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Summer down under
With COVID-19 pandemic restrictions on international travel in force, many students are choosing to stay in New Zealand over summer rather than go home because in most cases, they will not be able to return for the start of the 2022 academic year.
ENZ’s Director of Student Experience and Global Citizens, Sahinde Pala, says it will be the second unexpected summer in New Zealand for many students.
“Those international students who are still here have shown amazing resilience. We know how hard it can be to be separated from loved ones at home for so long.
“But the early results from our research suggest they have remained remarkably positive about the overall New Zealand experience, despite the challenges.”
ENZ is supporting students again this summer with information and resources on health and wellbeing, exploring the country and building their work skills.
The Summer in New Zealand section of the NauMai NZ website for international students offers information, advice and links to expert resources. These include a webinar featuring careers expert Andrew Tui to give them practical tips on how to build their professional and personal skills.
“ENZ would like to acknowledge all the work the people in the international education sector are doing to support their students over the summer, and we invite you to share our resources with your networks.
“We wish everyone a summer in New Zealand that is safe and restful,” Ms Pala says.
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Education sector delegation for Dubai Expo
The delegates from ENZ, the University of Otago, the University of Waikato, Victoria University of Wellington, Te Pūkenga - New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology and private sector education technology companies ByteEd and ARA Journeys will be in Dubai between 22 and 25 January 2022.
Expo 2020 Dubai is a global trade fair currently being hosted by Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates. It was scheduled to get underway in 2020 but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
ENZ Chief Executive Grant McPherson said the New Zealand Government’s recent announcement that it will relax border requirements for fully vaccinated New Zealanders and foreign nationals in stages next year was a clear signal of the country returning to more normal times.
“The prospect of more open borders in the coming year is a timely reminder of the opportunities that exist to build awareness of New Zealand’s unique education offering,” said Mr McPherson.
“The Expo is a great platform for New Zealand’s education sector to kick start this process at a global event.”
Mr McPherson said the involvement of two leading education technology companies was particularly pleasing as both were introducing leading-edge augmented reality (AR) products to the Expo audience.
ByteEd will be drawing on its web-based platform for teachers and students and introducing AR software to kits for STEM subjects – science, technology engineering and mathematics.
ARA Journeys will profile its award-winning games, which will stream into the New Zealand Pavilion from the company’s Auckland headquarters to offer the full interactive experience to visitors.
“Technology is a core building block for future education initiatives and a key element of the country’s international education strategy,” Mr McPherson said.
“The participation of ByteEd and ARA Journeys at this major international event is a reflection of the forward-looking strategies of both these companies.”
While in Dubai, the delegation aims to foster government and institutional connections and build relationships with agents and students.
The four-day programme, facilitated by ENZ, will centre on Expo 2020 Dubai’s International Day of Education on 24 January 2022. It will include a networking function, seminars and face-to-face meetings with key stakeholders hosted at the New Zealand Pavilion.
Find out more about Expo 2020 Dubai.
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Around the world in five
Global
New Zealand
Canada
Generous Canada now No. 1 country for foreign students, survey says
United Kingdom
United Kingdom ‘much more attractive’; New Zealand receives a ‘glowing review’
India
India overtakes China as largest source country for international students
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ENZ calls for funding proposals for New Zealand-China research partnerships
The New Zealand-China Tripartite Partnership Fund 2022 offers funding of up to NZD 20,000-30,000 for a partnership project, with the call for proposals open until 1 March 2022.
The fund supports new or existing research partnerships between New Zealand and Chinese universities. There are usually three universities involved – two from China and one from New Zealand.
The Tripartite Partnership Fund, administered by ENZ, has a pool of up to NZD 100,000 in 2022 for research partnerships in the arts, humanities, social sciences, sciences and applied sciences. Designed to encourage strategic academic relationships, it supports the creation or development of the partnership rather than funding the research itself.
With the global COVID-19 pandemic restricting international travel, the fund welcomes innovative ideas. Current investments include digital technology services, communications platforms, translation costs and journal access.
A New Zealand-China Tripartite Partnership Fund forum, held virtually in November 2021, aimed to encourage academics and institutions to think about reaching out to eligible Chinese universities to discuss the potential for collaboration. More than one hundred participants heard about the value of the partnerships the fund had supported in the 15 years since it was set up.
Professor Gary Brierley, Chair of Physical Geography at the University of Auckland’s School of Environment, says the fund has helped his team of river scientists to achieve things in partnership that would not have been possible alone.
They initially collaborated with colleagues from Qinghai and Tsinghua Universities to study the Sanjiangyuan area on the Tibetan Plateau, which contains the headwaters of the Yellow, Yangtze and Mekong rivers.
“The emergence of lifelong friendships accompanied steps taken to integrate local knowledge and field science to protect environmental values of the Sanjiangyuan or Three Rivers Source Zone,” Professor Brierley says.
“Our extended family built upon shared commitments and passion for the remarkable landscapes and ecosystems in this part of western China. Critically, it's been great fun – a wonderful, shared adventure.”
Dr Jun Lu, Professor of Biomedical Science and Pharmacology at Auckland University of Technology’s Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences, said the fund had helped set up his work on cancer immunotherapy with Fudan University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University and Xinjiang University.
He says the forum has proved “a great platform for PhD students to learn how to start collaboration and seek possible research projects, jointly pursued by researchers from both China and New Zealand.”
Funding proposals are due by 1 March 2022. Download the New Zealand-China Tripartite Partnership Fund 2022 Guidance and Call for Proposals and the Proposal Form. Send your completed proposal as a PDF, and any questions, to china@enz.govt.nz.
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ENZ unleashes the potential of Prime Minister’s Scholarships alumni
The first-ever event for alumni of the Prime Minister’s Scholarships for Asia and Latin America was hosted by Education New Zealand in November 2021.
The scholarships, administered by ENZ, enable New Zealanders to study, research or intern in Asia or Latin America. Since 2013, more than 2,400 group and individual scholarships have been awarded.
The virtual event – Hono Mai: a call to connect – drew together alumni from all walks of life, based in New Zealand and around the world.
They heard guest speakers from the Asia New Zealand Foundation and the Latin America New Zealand Business Council, held speed networking sessions in small groups on the EventsAir platform, and joined in challenges and trivia questions.
ENZ’s Global Citizens Manager, Carla Rey Vasquez, says the event was designed and driven by alumni, for alumni.
“Our global citizenship work aims to equip New Zealanders with the competencies to engage with the wider world, build connections with people from other countries and cultures, and take action on the things that matter to them.
“Alumni have so many rich, diverse relationships around the world which can be used to support and uplift each other. Hono Mai is about sharing those relationships to help alumni achieve their own goals within their own communities,” she says.
One of the alumni involved in organising the event was Robyn Scrimshaw, who studied Chinese law and language in Shanghai with a Prime Minister’s Scholarship for Asia in 2014.
“Everyone had such a great experience on the trip; the event was about bringing that magic together and connecting everyone’s experiences in one place,” she says.
Now working as an urban planner in Tauranga, Robyn still draws on her experience of “different perceptions of public and private spaces” in the Chinese cities she visited.
Plans are underway for more networking events for Prime Minister’s Scholarships alumni in 2022.
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Patrick Au: a champion for international students
Patrick is a registered psychiatric nurse and counsellor who migrated from Hong Kong in 1991.
He has been working with Asian migrants and international students in primary and tertiary healthcare for more than 20 years – most recently as the Asian Mental Health Coordinator for the Auckland District Health Board. He is now moving into full-time private practice.
ENZ’s Director of Student Experience and Global Citizens, Sahinde Pala, says Mr Au’s mahi (work) has been of incredible value to international students.
“Patrick has worked tirelessly to highlight issues and barriers for international students in the mental health system and has been a trusted advisor as initiatives and policies have developed over the years.
“He has been a respected member of the Auckland Agencies Group chaired by ENZ, which works on student wellbeing, and a key figure during the development of the International Student Wellbeing Strategy.
“At ENZ we have also been privileged to be able to call on Patrick’s services as we develop new content for our NauMai NZ platform for international students in New Zealand.
“We are sad to see him move on from the ADHB but grateful that he’s remaining in mental health support.
“We would like to thank Patrick for his enormous contribution to the international student community over the years and wish him all the best for his next chapter,” says Ms Pala.
He taonga rongonui te aroha ki te tangata
Kindness to all people is a great treasure -
ENZ introduces tā moko to young people in Japan
Tattoos are increasingly popular among younger Japanese, so ENZ worked with BuzzFeed Japan to tell the story of the cultural importance of the traditional Māori form of the art.
The BuzzFeed story featured ENZ Manapou ki te Ao Chief Advisor Māori, Karl Wixon of Ngāi Tahu, explaining tā moko's meaning for Māori as an expression of identity.
"There are nearly 100 tribes in New Zealand. Tattoos symbolise your own tribe or identity to express your roots," Mr Wixon told Buzzfeed.
"Tā moko design represents your tribal roots but can express your position in society. For instance, if you are a healer in your tribe, if you are a leader in society, that can be incorporated into the design of tā moko.”
Mr Wixon said tā moko can also reflect things like the natural world around you and the ancestral stories you connect with.
His tā moko is inspired by the tītī (sooty shearwater). The bird makes its home on small islands surrounding Rakiura (Stewart Island), south of Te Waipounamu (the South Island). It is an important food source for some Ngāi Tahu and his family has been involved in the customary hunting practice for generations.
Mr Wixon explained that while modern tattoos are done with ink, tā moko artists use natural materials including dyes made from the soils of their tribal lands, and carve them on the skin using tools made of wood and bone.
"Tā moko is a design that’s created through kōrero (conversation). Even if you are not Māori, if you go through that process, some can take on tā moko. In fact, many tā moko artists are open to collaborating with cultures other than Māori," he said.
BuzzFeed Japan attracts more than 35 million unique visitors a month and has a strong following among younger people. It is an arm of the global BuzzFeed media platform, which has more than 200 million users and operates in 11 countries.
The BuzzFeed article is the latest in a series of initiatives by ENZ in Japan. In another, ENZ and the Hokkaido Board of Education have signed a partnership deal to promote cultural exchange through the shared interests of Hokkaido locals and New Zealanders, which include indigenous culture, primary industries and rugby.
ENZ’s Director of Education in Japan, Misa Kitaoka, says it is important to recognise the links between the two cultures.
“I look forward to introducing some other aspects of Māori culture that will resonate with young people in Japan and promoting cultural exchanges between Māori and the Ainu people of Japan,” she says.
According to a survey by the Asia New Zealand Foundation Te Whītau Tūhono, Japan is most often identified as the country that shares views and values that are culturally similar to those of Māori. The shared aspects of culture included valuing kaumatua (elders), mahinga kai (food customs), manaakitanga (hosting guests) and whanaungatanga (valuing relationships).
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ENZ highlights international students' contributions to New Zealand in comments to immigration settings inquiry
International students coming to New Zealand support the achievement of the Government's broader goals and objectives while contributing to an important export industry. This is one of the key messages from Education New Zealand's submission to the Productivity Commission's inquiry into immigration settings.
In the submission, ENZ says that international students should not be characterised as coming to New Zealand to seek employment, invest or run a business. Rather, international students are motivated by different drivers in deciding whether to come to New Zealand, and are different to other temporary migrants included in the scope of the inquiry.
International students bring foreign exchange to New Zealand to fund their studies and living costs, which contributes to New Zealand's economic development. The submission also discusses the broad benefits international students deliver for New Zealand, including regional development, research output, and strengthened bilateral relationships with other countries.
You can read ENZ's submission to the inquiry here (links to the Productivity Commission's website).
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From the Chief Executive: Importance of international students to New Zealand
Just before Christmas, Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao filed its submission to the Productivity Commission Inquiry into immigration policy settings.
ENZ has taken a strong stand in the detailed 15-page submission, refuting some statements made about international students in the Commission’s preliminary report, and pointing out that international students are different to other temporary migrants included in the inquiry.
In the submission we say international students should not be characterised as coming to New Zealand to seek employment, invest or run a business. Rather, international students coming to New Zealand support the achievement of the Government’s broader goals and objectives, as well as contributing to NZ’s economic development. More than two thirds of international students fund their studies through their families and their own savings and most international tertiary students have left New Zealand within five years of completing their studies.
The submission also discusses the broad benefits international students deliver for New Zealand, including regional development, research output, and strengthened bilateral relationships with other countries.
The Productivity Commission aims to present its final report to the Government in April 2022.
In other recent news, our international teams have recently completed several partnership agreements that will continue to sustain international education while our borders are closed. These include a research exchange agreement with DAAD (a major German academic exchange organisation), a science research agreement with the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, and digital classroom cultural exchanges with South Korea. We also highlight the growing success of the NZ Global Competence Certificate during 2021. These items are covered in more detail in this issue of E-News.
He rā ki tua – Better days are coming!
Grant McPherson
Chief Executive, Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao -
ENZ seals exchange deal with Germany for early-career researchers
DAAD is the world's largest funding organisation for the international exchange of students and researchers, and is a key partner for ENZ in Germany.
Early-career researchers from New Zealand universities and Te Pūkenga – New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology will be able to take part in the DAAD’s Programmes for Project-Related Personal Exchange (PPP). In the future, young German researchers will also be able to travel to New Zealand under the programme.
The programme covers all subject areas and is open to students who are close to completing their doctorate, as well as to academics who completed a doctorate within the last five years.
ENZ will support the New Zealand institutions involved to fund the costs and living stipend for New Zealand researchers to travel to Germany, while their German counterparts will be funded by the DAAD. ENZ would match the contribution from local institutions to a maximum of NZ$12,500 per year per project. Projects would normally be funded for two years.
New Zealand-German Academic Partnership Event
ENZ will host a virtual New Zealand-German academic partnership event on 23 February 2022, from 8:00-9:00 am New Zealand Time (22 February, 20:00-21:00 pm CET). This will be an opportunity for New Zealand and German institutions to learn more about the programme, share their ideas and identify opportunities for joint research projects. The call for proposals opens on 6 April 2022 for the funding period from 2023-2025. Those interested in attending the partnership event can register here.
The exchange agreement was signed in Berlin on 25 November 2021 and builds on our strong education and science links with Germany. It was one of the key actions arising from a visit to Germany in January 2020 by a delegation from New Zealand’s Centres of Research Excellence, led by ENZ’s Chief Executive Grant McPherson.
For more information on the DAAD's PPP programme or the partnership event please contact ENZ’s Market Development Manager Europe, Olga Elli, at olga.elli@enz.govt.nz
