efforts are well targeted. Our 2019 webinar series is providing market insights and updates from around the Asia region, taking into account strong industry interest in the 2018 series.”
South Korea Industry Webinar
Wednesday, 28 August, 11am Korea time/2pm New Zealand time
Japan Industry Webinar
Monday, 16 September, 11am Japan time/2pm New Zealand time
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Insights from China
Session One: It’s all about the relationship: that’s the main message to emerge from a panel discussion between education providers that have partnered with institutions in China.
Professor Alister Jones is Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of Waikato, which has a joint institute to fully deliver its degrees at Zhejiang University City College in Hangzhou.
“It can take 15 to 25 years to create those relationships so it’s important to maintain your China team,” says Alister.
Steve Burt, Director of International Education at Kāpiti College, says his school began developing its ties with schools in China by working with a Chinese education bureau eight years ago.
For the Eastern Institute of Technology (EIT), developing relationships with organisations in China’s provinces help it diversify and build on its strengths in viticulture and wine.
Fred Koenders, EIT’s Executive Dean for Commerce and Technology, says China is looking to increase its capabilities in vocational education.
Tips for forming partnerships
The panel’s tips for partnering with institutions in China include:
- Do your research.
- Be prepared to invest time and money into developing the relationship.
- There is no substitute for face-to-face communication.
- It’s critical to have a fluent Chinese speaker on your team.
- Your Chinese partners may become friends for life.
Session Two: Digital marketing in China
China has a unique and challenging digital landscape. So how can New Zealand’s education sector use digital marketing to effectively promote themselves in China?
Euan Howden, ENZ’s Director of Marketing Platforms and Campaigns, and Jordi Du, New Zealand General Manager of digital agency UMS, shared their insights into China’s social media landscape at NZIEC.
Is WeChat enough?
Jordi advises education providers adopt an omni-channel approach to digital marketing in China, rather than relying on WeChat.
He says it’s important to look beyond WeChat because:
- There are barriers to registering a WeChat official account.
- It can be expensive to invest in content, media and campaigns.
- It’s difficult to measure conversion.
- WeChat isn’t the right channel to target Generation Z (born from the mid-1990s to early 2000s) or possibly Generation Y (born from 1980 to 1994).
ENZ’s approach
Western websites and social media platforms have issues with accessibility, performance and loading speed in China, so ENZ has created bespoke digital technology to share the New Zealand education story with Chinese students.
We have multiple touchpoints with our Chinese audience, including an official WeChat account, a China-hosted version of our Study in New Zealand website, email, online media and a WeChat mini program to encourage students to use our My StudyNZ tool to connect with New Zealand education providers.
Creating a content strategy
When it comes to content strategy, Euan says some things are the same in China as they would be anywhere else.
“People want relevant content, in the right place, that resonates with them and makes them want to learn more.”
He advises using your own sources, such as current students, alumni, parents and agents, to create and share content across channels and tools.
Euan also suggests:
- Choosing the right platform by understanding where your target audience is.
- Developing carefully targeted content in the best possible format.
- Aligning with ENZ’s campaigns for better brand recall.
- Exploring and making use of key opinion leaders (KOLs) in China.
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Letter from the CE: Navigating our changing world
A huge thank you to all those who joined us in Auckland for 2019’s NZIEC. The conference was filled with fascinating presentations, promising new connections and enlightening discussions. It was, however, the collaborative spirit, warm reception and energy of those who attended and presented that made this year’s conference our best yet.
Like many sectors, we are now operating in a state of constant change in terms of students’ needs and wants – and the challenges and opportunities that stem from this was a focus of discussion across the three days of events. NZIEC’s keynote speakers – Guy Ryan, Dr Lisa Coleman, and Professor Chris Gallavin – presented an impressive range of perspectives and ideas across areas including youth leadership and the role of global connectedness, inclusion and diversity, and the value of working together across different sub-sectors.
Our environment is also changing. NZIEC 2019 followed an announcement by Minister of Education, Chris Hipkins, about reforms for vocational education in New Zealand. The reforms are intended to ensure the vocational education sector continues to be globally relevant as the nature of work and the skills required in the workplace shifts. Seven key changes will be made, the major one being the establishment of a single public network of vocational training institutes. For more information on the Reform of Vocational Education, click here.
I would like to reiterate the Minister’s reassurance that the changes will be introduced gradually over several years. International students can continue to enrol here with confidence, knowing we are in the process of making their education experience even better. At ENZ we are looking at the opportunities a strong national identity for New Zealand’s vocational training presents offshore.
Lastly, the conference was a chance to acknowledge our strong education relationship with Japan, our country of honour. The nation is the third-largest student source country for New Zealand’s international sector. In 2017, for example, we had 10,272 Japanese students study here. I am confident this relationship will continue to deepen with lots of activity planned in the year ahead.
I hope you enjoy reading this special NZIEC edition of E-News.
Ngā mihi,
Grant
Grant McPherson, Chief Executive of Education New Zealand
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The International Education Strategy – one year on
Goal one: Delivering an excellent education and student experience
Progress on goal one includes:
- Launching NauMai NZ. ENZ has launched NauMai NZ, an online platform providing accurate, relevant information to help international students before they arrive and while they’re studying in New Zealand.
- Reviewing migrant exploitation. MBIE is leading a cross-agency review of the exploitation of temporary migrant workers and international students.
- Supporting wellbeing initiatives. MoE administers an annual funding round for international student wellbeing initiatives. Initiatives that have been funded have had very positive outcomes for students.
- Strengthening English language requirements. NZQA has strengthened English language proficiency requirements for international students.
- Relaunching ENZRA. The ENZ Recognised Agency programme was relaunched in November 2018.
- Introducing new protections. MoE has introduced amendments to the Code of Practice including new contract and disciplinary protections, clearer requirements for residential caregiver safety checks, and more detailed requirements for monitoring education agents.
Goal two: Achieving sustainable growth
Progress on goal two includes:
- Forming an innovation-focused group. A new pan-sector working group will inform the development of new education products that support the Strategy’s goals.
- Refresh of the Think New brand. ENZ has refreshed our Think New brand strategy, including creating the identity ‘I am New’.
Goal three: Developing global citizens
Progress on goal three includes:
- Developing an outbound mobility strategy. MoE has begun work on a new outbound mobility strategy. Objectives include increasing participation in exchange programmes by groups that have been historically underrepresented, including Māori and Pasifika students and students in lower decile schools.
- Focusing on international graduate employability. A new ENZ report, Employer Perceptions of Hiring International Graduates, found New Zealand SME employers value the keen attitude and positive contribution made by New Zealand-educated international graduates.
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Letter from the CE: Kia kaha te Reo Māori
Last week, Te Wiki o te Reo Māori, Māori language week, was an important reminder for us all that Te Reo Māori is a core part of who we are as New Zealanders, and what makes Aotearoa unique.
With this in mind, I am delighted to share Education New Zealand’s new Māori name: Manapou ki te Ao.
Manapou means supporting and sustaining life, which allows growth and progression, while ki te Ao means to the world. Nourishing and empowering, a New Zealand education enables students to flourish and creates the world’s next generation of problem solvers.
Manapou ki te Ao encompasses the Māori principles of manaakitanga (the caring and valuing of others), kaitiakitanga (carer and guardianship of the environment and resources), whakawhanaungatanga (process of establishing meaningful relationships through cultural respect, connectedness and engagement) and aroha.
Our new name reflects Education New Zealand’s role in growing and supporting the international education sector – ensuring all students can thrive and share their skills and knowledge with the world.
Many international students find their experience of Māori language and culture a highlight of their time in Aotearoa. One example is Hailey Suina, of the Cochiti Pueblo Indian Reservation in New Mexico, who won a $15,000 Education New Zealand and Go Overseas scholarship to spend a semester studying at Auckland University of Technology (AUT).
The name’s development has been a rewarding journey. It will become part of ENZ’s corporate logo, and you will see it more and more over the next few months. Even more importantly, it will underpin everything we do. And we want you to feel ownership of it too. Please share our new name with your whānau, colleagues and friends.
Ko ngā tini aho o te tukutuku whakaniko i te hinengaro
Me tuitui ki te tūmatakahuki mātauranga o te ao.
The many strands of knowledge that embellish the mind
are woven upon a lattice of global education.
- Nā Rahera Shortland
Other things to keep an eye out for over the next few weeks are the ENZ international events calendar for 2020, the NZeTA: a new requirement for travellers to New Zealand, and ENZ’s first global campaign following our brand refresh: 'Ask New Anything’. You can read more about the campaign in this issue of E-News.
Ngā mihi
Grant McPherson
Kaihautū, Manapou ki te Ao
Chief Executive, Education New Zealand
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Ask New Anything
Campaign page: https://www.studyinnewzealand.govt.nz/asknewanything
NZ’s second big global digital campaign of 2019 launched on 7 October with our students at the heart of it.
The campaign will be promoted digitally in our key markets for 8 weeks. Campaign-related content and messaging will remain relevant and live on our channels for the foreseeable future.
The campaign will be the first time the refreshed Think New brand has been widely used in digital channels.
- Campaign strategy
- Creative concept
- Technical execution
- The campaign in China
- Messaging and brand
- Sector representation and localisation
- Campaign toolkit
Campaign Strategy
The main objective of the campaign is to challenge perceptions of New Zealand by increasing awareness of the country as a high-quality study destination. The campaign aims to achieve this by inviting our target audiences in 14 international markets to question what they know about New Zealand.
Key markets that will be reached by the campaign are:
- Brazil
- Colombia
- France
- Germany
- India
- Italy
- Japan
- Korea
- Philippines
- Thailand
- UK
- USA
- Vietnam
- Indonesia
The campaign aims to increase New Zealand’s standing as the preferred study destination amongst our target audiences in these key markets.
For more information about ENZ’s target markets and the general digital campaign strategy, and New Zealand education providers can access the 2019 ENZ Digital Marketing Calendar on IntelliLab.
The creative concept and technical execution of this campaign will push ENZ into new territory for its marketing campaigns and award-winning digital strategy.
Utilising 100 short videos, a variety of digital media placements, Tohu the chatbot, a range of social media channels including a peer-to-peer Facebook group and Instagram Live sessions hosted by our Kiwi Ambassadors, the campaign embodies the authenticity and bold NEW thinking of the Think New brand.
A bespoke campaign strategy has been developed for China, making use of the same campaign creative concept and content, but delivered through the channels we know our audiences in China use and interact with the most.
ENZ invites and encourages our New Zealand education sector partners and education agents to participate in the campaign by sharing content and aligning your own messaging with those of the campaign and the Think New brand.
The campaign tool kit below provides more information around how your organisation can leverage the campaign.
Creative concept
Brand research tells us there is generally low awareness of New Zealand internationally, and where there is awareness it’s often based on incorrect perceptions of quality.
The creative concept of the Ask New Anything campaign seeks to address this by answering prospective students’ burning questions authentically and honestly, using unscripted video responses from current international students.
We started by researching the most used Google search terms relevant to studying in New Zealand, as well as the most asked questions on our Study in New Zealand chatbot Tohu. We combined this hard data with anecdotal questions from prospective and current students around what they want to know/what they wish they had known, and key brand messages we hoped to get across to our audiences.
From this we narrowed down to a list of 100 questions and filmed videos with international and New Zealand students, alumni, a teacher, a parent, and a New Zealand employer providing the answers. These videos form the basis of the campaign.
We also know that word of mouth is a key influence on student decision making. The Ask New Anything campaign not only offers pre-recorded Q&As with current students, but also gives prospective students the opportunity to talk directly to current students through a new Facebook group and scheduled Instagram Live events.
All of this results in a much more interactive campaign than anything ENZ has previously done. We’re not broadcasting a message to students; we’re asking them to start a conversation, putting prospective students themselves at the centre of the campaign.
Technical execution
A typical digital media campaign uses creative digital ad placements on social media, relevant websites and search engines to drive traffic through to a campaign landing page on a website.
Ask New Anything goes well beyond this, using new technology and a broad range of social media tools to be a true omni-channel campaign. The resulting immersive and pleasantly unexpected experience will help the Think New brand stand out.
The marketing activity and technology being used in this campaign includes:
- Tohu the chatbot – Tohu was launched on the Study in New Zealand website in 2018, on Facebook Messenger in early 2019, and on the NauMai NZ website in July 2019. Tohu is the centrepiece of the Ask New Anything campaign as it represents the technology through which prospective students can really ask any question they want. From the launch of the Ask New Anything campaign, Tohu will be able to respond to 100 of the most frequently asked questions with one of the short videos created for the campaign
- Facebook group - Should a question be asked that Tohu cannot answer, prospective students will be invited to join a Facebook group where they can ask real students their questions in real time. The Facebook group will be managed and moderated by our Kiwi Ambassadors.
- Instagram Live – Throughout the campaign, a select group of Kiwi Ambassadors will host a series of Instagram Live events. These events will be designed and scheduled to suit the key international regions we are targeting in the campaign.
- Campaign landing page – There will be a campaign landing page on the Study in New Zealand website. Tohu the chatbot will be the main focus of this page.
- Social media – Beyond the Facebook group, Instagram Live sessions and use of Tohu on Facebook Messenger, all of ENZ’s student-facing social media channels will be driving the campaign messages. Campaign content will be shared on Facebook, and YouTube and Instagram will feature strongly for both organic and paid media content.
- Database marketing – The database marketing strategy for the campaign ensures we are reaching all our currently engaged audiences, and nurturing new leads throughout their decision-making journey. Personalised email campaigns will be sent to members of the Study in New Zealand, My StudyNZ and NauMai NZ communities, and to anyone who signs up throughout the campaign period.
The campaign in China
Because our audiences in China use different digital platforms to our other markets, the Ask New Anything campaign will follow a different strategy in China.
Separate research has been undertaken to identify the most-asked questions for prospective international students in China. Based on this, the most relevant videos will be translated into Chinese and integrated into a campaign rollout on our China platforms:
Paid media:
- Zhihu (Zhihu is China’s version of Quora. In classical Chinese, "Zhīhū" means "Know?". Chinese-language internet users nowadays increasingly resort to Zhihu for expert knowledge and insights into various topics.
Owned media:
Tohu the chatbot does not exist on our Chinese platforms, so the China Ask New Anything campaign makes use of the question/answer format in a different way, posing questions to our audience and then supplying key information based on their response.
On the Zhihu platform we will post questions for both Kiwi Ambassadors and users to answer. Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) will also be recruited to support the campaign and both ask and answer questions about studying in New Zealand.
Messaging and Brand
The campaign concept and the technical execution of the campaign both contribute to the overall brand message of ‘I am New’. It showcases our innovative new thinking and captures New Zealand’s values of societal openness, transparency and manaakitanga.
Through this campaign, we want to show that New Zealand is an inclusive, collaborative and progressive environment where students are challenged and supported to reach their full potential.
Our new Think New brand strategy and creative approach position our international education brand for success and redefine what a quality education looks like and means.
Sector representation and localisation
The 100 question and answer videos have been carefully planned to ensure a good global representation of our markets. Care has been taken to match the talent to questions based region. So where a question is most important to a certain region, the talent has been matched to that region to ensure the most relevant response.
The videos feature 18 different individuals representing a spread of sectors and markets. We have included students from all the key markets we are targeting in the campaign. A teacher, employer, Kiwi student and parent are also included.
In the Facebook group and Instagram Live sessions, prospective students will be able to converse with Kiwi Ambassadors in local language – either directly or with the help of Facebook’s automatic translation technology.
Toolkit
Throughout the campaign duration New Zealand education will have an increased digital presence in the 13 target markets listed above.
New Zealand education providers and education agents are encouraged to leverage this campaign activity for your own marketing strategies.
Here is a toolkit of resources and suggested actions to help you get started:
- Ensure your institution profile on the Study in New Zealand website is up to date. Follow these step-by-step instructions to find out how. Please note you will be required a login to access this link.
- Register for the ENZ Brand Lab. There are over 1,000 images, videos and more available on the Brand Lab for you to download and use in your marketing.
- Read this article about how to leverage ENZ digital campaigns. You will need to be registered and signed in to the Brand Lab to access it.
- Share the Q&A videos from the campaign on your social media channels. ENZ will be creating a spreadsheet with all the YouTube links to make this easy for you navigate and choose the most relevant videos for your audiences. Watch this space or sign up to the Brand Lab to get a notification when this becomes available.
- Download ENZ’s 2019 Digital Marketing Calendar from IntelliLab. The calendar explains our key dates and strategies for each of our target markets. You will need to be registered and signed in to IntelliLab to access this.
- If you are an education agent, join ENZ’s AgentLab. This new platform was launched this year. Gain access to online training courses, news, webinars and ENZ updates.
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Around the world in five
Here’s a round-up of news from key international education markets.
GLOBAL
Times Higher Education release world university rankings for 2020
New entrants have shaken up the latest rankings, with universities in cosmopolitan hubs such as Switzerland and Hong Kong coming out on top.
CHINA
Wendy Pye Publishing awarded Best New Partner of China’s leading foreign language publisher
The educational books publisher received the prize in recognition of their work with China’s Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press for its Sunshine English series for school students in China, a first for a New Zealand publisher.
NEW ZEALAND
Applications open for International Student Wellbeing funding
The Ministry of Education is calling for applications for its latest International Student Wellbeing funding round. The theme for this year’s applications is inclusion and diversity.
CHILE
Chilean Minister for Science, Technology, Knowledge and Innovation inspired by NZ policy
In early August, New Zealand dignitaries (including the New Zealand Ambassador to Chile, Linda Te Puni) met with Chile’s Andrés Couve to discuss New Zealand’s public policy on science. Minister Couve considers the Curious Minds initiative a role model for other nations.
CANADA
Canadian Government announces CA$150 million international education strategy
The five-year strategy will seek to diversify where international students in Canada come from.
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ISANA NZ: Upcoming workshops
Register now for ISANA NZ's upcoming workshops.
Professional development workshops
ISANA NZ is offering two professional development workshops this spring:
- In Dunedin on 23 October. Click here to register.
- In Auckland on 5 November. Click here to register.
Mental health first aid workshops
In addition, ISANA NZ is offering two workshops in Dunedin and Auckland to help education professionals become more confident assisting students in the area of mental health.
- Dunedin: 23-24 October at the University of Otago. For more information, click here.
- Auckland: 5-6 November at Sorrento in the Park. For more information, click here.
The workshops are limited to 15 places only, so be in quick to register here.
Furthermore, Wintec is hosting free Mental Health First Aid Training for students. These events will be held in Hamilton but students from any area of New Zealand are welcome. For more information and to register, email info@iamher.org.nz or phone 021 100 7363.
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New travel rules for NZ coming soon
From 1 October, some international visitors and transit passengers must have an NZeTA (New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority) before travelling to New Zealand.
The NZeTA is a new border security measure. It is not a visa and does not guarantee entry to New Zealand.
From 1 October 2019, travellers must have authority to travel to New Zealand. This means they must hold one of the following:
- An NZeTA (or an NZeTA exemption)
- A visa
- Citizenship of New Zealand or Australia.
What does this mean for international students?
People who are planning to come to New Zealand to complete a short-term course will need to apply for an NZeTA if they are coming from a visa waiver country. Friends and family planning to visit students in New Zealand will also need one, as well as education agents visiting on business.
International students who require a visa to study will not need an NZeTA.
Travel agents, student agents and schools can assist international students with applying for the NZeTA by downloading the NZeTA mobile app or visiting the Immigration New Zealand website.
There is a small fee attached: NZD$9 for mobile app requests and NZD$12 for website requests.
The only official way to request an NZeTA is through Immigration New Zealand. Travellers should be advised not to request an NZeTA through any unauthorised third party.
Visit the Immigration New Zealand website here for more information.
See a factsheet on the NZeTA here.
