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  • 69,000 international student enrolments in 2023

    The latest figures show that there were 69,135 international student enrolments* with New Zealand education providers in 2023. This represents a 67 per cent increase compared to the full year in 2022 and 60 per cent of annual enrolments in 2019. 

    “Over 69,000 enrolments from international students all over the world is good news for our education sector and positive for our communities,” said Dr Linda Sissons, Acting Chief Executive of Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao.  

    “It confirms that New Zealand is an attractive place to study, offering a quality learning experience inside and outside the classroom in a safe, welcoming environment.”  

    “New Zealand is a small country and for many students, rubbing shoulders with people from other cultures gives them a greater understanding of the issues facing our complex world. In this time of fragile geopolitics, the melting pot of campus life can help build greater understanding and tolerance.”  

    The university subsector saw the strongest recovery with 29,065 students, representing 86 per cent of 2019 enrolments. Universities and schools are New Zealand’s two largest subsectors for international students.  

    International student enrolments have grown compared to 2022 in all subsectors except wānanga. English Language Schools saw the greatest percentage increase in international enrolments, lifting by 511 per cent from 1,565 to 9,570.  

    As with all New Zealand’s competitors in the international education sector, China is the largest source market for international students at 35 per cent.

    India is second largest at 11 per cent, Japan at 10 per cent, South Korea at five per cent and Thailand at four per cent. Of the other source countries, no other country represented more than four per cent of total enrolments.  

    “Enabling a thriving and globally connected New Zealand through world-class international education is a government priority. We are actively diversifying our recruitment efforts to reach international students in a broad range of countries,” Dr Sissons said.  


    More information on enrolment numbers can be found here. 

    Note: * One individual may enrol more than once 
      

     

    For further information: 

    Justin Barnett | Director of Communications, Education New Zealand  

    justin.barnett@enz.govt.nz 

      +64 21 875 132 

     

    About Education New Zealand (ENZ) https://www.enz.govt.nz/   

    Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao (ENZ) is the government agency dedicated to helping Aotearoa New Zealand realise the social, cultural, and economic benefits of international education. Our role is to promote New Zealand as a high-quality education destination offering excellent education and students experiences and to encourage New Zealand students to study overseas. 

    With approximately 110 staff in 16 locations around the world, ENZ works closely with New Zealand’s diverse education sector which includes schools, English language providers, Private Training Establishments, Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics (Te Pūkenga), and universities. Internationally, we work with a range of education stakeholders, including government agencies and education providers to identify and encourage sustainable growth opportunities for New Zealand’s education sector.  

     

    This page was last updated on 23 July 2024.

  • New Zealand teens rank among the best for creative thinking

    New Zealand is the among highest-performing education systems for creative thinking, ranking fifth in the world out of 81 countries, with an average score of 36 points per student that is higher than the OECD average of 33 points.

    Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao Acting Chief Executive, Dr Linda Sissons said she was delighted to see New Zealand students stand out globally for creative thinking.

    “New Zealand classrooms adopt a hands-on, practical approach to learning that encourages students to express their ideas, and to think critically and collaboratively. 

    “Creative thinking is a valuable quality that also enriches the outputs of a wide range of tertiary and career fields, from arts, engineering, technology and biomedicine to infrastructure and mathematics.

    “We are pleased to see this approach endorsed in the latest PISA tests,” Dr Sissons said.  

    The PISA 2022 creative thinking data provides insights into how well education systems are preparing students to think outside the box in different contexts. This was the first time that the PISA test measured the ability of students to demonstrate creativity, specifically their ability to come up with original and diverse ideas.

    Between 60-70 percent of students across participating OECD countries also reported that their teachers value their creativity, that they encourage them to come up with original answers, and that they are given a chance to express their ideas in school. 

     

    For further information: 
    Sai Raje | Senior Communications Advisor, Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao  

    sai.raje@enz.govt.nz 

    +64 21 479 649 

     

    Notes to Editors:  
    About Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao (ENZ) https://www.enz.govt.nz/    

    ENZ is the government agency dedicated to helping Aotearoa New Zealand realise the social, cultural, and economic benefits of international education. Our role is to promote New Zealand as a high-quality education destination offering excellent education and students experiences and to encourage New Zealand students to study overseas. 

    With approximately 110 staff in 16 locations around the world, ENZ works closely with New Zealand’s diverse education sector which includes schools, English language providers, Private Training Establishments, Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics (Te Pūkenga), and universities. Internationally, we work with a range of education stakeholders, including government agencies and education providers to identify and encourage sustainable growth opportunities for New Zealand’s education sector.

     

  • From the Acting CE: Forward together

    Tēnā koutou katoa  

    Last week we took time internally to reflect on our work over the 2023/24 financial year. So much excellent work has happened over the past twelve months – it was wonderful to come together virtually as an organisation to celebrate the achievements. 

    There are good reasons to celebrate. International students are returning to New Zealand. The latest enrolment figures show that there were 69,135 international student enrolments with New Zealand education providers in 2023. This represents a 67 per cent increase compared to the full year in 2022 and 60 per cent of annual enrolments in 2019.  

    This is positive news for our education sector and good for our communities. 

    A key part of our strategy is to partner and connect and to be an enabler of international education for New Zealand, so I thought I would share with you some recent engagements with that in mind. 

    This past month I had the pleasure of speaking at the opening plenary session of the annual SIEBA (Schools International Education Business Association) conference in Auckland. The theme of the hui was Global Threads Local Ties. The school sector is very important to New Zealand’s international education offering. It is the second largest sub sector after universities, representing about 20 percent of the value of our entire industry and it is where we find the highest economic value and the greatest opportunity to pathway through to other New Zealand providers.  

    Likewise, in early August I was pleased to welcome to our Wellington office a delegation of twenty indigenous students visiting from the University of Toronto. Canada is one of New Zealand’s closest and longstanding international partners and it is pleasing to see indigenous-to-indigenous cooperation between both countries increasing. We are really noticing growing interest in this overseas as you will read in this article here. - Indigenous Internationalisation a hot topic 

    Turning our attention to the next 12 months, in June the ENZ Board approved our business plan for this financial year (1 July 2024 to 30 June 2025). The plan has four clear priorities: 

    • To grow and diversify the number and value of international students studying with New Zealand 

    • Partner and connect to be the trusted voice and enabler of international education for New Zealand 

    • To deliver sector growth through services that are valued by the sector, international students and New Zealand Inc partners, and 

    • Optimise ENZ to be a more efficient and effective Crown Agency. 

     When it comes to delivering valued sector services, the upcoming New Zealand International Education Conference (NZIEC KI TUA) in August will be provide an excellent opportunity to come together as a sector to listen, learn, discuss, contribute, and network with specialists and colleagues. 

     If you haven’t yet registered, I encourage you to check out the conference website. This year it will be held from 6 to 8 August 2024 at Tākina Convention Centre in Wellington.  

     We have a stellar line up of speakers and it promises to be an engaging and informative event. 

     

    Whaowhia te kete mātauranga 

    Fill the basket of knowledge. 

     

    Ngā mihi nui,    

     

    Dr Linda Sissons  

    Acting Chief Executive  

    Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao 

  • INZ student visa update: July 2024

    Visa processing update (as at 10 July 2024). 

    Since January 2024, Immigration New Zealand (INZ) has received 24,541 student visa applications from international students outside of New Zealand. INZ have completed 20,369 of these applications, with 15,242 approved.  

    Recent processing times for international student visa applications are published on the INZ website and are updated by month: Visa processing times for international students 

    Work rights available for more partners of students  

    In June, the Government expanded the eligibility for work visas for partners of some students studying towards a Green List occupation.  

    People can now apply for a Partner of Student Work Visa, with open work rights, if their partner is studying a specified level 7 or 8 bachelor’s or bachelor’s (honours) degree that will lead directly to professional registration required for a Green List role.  

    This relates to Green List roles where occupational registration, rather than qualification requirements, are specified, such as nurses, doctors, and teachers.   

    For people granted a Partner of Student Work Visa, any school-aged dependents they have will be considered domestic students for tuition fee purposes and can apply for a Dependent Child Student Visa.  

    End of year student visa peak – Apply early! 

    The processing of international student visas is a key focus for INZ, particularly as we get closer to the end of the year.  

    INZ receives the highest volumes of student visa applications between October and March. Applications generally take longer to be decided during this peak period, so it is important that anyone who is wanting to come to New Zealand to study next year applies early. It is recommended students apply three months before their intended travel date to give them the best chance of having their application decided in time.  

    There are a few things applicants can do to make sure their application is able to be processed as quickly as possible. These include: 

    • Check out INZ’s student visa information sheet on the INZ website to make sure a good quality application is submitted that includes all the evidence and supporting documents we need to decide the application. INZ will not be contacting applicants to ask for more information during the peak processing period, so it is important that everything is included from the start.  

    • Applicants must demonstrate that they can comfortably afford to study in New Zealand. New Zealand has a thorough funds assessment and INZ looks for genuine sources of funds that are credible and can be verified. If INZ cannot verify funds or is not satisfied that any verification would be genuine, then the application will be declined.  

    • INZ is seeing decline rates for international student visas increasing for many markets due to the increase in applications that cannot meet immigration requirements, so make sure the requirements are fully understood before submitting an application. 

  • Indigenous internationalisation a hot topic across North America

    The topic of Indigenous Internationalisation has been proving a popular one at international education events across North America recently. Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao (ENZ) Associate Director of Engagement, Natalie Lulia, was asked to share her thoughts alongside experts in panel discussions in both the United States and Canada in May and June. The invitations offered a good opportunity to showcase the important work that Aotearoa New Zealand is doing in indigenous-to-indigenous engagement and internationalisation and our unique approaches to international education. 

    It was at the 76th annual NAFSA Association of International Educators conference in New Orleans that Natalie was first invited to take part in a panel talk on the subject “What is indigenous-led internationalisation?”. Natalie was joined on the panel by Distinguished Professor Jacinta Ruru, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Māori at the University of Otago, and Paulette Tamati-Elliffe, Manager at Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu.  

    The panel explored how indigenous and non-Western knowledge and worldviews are essential for intercultural learning through the experiences and work of Māori education experts. The panel provided examples of how indigenous ways of knowing and being can enhance intercultural learning and what Indigenous-led internationalisation looks like in practice. 

    The panel was moderated by DuBois Jennings, ENZ’s Director of Engagement North America, who noted that the session was extremely well attended.  

    “It was very inspiring listening to our panel of experts share their thoughts with a very attentive audience. It was so popular that people were standing at the back, which is indicative of how the global international education community values our expertise in this area,” said DuBois. 

    A te ao Māori approach to education was then the feature of Chief Executive for Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi, Professor Wiremu Doherty, who delivered a powerful keynote address at the British Columbia International Education Week Conference in Vancouver in June. Natalie joined Professor Doherty in a panel presentation on: ‘Talking Circle: Exploring the intersection between Internationalization, Indigenization, Decolonization and what it means to be Indigenous Serving.’ Also on the panel were Sarah Child and Kelly Shopland from North Island College in British Columbia, Canada who had recently returned from visiting Aotearoa New Zealand with a group of indigenous Canadian students in May.  

    ENZ’s Natalie Lulia participating in the panel discussion on ‘T Talking Circle: Exploring the intersection between Internationalization, Indigenization, Decolonization and what it means to be Indigenous Serving’ at the British Columbia International Education Week Conference in Vancouver in June.

    Professor Wiremu Doherty, CE of Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi, delivers his keynote address on Māori education at the British Columbia International Education Week Conference in Vancouver in June.

    Natalie said that it was an honour to have been invited to speak at both events, alongside experts who are the driving forces behind this work within iwi, universities, and government agencies in Aotearoa New Zealand.  

    “International educators around the world are showing increasing interest in the unique approach we take to international education here in Aotearoa New Zealand. We are seen as a country that is leading the way in indigenous-to-indigenous engagement and internationalisation.  

    “These opportunities are not just a chance to share our experiences, but importantly an opportunity to learn from each other. We can learn from indigenous educators, thought leaders and communities here too - this is important in building reciprocal and meaningful partnerships,” said Natalie. 

    Natalie added that “This is a key area that Aotearoa New Zealand can leverage to support student mobility, research collaboration and partnerships with institutions around the globe. ENZ will continue to  work with our education partners, Māori and indigenous communities and use these platforms to share our expertise and ultimately grow indigenous international education for our country”.  

    Upcoming platforms to continue showcasing Aotearoa New Zealand’s approach to indigenous internationalisation will take place at the next Global Inclusion 2024 Annual Conference in Washington DC on 29 October to 1 November.  Then in March 2025, the ENZ North America team will be leading a one-day symposium highlighting indigenous international education at the Forum on Education Abroad conference in Toronto, Canada.  

    If anyone is interested in connecting with the ENZ team in North America to have a chat about this topic or receive further information, please email northamerica@enz.govt.nz.    

  • Tune in to hear about the FY 2023 student enrolment data

    The full year 2013 – 2023 international student enrolment data provided by the Ministry of Education is now available on ENZ’s Tableau Public site. Anyone can access this data and filters which is presented in interactive downloadable dashboards and data tables. ENZ’s media release on the data can be found on our website here. 

    Marie Clark, ENZ’s Director Insights will be running two sessions for anyone interested in learning more about these numbers. You will hear insights including how subsectors have grown, how recovery has been distributed and our top source countries for total international student enrolments and variation by subsector. 

    You can register for the webinar which best works for your time zone via the links below. Recordings will also be made available on Intellilab after the sessions. 

    If you have anything that you would like covered, please get in touch via insights@enz.govt.nz    

  • Noteworthy education programme featured during Prime Minister’s Trade Mission to Japan

    Hot on the heels of the Prime Minister’s Trade Mission to Southeast Asia in April, relationships with our partner countries in the region continued to be strengthened for the benefit of the education sector during New Zealand’s most recent trade mission to Japan. This mission supported export sectors, including education, to engage with the Japan market and leverage emerging opportunities while advancing the New Zealand brand.  The inclusion of education in the high-level visit acknowledges its contribution to the government’s ambition to lift the value of exports.  

    The strong people-to-people links between New Zealand and Japan are noteworthy with high student mobility in both directions. Japan is the third largest source of international students for New Zealand according to 2023 international student enrolment data with the school sector making up the largest proportion of enrolments. Japan is also a top destination for New Zealand scholars with many joining the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) programme and in the most recent Prime Minister’s Scholarship for Asia group announcement, three groups were awarded scholarships for programmes in Japan. 

    The international education sector was represented by two delegates nominated by ENZ to participate in the full business delegation. Cheryl de la Rey, Vice-Chancellor University of Canterbury, attended as Chair of the Vice-Chancellor’s Committee on behalf of the wider university sector and John van der Zwan, Executive Director, Schools International Education Business Association (SIEBA). Unfortunately, John had to withdraw due to illness.  

    The education programme elements woven into the high-level visit included a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing, a visit by Mrs Amanda Luxon to a local Japanese school, and scholarship students participating in the New Zealand Sports and Business Leadership luncheon.  

    MoU between Massey University and a group of all-girls secondary schools  

    The Prime Minister promoted awareness of New Zealand’s world-leading universities among high schools in Japan through witnessing the signing of an MoU between Massey University and six all-girls secondary schools in Japan.  

     

    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon witnessed the signing of the MoU between Massey University and six all-girls secondary schools in Japan.

    The memorandum signing ceremony was held at the New Zealand Embassy in Japan on 18 June. The MoU will develop a special admission system, enabling Massey University’s foundation or bachelor’s programmes to accept outstanding students recommended by the principals of the Japanese high schools. Through this agreement, students who meet Massey University's English and academic requirements and receive a recommendation from their schools will be able to enrol in Massey University's bachelor's programmes. Students can graduate with a degree in three years from the time they start their studies.  

    Shelly Turner, Deputy Vice Chancellor represented Massey University in Tokyo at the MoU signing and said at the signing “Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa Massey University has a long-standing relationship with Japan, reflecting our commitment to fostering international education and cultural exchange, and more recently we have seen a growing interest in our full degree programmes.  

    “We are dedicated to providing comprehensive support to ensure our Japanese students thrive academically and personally. We recognise the crucial role of women and girls in tertiary education and are committed to empowering them to achieve their full potential during their studies, and transition to successful careers,” said Shelly.  

    The Japanese school Principals, including Japan Women’s University Senior High School Principal, Yumi Susuki also welcomed the new partnership.  

    “For the past 30 years, our school has deepened its understanding of New Zealand culture and society through language training programs in New Zealand. With the 2022 agreement between Education New Zealand and our school, and now the new special admission system with Massey University, we hope to build even richer relationships and empower our students to shape their future,” said Yumi.  

    The Japanese schools that signed the agreement participated in the 'New Zealand Education Familiarisation Tour,' co-hosted by ENZ and Air New Zealand in March 2024. During the tour, they found a high level of compatibility with Massey’s educational philosophy, wide range of academic options, future-oriented learning environment, and extensive support for international students. 

    Homei Elementary School 

    Mrs Luxon with teachers and students at Homei Elementary School.

    International education opportunities were also highlighted in a well-received visit Mrs Luxon made to Homei Elementary School on 19 June (affiliated to Japan Women’s University). It was Mrs Luxon's first trip to Japan and her school visit enhanced New Zealand's presence and reputation among all-girls' schools and universities in Japan.  

    In 2022, an Education Cooperation Arrangement between ENZ and Japan Women's University (JWU) and its affiliated schools including the Homei Elementary School was concluded to promote student and teacher exchange as well as gender equality and women’s empowerment.    

    From 2025, Homei Elementary School will send its first cohort of six graders (11-12 years old) to St. Margaret’s College for a short-term study and homestay experience.   

    Sports and Business Leadership Luncheon 

    The Sports and Business Leadership Luncheon held earlier in the programme on 17 June celebrated people-to-people connections and promoted New Zealand as an attractive study destination, including through the “Tobitate” scholarship programme.  

    The Tobitate programme, managed by Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), sends students abroad and New Zealand has welcomed many students as part of this initiative. Ten Tobitate Alumni were invited by ENZ to attend the lunch in support of the New Zealand – Japan sporting ties and to promote education opportunities in New Zealand to the Japanese audience.  

    The Prime Minister’s remarks during the event celebrated ten years of the Game on English programme (which combines rugby and study in New Zealand for Japanese high school students), highlighted Fonterra’s contribution to its success, and announced Air New Zealand as a new sponsor.  

    Upcoming Events in Japan for NZ education providers 

    ENZ’s Acting General Manager International and Regional Director Asia (excluding China), Ben Burrowes accompanied the delegation and said he is looking forward to the upcoming ENZ events in Japan.  

    “The team is preparing to welcome providers to Japan later this year for the New Zealand Fair and Agent Seminars from 6 to 8 October.   

    “The timing of Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s recent visit to Japan couldn’t have been better. We will look to further leverage this focus by continuing our work with the sector to promote New Zealand’s education offerings with prospective students, families and education stakeholders in Japan.”   

  • Explore new marketing collateral for you to use

    New resources are available to help show prospective students what it’s really like to study with Aotearoa New Zealand. Testimonial videos and photography are available for you to download and share. 

    On top of that, there are student profiles for each student showcasing the incredible educational journeys and experiences international students have in New Zealand. 

    The materials can be found on ENZ’s Brand Lab. More resources are on their way!   

  • New Zealand PTEs elevate profiles with inaugural Philippines Roadshow

    The roadshow, the first of its kind to be held in the Philippines, took place from 10 to 16 June, featuring nine PTEs: ACMI New Zealand, academyEX, Auckland Institute of Studies (AIS), Auckland Pilot Training Group, ICA New Zealand, IPU New Zealand, Kalandra Education Group, UP Education, and New Zealand Skills & Education Group.  Golden Summit was tasked with delivering the events in Manila, Bacolod, and Cebu.  

    The roadshow included an agent seminar and agent-led fairs. During the agent seminar in Manila, PTEs presented their offerings to an engaged audience of 37 Filipino education agents, who showed strong interest in the PTE programmes. The roadshow then continued with agent-led fairs in Bacolod and Cebu, drawing 370 and 150 visitors, respectively. 

    Standing room only at the agent-led fair in Bacalod.

     

    ENZ’s Market Manager, Chor Pramoolpol, led the roadshow and commented that the agent seminar facilitated in-person interactions between PTEs and education agents interested in promoting New Zealand PTEs in the Philippines,  

    “The agent-led fairs provided prospective Filipino students and their families the opportunity to gather reliable information about studying at New Zealand PTEs by directly communicating with PTE representatives.  

    “In the recently released full year 2023 enrolment data, the Philippines comes in as the 8th largest partner country for New Zealand and saw a 131% increase in students enrolling with New Zealand education institutions from 2022 enrolments (1,933 vs 835 students). 51% of these total enrolments were for the PTE subsector which shows just how popular they are amongst Filipino students. Our roadshow was therefore very timely to capitalise on the interest from this market,” added Chortip.   

    Filipino education agents in Cebu hearing about the creative learning spaces that PTEs in New Zealand provide their students.

    Ann Gooco, Senior Marketing Manager at International College of Auckland (ICA) said that she thoroughly enjoyed presenting ICA’s programmes and offerings to education agents in Makati City and to the many students in Bacolod and Cebu.  

    “I found the experience incredibly rewarding. These gatherings allowed me to bond with the education agents and other PTE representatives, adding to the overall positive experience,” added Ann.  

    Anyone interested in receiving information about the student market in the Philippines can email our Market Manager for the Philippines, Chortip Pramoolpol – chortip.pramoolpol@enz.govt.nz.  

  • NZ among top 10 preferred educational destination for Brazilian students

    According to the latest survey by Belta (Brazilian Educational & Language Travel Association), New Zealand ranks seventh on the list of preferred educational destinations for Brazilian students. The survey interviews 836 students and 569 international education agents along with companies who work in the international education sector in Brazil.  

    Respondents who chose New Zealand said their choice was based on New Zealand’s excellent positions in various international rankings for quality of life, education, civil rights protection, government transparency, and women's safety/rights. Other factors are being able to study and work during the study programme, and New Zealand’s natural beauty and cultural attractions. 

    International education professionals attended the Belta survey launch event. Photo credit: Belta

    According to the survey, the main objective of students participating in a study abroad program is to fulfil the dream of experiencing different countries and cultures (39.6%); the second is the interest in language studies (27.2%).  

    The majority (77%) of those who said they went abroad to learn a new language chose English when travelling. The quality of education is another reason cited by respondents who chose New Zealand. All universities in New Zealand are ranked among the top 2% in the world by major international indices, such as QS World Universities and THE – Times Higher Education. 

    Bruna de Natale, Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao (ENZ) Market Development Manager in Brazil, said, “The Belta survey is the most important source of consistently updated international education data in Brazil. It is very encouraging that Brazilians continue to perceive New Zealand as a safe, trusted and quality education to develop their academic and professional goals.,”.  

    The data from the Belta Survey 2024 reinforces the international Better Life Index, which measures variables that constitute the quality of life in countries of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). In this survey, New Zealand is ranked as one of the best countries in the world to live in.  

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