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• Li and Dinh are moving on

  Dinh Duong

  Dinh Duong, our Market Development Manager in Ho Chi Minh City, is leaving ENZ after more than two years supporting New Zealand’s international education efforts in Viet Nam.

  Dinh has been the main point of contact for our education events and promotional activities in Viet Nam. She has worked closely with our New Zealand-based teams and the international education industry, as well as with our NZ Inc partners in Viet Nam.

  We wish Dinh all the very best with her new endeavours. ENZ is currently recruiting for a Marketing and Strategic Relations Manager for Viet Nam to drive awareness of New Zealand and to build relationships in the market.  

  Li Zhi

  Li Zhi, one of our long-serving team members in China, has decided to move on and pursue other interests.

  As many of you know, Li has been the main point of contact for events in China. Li set the bar high, running a large number of highly successful events in her time with ENZ.

  We have contracted Stephanie Sun to assist us through the Country of Honor events in October. Rosemary from our Beijing office, who many of you will know, is stepping up to assist as well.

  Regional Director – Greater China, Alex Grace, is very confident that she has the best team in place to ensure a series of successful events and is looking forward to seeing many of you soon.

• Bollywood star Sidharth Malhotra in conversation with Indian international students in Auckland

  The star took time out of his very busy schedule to chat to Indian international students in Auckland.

  Students from AUT University, Massey University, Media Design School, Unitec, and the University of Auckland came into school on a Sunday to ask the star their most burning questions.

  Sidharth’s debut film Student of the Year was about university students, so he relished the opportunity to be back on campus at the University of Auckland’s Business School.

  The students were keen to learn how they, too, could go on to become big successes. He advised them to never lose sight of their career goals.  

   “Always write down your target and keep your focus on it. Be confident, and always say yes to opportunities,” he said.

  The students were particularly inspired by Sidharth as he is not from a Bollywood family and got his foot in the film industry door by working behind the scenes.

  He stressed the importance of working while studying as, for him, this was a key way to build up professional networks as well as learning new skills.

  As a former professional rugby player for the Delhi Hurricanes, Sidharth was very interested to hear from three New Zealand India Sports Scholarships students who were in the crowd.

  Scholarship recipients Surabhi Date and Ketaki Khare have been leading women’s rugby in India for the past five years. Surabhi, a sport and exercise science student at AUT University was the youngest captain in the Asian women’s rugby circuit at just 19 years old and played in the first Indian sevens team. While Ketaki a sports coaching student at Unitec was a founding member of India’s first female rugby squad and the first Indian woman to win an international rugby scholarship.

  Sidharth and the rugby players shared their desire to push rugby as a sport in India, particularly among women, and see more high quality rugby grounds be developed in the country.

  Kritika Bhasin, a sport management student at Unitec, asked Sidharth about the sports he plays in his spare time, apart from rugby (tennis, swimming and basketball for those who are interested!).

  The interaction ended with a raucous applause as Sidharth revealed he would be supporting the All Blacks in the Rugby World Cup. The next day he met with the Prime Minister John Key who gave him an All Blacks jersey.

  

  The event has been picked up extensively in the Indian media and Sidharth has posted about it to his 2.4 million Twitter followers.

  A big thanks to the institutions who pulled out all the stops to make this event happen at very short notice.

• Introducing new GM Marketing and Channel Development, Paul Irwin

  Hannah Lee Darboe, who fulfilled the role of Acting GM for this team, returned to NZTE recently to take up the role of Director, Business Improvements.

  What attracted you to the world of international education?

  The GM Marketing and Channel Development role at Education New Zealand builds on highlights from previous roles in my career. Namely, international marketing in Asia with the Economist Intelligence Unit, advertising and communications consultancy to a range of education sector clients (Open Polytechnic; TeachNZ, Ministry of Education; and Agriculture ITO), and the ever-evolving world of digital marketing. Additionally, I’m really impressed with the contribution that international education makes to both New Zealand’s economy and our cultural ties with other countries.  

  What will you be doing as GM Marketing & Channel Development?

  I'll be helping shape ENZ’s international marketing strategies across brand, digital media, social, agents, events and whatever other opportunities we identify. My goal is to work with the marketing team and the rest of ENZ to build on their great work to date. Particular areas of interest are how we can continue to position the Think New brand against our competitors, increase our use of data for insight and conversion, and how we integrate and optimise all our activity, noting the different challenges of each particular market!  

  What’s on your to-do list for the next three months?

  First, to build my understanding of a very complex industry! ENZ and New Zealand’s education providers operate across a wide range of sectors and countries. From a marketing perspective, we use best practice digital marketing, events and agents, while also equipping the industry with a wide range of tools and marketing material.

  Second, to better understand the needs of the different education sectors (I really look forward to meeting you all in due course!).

  Third, to look to ways to “optimise” our activity, building on past learnings, fine-tuning to the different dynamics of each country and their student populations, and bringing my expertise in integrated marketing to ensure we have the best marketing mix to achieve our collective objectives.  

  What excites you most about your new role?

  I’m excited to be working in a role that delivers economic, social and cultural good. Equally to be working with such a large group of smart, passionate people across ENZ and the entire New Zealand education industry. It’s exciting to be working in an industry that’s part of the “knowledge economy”, which has really strong foundations but equally huge opportunity for innovation and further growth.  

  What challenges do you expect to face?

  There are many challenges in international education, but these are what make the role interesting and rewarding. There’s the complexity of the markets and diversity of sectors. Then there’s being on top of the fast-changing world of marketing today, driven by new digital technologies and channels and access to more and more data. As always, there’s the juggling act between global efficiencies and consistency and in-market tailoring of activity. And last, but not least, being mindful of each education institution’s particular needs, past learnings and future ambitions.

• NZ universities sign collaboration agreement with Malaysia’s KYS International College

  The foundation programme will be jointly developed by KYSIC and the Consortium Universities (the University of Otago, Victoria University of Wellington and University of Waikato) but provides Malaysian students with access to all eight New Zealand universities which ranked in the top three percent in the latest QS World Rankings.

  The foundation programme consists of four streams which will cover all undergraduate courses available at the New Zealand universities - Foundation in Commerce, Foundation in Health Science, Foundation in Humanities and Foundation in Science.

  The collaboration agreement was signed on 2 October between representatives from the Consortium Universities and KYSIC, a school established by successful Malaysian entrepreneur and New Zealand-educated alumni, Tan Sri Halim Saad. The agreement, which builds on the strong and warm relationship which exists between the two countries, was signed by the New Zealand universities in the presence of the New Zealand High Commission and Education New Zealand in Kuala Lumpur.

  Stuart McLauchlan, the University of Otago's Pro-Chancellor, has been personally involved in the initiative along with Roger McElwain, the CEO of the University's Foundation Studies Programme.

  “The University of Otago has contributed to previous successful education initiatives with Malaysia and is excited with the latest collaborative venture offering a Foundation Programme in Malaysia,” says Mr. McLauchlan.

  Otago is the lead New Zealand university for the programme.

  Victoria University of Wellington Pro Vice-Chancellor, Professor Roberto Rabel, says this continued collaboration highlights the institution’s commitment to Malaysian students.

  “Victoria University is delighted to be working on another New Zealand Malaysian education initiative involving our distinguished alumnus Tan Sri Halim Saad. We hope it will be as successful as the accounting degree venture we have in co-operation with KYS in Melaka.”

  Ed Weymes, Waikato University’s Pro Vice Chancellor International, says this signing represents a significant milestone in the ever growing partnership between New Zealand and Malaysia.

  “The University of Waikato is thrilled to be a participant in this collaborative venture, offering a Foundation Programme in Malaysia which will be recognised by all New Zealand universities. This signals a new chapter in New Zealand’s international education strategy.” 

• NZ admissions staff key to sustainable industry

  There are relatively small numbers of people working in the area of international qualifications in New Zealand, so training and the sharing of knowledge is vital.

  To support this need for professional development, AUT and ENZ jointly hosted UK NARIC to run training sessions on 17 and 18 September for New Zealand admissions staff. The workshop also provided a valuable opportunity for admissions staff from around the country to share their knowledge and expertise.   

  UK NARIC is the designated United Kingdom national agency responsible for providing information, advice and expert opinion on vocational, academic and professional skills and qualifications from over 180 countries worldwide.

  The sessions were well attended and well received. Here’s some of the feedback, grouped under each of the four training session topics.  

  Evaluating International Qualifications.

  This session provided some guidance in the all-important area of qualification evaluation.

  • This session helped me to understand different models of education and evaluation process of international qualifications. Among the four traditional education models of: Anglo- Scottish, American, Humboldt and Napoleonic. The first two models are quite straight forward, unlike the last two!

  • Exercises in identifying which model to apply where, gave us better understanding of the entry requirements, duration, progression route and qualification comparison the various qualifications.

  • I now have a greater understanding on what to request and look for while checking and accepting documents.

  Degrees of Deception.

  This session looked at the worldwide problem of applicants presenting fraudulent documents to ensure a place in a learning institute.

  • The overview, general and brief as it was, gave me a starting point as to the kinds of alterations to look for when presented with a document for assessing.

  • A major part of an admissions staffer’s daily workload includes deciphering international documents and recognising the difference between acceptable and fraudulent qualifications. The NARIC training course has made me think twice and question things I may have otherwise not thought about.

  Education in China.

  This session gave an overview of the structure of the education systems in China.

  • As well as gaining a general understanding of the Chinese education system in different provinces, I found the session on numbers and dates in Chinese characters particularly helpful, as it helped me get a precise understanding of the course duration, start date and completion date in order to verify authenticity of the translation. Also, the exercise we did identifying Chinese characters to confirm the school and entry to higher education will help me to understand Chinese certificates more easily.

  • The other interesting exercise was identifying the authenticity of the certificate by looking at its serial number. After this session I am clear about how to read the transcript and the completion certificate.

  Education in North America.

  This session gave an overview of the structure of the education systems in North America.

  My top three takeaways from this session were:

  • There is no national qualifications framework in Canada, thus there is a lot of variation in education between the provinces.

  • There is also no national accrediting body in Canada to evaluate the quality of all degree programmes, although a number of regulatory authorities perform this function for programmes in professional subjects at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.

  • Many countries in the Caribbean have very few nationally accredited higher education institutions, so links with international universities to offer recognised qualifications are common

  Ways in which the training will change or improve the way I work:

  • More knowledge of the education systems in North America will make it easier and more efficient to assess applicants from this area, as less time will be spent looking up information.

  A particular challenge in my job that is now made easier since having the training:

  • The training provided specific information on the difference between vocational and academic Associate Degrees from the United States. This was useful as we only accept Academic Associate Degrees for University Entrance and it was previously not always easy to identify if the qualification was academic or vocational.

• International Student Barometer Results: school sector

  The results of the International Student Barometer (ISB) survey for the school sector are now in, and New Zealand has maintained very high overall student satisfaction.

  ENZ commissioned the ISB survey of students at schools to investigate the decision-making, expectations, perceptions and experiences of over 2,000 international students aged 16+. 

  Unlike the surveys of the other sectors, there is no global benchmark, because New Zealand is the only country which undertakes the ISB survey in the school sector. However, we can compare ourselves with our own performance in 2012, which was also very high.

  Ninety-four percent of school students surveyed were satisfied with their experience. This is on par with the 2012 survey. Students showing the highest satisfaction level were from France, Hong Kong, Germany, and Brazil.

  This is a great result for the NZ school sector – maintaining high satisfaction levels, while growing student numbers.

  Eighty-eight percent are happy with their life in New Zealand. Three out of four students would recommend their school to other students thinking of studying there.

  It’s worth noting that overall satisfaction levels vary noticeably by institution and by nationality. Most participating institutions have received their own results to analyse and help inform the development of services and support for their student cohorts.

  Generally speaking, the areas with lowest student satisfaction are around making friends with locals, and some aspects of arrival support – elements of which are issues for international students globally, not just in New Zealand.

  Education New Zealand will be using this data to identify follow-up actions and deliver professional development support to schools.

  One particular point to note is that, of those students who plan to stay in New Zealand after school (26 percent), two thirds intend to go to university. And, 26 percent of all students don’t yet know what they will do post-school – an opportunity for local tertiary providers.

  A point of comparison is Australia’s International Student Survey 2014, in which 82 percent of school students were satisfied with their overall experience.

  More in-depth results of the New Zealand survey are available in the ISB School Sector Summary Report 2015 and the ISB School Sector Presentation.

• Competition winners and interns enjoy trip of a lifetime

  A separate competition was launched in India called ‘Fashion for Fleming’, requiring fashion students to design a t-shirt for ENZ’s Brand Ambassador, Stephen Fleming. The competition encouraged students from India to incorporate creative designs showcasing the unique values of both countries. The winner received a two week internship at AUT’s Fashion School.

  As well, over the past couple of months, two students from Viet Nam and India, and one each from Indonesia and Malaysia undertook all-expenses paid internships at various institutes in New Zealand.

  We’ve received some outstanding feedback from the interns and the respective institutions, both during the internships and after the students returned home. Here’s a taste of what they said:  

  Armeet Narang, a student from Symbiosis Institute, Pune won a four-week internship at Avondale College

  "My experience in New Zealand as an intern is something I will cherish in the future. The people, culture, food, and the work ethic is very much different than in India, something that left me speechless. It was robust and fresh, something I believe every student needs in their college life. Perhaps, what left me astonished was the education system over there, so much more developed. Avondale College and the staff at the International Department were so warm and welcoming I settled right in. It was too good to be true for me. My homestay parents were simply perfect. A month after my return, I still miss that place - the weather, the food and the people. Such an opportunity is sure to open many doors for me, and I cannot be grateful enough.” - Armeet Narang

  “Avondale College welcomed the opportunity to host an intern from India and we were most pleased with the successful candidate when he arrived. Armeet immediately became one of the team at the Avondale College International Department, and set up his work station in the reception office - a signal to us he was here to integrate with the students, learn how a busy office worked, and to offer a new perspective.

  Initial discussions on how Armeet could add value included doing a SWOT analysis, reviewing current strategies of NZ Schools active in the Indian market, and developing a marketing strategy and plan for Avondale College to implement. Having a particular interest in use of media and digital channels, Armeet launched into a review of the current Avondale College website and Facebook usage and developed a best practice model to head towards.

  Armeet took every advantage of getting out and about in Auckland and the North Island. His trip culminated in attending the All Blacks game against Australia. His first rugby match he described it almost as good as an IPL match. From our perspective the internship was a huge success with learnings from both Armeet and institution. Many thanks to ENZ for the opportunity. We are solid advocates for such projects.” - Chris Klaassen, Director of International, Avondale College  

  Nguyen Hoai Thuong, Vietnam won a four-week internship at Palmerston North Girls High School

  “What I love most about New Zealand is that people are very friendly. I didn’t feel like I was in a foreign country, but at home, as a family member. The environment in New Zealand also captured my attention, since people have good awareness of environment protection, and it did have an impact on me after coming back to Vietnam. I also learnt a lot from my colleagues, not only marketing knowledge, but also their passion. They inspired me and made me realise that once you pour all your heart into doing something, anything can be meaningful and memorable. I really hope that one day I can go back to NZ, to learn more and explore more, and most of all, to see again the people giving me the best time of my youth.” - Nguyen Hoai Thuong  

  Pham Phuong Lam, Vietnam won a four-week internship at Academic Colleges Group

  “The one-month internship at ACG was an unforgettable experience. Auckland is a small, multi-cultural city that has made me feel welcome since my very first day. I love the people here, they are friendly, open and very kind. Working in ACG is my first working abroad experience. My colleagues always support and give me good advice to know more about international marketing. ACG has many education institutions that has helped me gain an overall view of New Zealand education, which is famous for critical thinking development and taking good care of international students.” - Pham Phuong Lam

  

  Competition winners: Intern Edo with Vice Chancellor Stuart McChutcheon and Deputy Vice Chancellor Jenny Dixon.

  Edo Dwi Prayogo, Indonesia won a four-week internship at The University of Auckland

  “I was surprised how easy the Vice Chancellor was to talk to. I feel so lucky to have this whole opportunity. This is my first internship, and I’m having so many new experiences. I’m really enjoying the work environment – it’s so interesting to learn how an organisation reaches international markets, and to be involved in that.” - Edo Dwi Prayogo

  “Having Edo with us for a month has been fantastic. He has made an excellent contribution to the team and we have benefitted from the insights he has provided into the Indonesian market and Indonesian culture.” - University of Auckland International Marketing Manager Shane Ball  

  Kong Kah Weng (Eric), Malaysia won a four-week internship at Choose New Zealand Education Alliance

  Life here is completely different compared to Malaysia. What I have noticed so far, New Zealand is much more structured, less polluted, westernised, the standard of living is higher, buildings are flat, less traffic congestion, convenient public transportation and the city is filled with outrageously beautiful natural scenes.

  My first day working with Novo Education was remarkable, work culture here is very different. Working hours can be flexible; capability, trust and responsibility are amongst the key qualities of being a good staff. I have been catching up and learning many different tasks as an intern. In fact the work environment moulds you towards a positive working culture.

  I have got to know some friends here doing their undergraduate program at a polytechnic institution. In Malaysian’s mind, polytechnics are lousy. This perception does not apply to New Zealand surprisingly. Instead, they offer various types of programmes, well recognised locally and internationally up to postgraduate level. On top of it, they cost less than university.

  Lamb and beef taste like heaven! Many other local productions like diary, chocolate, chips and wine are a must try.  My honest opinion, I think I feel in love with this country and things around.” - Eric Kong

  “Novo Education has been delighted to host the ENZ prize winning student from Malaysia, Eric Kong, as an intern for 4 weeks. Eric visited the campuses of Choose New Zealand members in Auckland, New Plymouth, Whitianga, Greymouth and Christchurch, and is even more enthusiastic about New Zealand education than before he arrived, and was very active in posting positive comments on social media. In turn he has provided us with some insights and research into potential niche markets in Malaysia, and we feel quite excited about future opportunities there.

  We wish him very well in his continuing studies. Thank you to Education New Zealand for the opportunity to participate in this internship programme, and we can certainly recommend it to any other institution in the future. ” - Bruce Cleland, Chairman, Choose New Zealand Education Alliance  

  Somsurvo Chatterjee, a student from NIFT, Kolkata won a two-week internship at the AUT University’s Fashion School

  “I am learning new, innovative ways of garment designing at AUT, which will help me incorporate new design elements when I go back to Kolkata. I am enjoying the student life and culture in Auckland, people on campus have been very friendly and the students from the fashion department organised a surprise picnic for me at the studio which means a lot considering I am in a new country. I will cherish my time and learnings at AUT for life. - Somsurvo Chatterjee

  

  Winner of the ‘Fashion for Fleming’ design competition Somsuvro Chatterjee with his winning design for Stephen Fleming inspired by the Christchurch Cardboard Cathedral.

• Hawke’s Bay groups collaborate for growth

  The group of education providers and partner agencies are making sure their “shop front” is as attractive and welcoming as possible. E-News caught up with Education Hawke’s Bay Business Development Manager, Steph Kennard, on the approach.  

  Who makes up Education Hawke’s Bay?

  Education Hawke’s Bay is a voluntary member organisation made up of local government, schools, our ITP and PTEs.  We were formed approximately two years ago with the common goal of doubling the value of international students to the region by 2025.   

  What was the motivation behind the re-brand and new website?

   We wanted to create an identity for Education Hawke’s Bay that served multiple purposes, with a brand that would give our members a sense of belonging. We wanted to showcase Hawke’s Bay as a study destination at the same time as promoting the special characteristics of each education provider. By developing a website, and removing the dependence upon printed brochures, we have reduced our overall costs. 

  Based on this brief, we developed a new brand called ‘Learning Hawke’s Bay’ and new website www.learninghawkesbay.nz. The use of the word ‘Learning’ represents both the study and leisure experience – students come here to study in a classroom, but they will also gain experience – learn – outside of it, through our culture and local tourism. 

  Our logo operates on several levels – acting as a pointer to direct the viewer, resembling an open book and also an open laptop. This works well with our ‘Learning’ brand.

  The website works as a stand-alone site, but can also be incorporated within individual members’ marketing collateral. Our website uses large format imagery to “paint a picture” of Hawke’s Bay as pictures require little, or no, translation! These images have been chosen to appeal to both students and parents alike, and regardless of country of origin. 

  Our website ensures we can respond quickly to queries and can be updated within moments.  

  What part does the rebrand and new website play in your overall strategy?

  The website and brand are an integral component of our strategy and give us the tools to promote Hawke’s Bay to students overseas. Building the website has meant we can work more smartly on our international promotions. The next steps are to incorporate a social media presence and build on our communication plan.  

  Are there any particular successes or learnings you’d like to share from the rebranding exercise?

  It was important to ensure that our design, including colour and brand, represented our members and was functional. We also required the website to be built with an easy content management system so that we could make changes quickly in-house, without incurring extra costs.  The framework also needed to be flexible enough to enable us to develop the website and make additions to pages without the need for a full re-design.  

  You recently took part in a regional cluster pilot with Hastings District Council. How has this gone?

  The Agent tour was our first real taste of regional clustering in practice. It certainly had its challenges as each member had a different view of which country we should be targeting. In the end we settled on Japan, which meant that not all members participated.

  The other project in the pilot, is to develop a revenue monitoring framework. This is still in the planning, as it requires data which the Education Hawke’s Bay team can’t yet access. Our stakeholders are keen to know just what revenue is generated by our international students, so we want to ensure accuracy.  

  What part has ENZ’s Regional Partnership Programme played in the development and operationalisation of your strategy?

  The support and advice from the ENZ Business Development team has been hugely appreciated, as it can be quite isolating being based in a region and trying to please each of the members. Of course, the financial support has enabled us to employ someone to help us deliver on our regional strategic goals for growth.  

  Is there anything else you’d like to add?

  Our region has just taken part in a poll which proposed that all five councils amalgamate. The proposal was turned down by the community. Although this has been challenging for our region in general terms, the regional education cluster we have established is a great example of how collaboration among members from both Hastings and Napier can work!

• Enhancements to Study In New Zealand website

  As the audience has been steadily building, we’ve also been working to enhance the student experience, by adding more relevant content and improving the navigability of the site.

  Expanded translations

  

  One of the exciting recent developments has been content translation, with students from China, Viet Nam and Thailand now able to access translated versions of most of the site in their native language. The global home page and ‘Get Started’ sections will be updated and translated soon.

  The translated content is accessed by selecting the drop down menu under the ‘International’ tab at the top right of the website, as per the screen grab below.  

  We’re sharing the good news via our hugely popular agent and social media channels, so how about doing the same and giving your Chinese, Thai and Vietnamese students the opportunity to get the lowdown on studying in New Zealand in their own language?

  We’ll keep you updated when further translations are rolled out.

  New content

  

  Another enhancement to studyinnewzealand.com is our recently-established blog.

  Having a modern audience-driven blog is a highly-effective way of connecting with our audiences in an authentic and trustworthy way, and will be one of the cornerstones of our content marketing strategy.

  The blog gives prospective international students the chance to explore what it’s like to study and live in New Zealand, through the eyes of current and former students.

  To make it as easy as possible for students to identify and access the content that’s of most interest to them, the experiences are arranged in the following sections: ‘Student Life’, ‘Travel and Adventure’, ‘Working while Studying’, and ‘How-tos and tips’ .

  We’re aiming for 90 percent of the blog content to be student-generated, with additional content coming from key influencers, such as guest lecturers, our NZ Inc partners where appropriate and ourselves. We’ve seeded the blog with a range of articles to kick off with, and will expand the content as more student experiences are captured.

  Our Marketing and Channels team is currently working on a content marketing strategy, which will include a blog content calendar. If you have access to great student-generated content you think might interest our target audiences please feel free to send it through to: blog@studyinnewzealand.com.

• Sharing the international student experience

  In August, ENZ and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade brought together 30 international tertiary students representing all ten ASEAN countries, and ten New Zealand students who had participated in the Prime Minister’s Scholarships for Asia Understanding South East Asia programme. The purpose? To celebrate 40 years of diplomatic relations between New Zealand and ASEAN by strengthening connections among students, and to provide the students with a platform for sharing their views on the international student experience in New Zealand.

  Over 100 nominations were received from a range of New Zealand’s universities, institutes of technology and polytechnics, and private training establishments for students from ASEAN countries to participate. Each nominating institution had at least one representative at the two-day programme in Wellington. Participating students were enrolled in a range of programmes from Level 4 certificates through to doctoral level.

  Many of the nominating institutions created online media content around Student Voice and the students themselves set up a Facebook page especially for the event which attracted media attention both in New Zealand and overseas.

  The students heard from industry experts on the importance of alumni networks, the value of a New Zealand education, and the importance of ASEAN-New Zealand links in business.

  Lester Khoo from AUT University engaged the students on how a New Zealand education can launch careers in ASEAN, with one student responding:

  “The launch pad was really useful and changed my perspective of being an ASEAN student. I used to think very selfishly about my own career not about the development of my country and other ASEAN countries. The launch pad makes me realize there might be something that I can do to improve my country and the relationship between New Zealand and ASEAN countries.”

  In the key download session of Student Voice 2015, the students employed “Design Thinking” methodology to share their international student experiences and to think creatively together to reframe any challenges as opportunities.

  There was lots of discussion around the quirkiness of New Zealand life which the students rated as very appealing. This included getting to understand and use Kiwi slang, and the relaxed and welcoming way everyone treats each other. Life in New Zealand is “sweet as”.

  Integration in New Zealand was a topic that was very important to the students. They collaborated to develop a range of solutions to improve the integration process for international students in New Zealand. These included initiatives for New Zealand institutions but also advice for international students themselves. Some of the ideas for initiatives focused on campus events, and social media activity, to encourage an appreciation of cultures, and for international students to actively look for opportunities to engage with their New Zealand peers.

  ENZ will be sharing further detail directly with the New Zealand institutions who engaged in Student Voice.

  One student commented on the integration process by saying, “independence especially in a foreign country is a challenge, making it more difficult when homesickness strikes and adaptation is hard. But I think it’s all part of the process, because in a brighter perspective, New Zealand offers a wide opportunity to search for new paths in expressing yourself and adopting to different cultures and people.”

  The students also listed some of their “top fives” on a range of topics.

  Reasons for picking NZ as your study destination

  

  • Overseas graduates are inspirational and exceptional

  • Experience new things and independence

  • Higher quality of education

  • Financial support i.e. scholarships

  • To fulfil my fly fishing obsession

  Things I hope my NZ education will provide for me

  

  • Change

  • Professional development

  • Friendship network

  • World class education

  • Personal development

  Things that influenced my decision to study abroad

  

  • Safe, clean and student friendly environment

  • More job opportunities and linkages

  • Multicultural environment

  • State of the art technology and top notch quality of education system 

  Things that surprised me about NZ

  

  • You can take a banana to the exam room

  • Slang is the new English

  • You can banter with professors – no more ‘yes sir’

  • Four seasons in one day

  • Ethics approval is required for animal studies – even for mussels!

  Things I would tell my friends about studying in NZ 

  

  • Surprising kindness – a kiwi high school teacher decided to pay for my studies overnight

  • To see people go to school bare footed

  • NZ institutions offer a world class standard of education and you will definitely change as individuals to become a well-rounded person

  • Explore – do outdoor activities

  • The freedom of expression

  Things I would say to recommend NZ to potential students

  

  • Come to one country and see the whole world

  • Number 1 place to experience study and witness the best of nature

  • The best place for study and family life

  • It is really safe here – 2nd safest county in the world. Low crime rate, Low accident rate.

  • Mixed religion – freedom to practice our beliefs