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  • From the CE: Memorable trip highlights value of international education

    This was the first mission led by the Prime Minister since our borders closed in 2020, and it combined education, tourism, New Zealand businesses and government agencies. It sent a clear message that New Zealand is open for business and ready to reconnect with the world.

    A couple of excellent things happened in Singapore from an education perspective, the first at Gardens by the Bay, which is a nature park of more than 100 hectares, visited by around 14 million people every year.  

    At a ceremony to mark the unveiling of a bespoke Māori carving, the Chief Executive of Gardens by the Bay, Felix Loh, spoke about his education experience in New Zealand 30 years ago. He said that studying for a Bachelor of Horticulture at Massey University had a huge impact on his life and career, not only because of what he learnt from his studies, but also because of the care and support he received here. It was a great endorsement of the best that an education in New Zealand can offer and highlighted to everyone who heard him that international education brings long-term value.

    Image: Felix Loh, Chief Executive of Gardens by the Bay, speaks at the ceremony to mark the unveiling of a bespoke Māori carving. Photographer – Karan Gurnani, 35mm.

    We had a similar experience the following day, at the signing of an MOU between the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) and FoodBowl, a New Zealand food innovation network based in Auckland. The senior signing official for SIT was their President, Professor Chua Kee Chaing, who was a student in New Zealand 40 years ago. Again, we saw the warmth and long-term relationships that are generated by international education.  

    The Japan part of our trip featured several events with a specific focus on international education, including signing an agreement with Japan Women’s University, relaunching Game on English for female rugby players, and an event at the Cookie Time store in Tokyo with an opportunity to meet previous participants in the working holiday scheme, including former students. You can read more about these events in a separate article in this issue of E-News. 

    It was great to meet people who feel such a strong connection to New Zealand, even after many years have passed. We often refer to the social, cultural and economic benefits of international education – what we experienced on this trip brought those words to life and marked another significant step on our path to rebuild New Zealand’s international education sector.  

    He aha te mea nui o tea ao? He tangata, he tangata, he tangata 

    What is the most important thing in the world? It is people, it is people, it is people. 

    Grant McPherson 

  • From the CE: Student visas reopen 31 July; changes to immigration settings

    Firstly, there is the encouraging news that student and visitor visa processing will reopen on 31 July 2022, rather than in October as previously announced.  

    This is a welcome step forward and sends a strong signal that New Zealand is fully reopening to the world. Given the significant challenges faced by our international education sector over the past two years, I know this news will come as a relief for many of you.  

    Secondly, the government has announced changes to immigration settings arising from its immigration rebalance work. Key changes for our sector include post study work rights for international students and other student visa settings. 

    The recent border exception for up to 5,000 international students (cohort 4) will continue as planned, with the first students on track to begin arriving in New Zealand soon.  

    Post-study work rights from 11 May 2022

    • International students studying bachelor’s or post-graduate courses or higher will continue to receive Post-Study Work Visas. 
    • Students studying non-degree courses at Level 7 and below (excluding bachelor’s degrees), will only be eligible for post-study work rights if the qualification is relevant to an occupation on the new Green List, which will replace the existing skills shortage lists. These work rights will only allow them to work in that occupation. 
    • The duration of work rights will reflect the duration of study undertaken in New Zealand, except for Masters and PhD students who retain the current setting of 3 years. 
    • International students will no longer be able to apply for a second post-study work visa. 
    • Students with a student visa application underway to study a qualification currently eligible for a post-study work visa and that student visa is subsequently granted; students who get a visa through the current border exception for 5,000 students; and students who already hold a student visa for a programme of study that results in a qualification that is currently eligible for a post study work visa, will be considered under the old settings if they apply for a post-study work visa within the next three years. 
    • There are no changes to in-study work rights for student visa holders. 

    Living costs and fees from 31 July 2022

    • The amount of funds that students are required to demonstrate they have access to, so they can cover their living expenses while in New Zealand, will increase. For tertiary and English language students, the funds required will be $20,000 pa, and for primary and secondary school students it will be $17,000 pa. These funds are prorated for study less than a year. The current setting is $15,000pa for both. Note: This change does not affect the living costs requirements for students in cohort 4.
    • Students will be required to pay tuition fees of one year or the first programme (whichever is the shorter) upfront. Note: This change does not apply to cohort 4 students. 

    You can see a summary of these changes including a fact sheet on international education on the Immigration NZ website here. 

    You can see a summary of the immigration changes on the Immigration NZ website here. 

    You can read the Prime Minister’s announcement here.

     

    Grant McPherson 

  • Research communication platform for Asia-Pacific

    The Context: Asia-Pacific is where you can get quick, plain language overviews of high-quality academic research. Recent stories include one about cultural intelligence research. Other examples include the capabilities that SMEs need to succeed in international markets.

    The platform will also include youth voices from tertiary students interested in global engagement. You can subscribe to email newsletters to receive updates about your area of interest.

    The Centres of Asia-Pacific Excellence were established by the government in 2017, to support New Zealanders to engage with North Asia, Southeast Asia and Latin America.

  • ENZ to launch major global brand campaign, I AM NEW

    As we re-enter a competitive global environment, the brand campaign will look to articulate the high quality of New Zealand’s education experience in a deliberately unique, ownable and attention-grabbing way.  

    This major campaign will initially run for 12 weeks, complemented by in-market activations, events, and local PR. It will feature eight students from all over the world, spanning across our education sector and regions.  

    Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao invited our eight students to work alongside world-famous Māori fashion designer Kiri Nathan to collaborate on designing a new type of education garment that embodies the cultural values that make a New Zealand education unique: manaakitanga, kaitiakitanga, and the pōtiki spirit of youthful energy and finding a better way. Through the narratives we tell focussed on the students’ experiences and goals, we’ll explore themes such as work and career readiness, sustainability, and innovation through collaboration. 

    Campaign assets will be available on The Brand Lab, with reporting data to be shared regularly. We look forward to reopening New Zealand education to the world in an inspiring way that only New Zealand could deliver.

  • BizVenture Japan back for 2022 with new partner onboard

    This year will see 30 students from New Zealand and 20 from Japan come together in person and online from 29-31 July, to solve real-life business challenges. Students will develop and pitch solutions for Cookie Time, a New Zealand business that has been exporting to Japan since 2016.

    After the successful pilot event last year, BizVenture collaborators have bigger plans for 2022. Misa Kitaoka, ENZ’s Director of Education – Japan, is looking forward to hosting the Japanese team and Cookie Time Japan at the New Zealand Embassy in Tokyo for the business challenge pitches.

    “We are delighted to welcome Cookie Time Japan to BizVenture 2022 as a corporate partner. Cookie Time Japan is an ideal partner in this project. While embracing the Kiwi entrepreneurial spirit, the company has done an amazing job developing products which cater to local demands and preferences, particularly in the youth market.”

    Last year’s BizVenture collaboration saw the students exposed to business and culture in both countries during a weekend of interactive workshops with New Zealand and Japanese guest speakers, cultural mentors and language coaches, in preparation for their pitches.

    Ian Kennedy was a judge at BizVenture Japan 2021 and is the Chair of the New Zealand Committee on the Japan New Zealand Business Council, a role that brought him back to Japan in April during the Prime Minister’s visit.  He is looking forward to the next iteration of the programme with the 2022 participants.

    “Technology is a wonderful thing, but the chance to meet people in person was gold after two years of online communication working through a screen. I look forward to being a judge and sharing my recent experience in Japan business exchanges with the BizVenture participants, so they can learn more about doing business with Japan.”

    Applications for New Zealand students to participate closed on 13 May and selection will be completed by the end of May. The 30 New Zealand students are being selected from the nearly 4700 students participating in The Lion Foundation Young Enterprise Scheme.  

    Funding is provided for New Zealand students to travel to Wellington for the weekend business challenge event. 

    “I felt inspired after seeing the students' business cases, which were commercial, socially minded, and demonstrated thoughtful engagement in each other's cultures. North Asia CAPE is thrilled to work with Young Enterprise, ENZ and Japanese partners again on this important initiative in support of future business leaders in New Zealand and Japan,” says NA CAPE director Charlie Gao.

    The programme is designed to continually build on New Zealand’s diplomatic relationship with Japan as travel for international students is starting to resume. The organisers hope this year’s BizVenture will serve as an important show of commitment by New Zealand and Japan to develop global citizens and business-savvy young people, who will be future leaders in the education and business sectors across our two countries.

    About BizVenture  

    The 2022 BizVenture Japan Programme is an initiative co-hosted by Education New Zealand, North Asia Centre of Asia-Pacific Excellence, education partners in Tokyo, Japan and facilitated by the Young Enterprise Trust.

    BizVenture Japan is supported by the New Zealand Embassy in Tokyo and Embassy of Japan in Wellington. Cookie Time New Zealand and the Cookie Time Harajuku store have kindly offered to be the focal business for the latest business challenge.

    ENZ contact: Misa Kitaoka, Director of Education – Japan, misa.kitaoka@enz.govt.nz

  • Showcasing New Zealand education in Saudi Arabia

    Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao and New Zealand providers were among 250 exhibitors from 21 countries at ICEE 2022. The New Zealand pavilion hosted representatives from University of Waikato, Victoria University of Wellington, and University of Otago, two English language providers – Languages International and Worldwide School of English – and four EdTech companies: Education Perfect, TTRO, ByteEd, and ADRI.

    The delegation presented a workshop on New Zealand as an education partner for Saudi Arabia, showcasing New Zealand’s education offering across key sectors: EdTech, English language, universities, and vocational training.

    ICEE provided an opportunity for delegation members to meet with key contacts in the Saudi Ministry of Education to support opportunities for New Zealand EdTech companies, discuss the implications of the Saudi Government’s new scholarships strategy for New Zealand universities, and look at potential cooperation between the Saudi Technical and Vocational Training Corporation (TVTC) and the newly created Te Pūkenga.

  • Strong interest in Prime Minister’s Scholarships, now supported by new website

    More than 30 group applications were received for the PMSA, and ten for the PMSLA, before applications closed on Monday 16 May 2022 after a two-week deadline extension. The total value of applications was $8.7 million. Decisions will be announced before the end of June 2022, with travel expected to take place in the second half of 2022 and the first half of 2023. 

    The Prime Minister’s Scholarship programme supports educational experiences in Asia and Latin America for New Zealanders, and the latest round was open for group applications only. Universities, wānanga, institutes of technology and polytechnics, private training establishments, iwi and other educational organisations were able to apply for a programme on behalf of a group of people.  

    To ensure that a wider range of New Zealanders have access to the benefits of this programme, a new website was launched this month: http://scholarships.enz.govt.nz. The new website aims to help develop broader awareness and understanding of the scholarship for potential individual applicants, breakdown any barriers to participation, encourage diversity of applicants, particularly for rangatahi Māori, and improve people’s experience of participating in the scholarship.  

    The new website includes a ‘refer a future scholar’ feature. The addition is the result of the mahi of our Kāhui Kaupapa who wanted to acknowledge that often ‘Kāore te kūmara e kōrero mō tōna ake reka’ – the kūmara doesn't speak of its own sweetness. We can now offer an alternative for rangatahi, so they know that people in their community saw them as worthy recipients of the scholarship. The website also offers the opportunity for prospective applicants to subscribe to updates and announcements of upcoming rounds.  

    Since 2013, the PMSA and PMSLA have enabled more than 2,400 New Zealanders to broaden their horizons through life-changing learning experiences in Asia and Latin America. The scholarships are flexible and offer funding to support short or long-term programmes including study abroad / exchange, internships, postgraduate study, and language programmes.

  • NZIEC coming soon – mark your diary now!

    It will be free to attend.

    The theme for NZIEC 2022 is Towards Recovery: Reflect, Reconnect, Renew. 

    Covid-19 has had a huge impact on the international education sector. In our first conference since 2019, we will look back at the past two years, and look forward to what we have to offer to the world.

    NZIEC 2022 will focus on the sector’s recovery journey and, as the theme suggests, encourage us to: Reflect, Reconnect and Renew.

    • Reflect – on what has been a crazy two years. An opportunity for us to share the tough stories, what we learned, how we pivoted, the good stuff we did.    
    • Reconnect – with each other and with the wider world. Be stimulated by international speakers in offshore markets and hear the latest in trends, shifts and dynamics.   
    • Renew – building back better for a stronger future. Gain inspiration and embrace innovation so we continue to ThinkNew. 

    By Reflecting, Reconnecting and Renewing, NZIEC 2022 will help our sector build Towards Recovery.

    To ensure we reach the widest possible audience at a critical time for the rebuild of the industry, NZIEC 2022 will be delivered in a virtual format, at no cost to attendees. The virtual format also enables us to connect with a wide range of international speakers and deliver sessions for specific sub-sectors that attendees can opt in or out of. Sessions will be recorded and will be available to registered attendees who cannot attend the original time of the session.   

     

    Programme highlights

    This year’s NZIEC programme takes a leaf out of the successful New Zealand Partners Workshop Week held in 2021, which connected over 3,000 attendees in sessions spread over the course of the week.

    While further details on the programme will be released in July, you can expect the following: 

    • Conference opening on Monday morning
    • Ministerial address 
    • International speakers 
    • Industry speakers 
    • Updates on global market trends and developments 
    • Market-focused sessions
    • Virtual networking opportunities
    • Government agency updates
    • Conference closing on Friday.   

     

    Keep an eye out 

    Soon we’ll be launching our call for speakers. We’re keen to hear from practitioners right across the sector, so put your thinking cap on if you are interested in presenting – or suggest that a colleague does the same. Further details will be made available in the coming weeks, but if you have an idea for a session, please don’t hesitate to email us: NZIEC@enz.govt.nz   

    We are also developing a te reo Māori ingoa (Māori name) for NZIEC and look forward to sharing that with you soon.   

    Registration for NZIEC 2022 will open in July. 

     

    Format in future years  

    The decision to opt for a virtual format this year reflects feedback from our survey of previous and potential conference attendees to find out their levels of interest in attending NZIEC in person this year. While some were keen to gather in person, many more were hesitant to do so due to the cost of attending and concerns regarding Covid-19.

    Subject to Covid-19 settings, we plan to resume in-person formats for NZIEC in future years.

  • Sharing our stories about international education

    As we prepare for more international students to return to New Zealand, we want to ensure these important guests feel welcome and appreciated by Kiwis. Each time students arrive on our shores, we have a moment to spotlight why international education is great for our communities and the country.  

    We’ve recently added some new case studies to our Skills Lab website - read more about a successful storytelling example from Hawke’s Bay here.  

    Many great stories come from the compelling research projects being led by international students in New Zealand. These stories align with our story framework by highlighting how international education helps to shape global citizens and solve the world’s problems.  

    For example, Dr Htin Lin Aung, a researcher at the University of Otago, is conducting ground-breaking research on tuberculosis (TB), the world’s second-leading infectious killer after COVID-19. Read more about this case study of a newsworthy story about a scientific breakthrough here. 

    Stories of international education in your organisation, school or region do not have to be serious or complicated. Often, the most intriguing news stories are of everyday people doing good in their communities. 

    We refer to these as “soft-news” stories, as they are underpinned by a human-interest angle. You can successfully land these stories if you make sure to include the key elements that make up a news story. You can read about how Learning Hawke’s Bay landed a positive story about international education here.  

    Stories can often have a strong local flavour, which is appealing for local media channels.  

    This case study will explain how Tauranga’s economic development agency Priority One planned three news stories within the space of a month, a strong example of how a series of stories can quickly build momentum and newsworthiness at a local level. You can read more about this case study here. 

    If you haven’t used Skills Lab or Brand Lab before, you can sign in through MaiENZ here. 

    Download Communicating the benefits of international education – a toolkit from Brand Lab.

    Latest case studies on Skills Lab:

  • Workshops on supporting international students’ mental health

    Monday 30 May 2022 at Helen Kitson Centre, Rangi Ruru Girls’ School, Christchurch

    Register here by 26 May.

     

    Monday 20 June 2022 at Lower Hutt Events Centre, Wellington

    Register here by 13 June. 

     

    About the workshop: 

    Culture shock, language barriers, isolation, loneliness, homesickness, separation from support groups, the loss of confidence — these are just a few of the challenges faced by many international students in New Zealand. Add to these differences in how different societies view, talk about and seek solutions for challenges relating to mental health, and we can see why it is difficult for schools to support their students effectively when they are struggling. 

    This workshop will be jointly facilitated by Ivan Yeo, Deputy Director of Asian Family Services and Jennifer Kirkham, PLD Operations Manager of SIEBA. The goal is to explore what might be going on for students struggling with their mental health, and how providers might best support them.  The workshop will be highly interactive with a focus on sharing and discussion of the topics provided, guided by the facilitators. 

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