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• Agent seminar a success in Taipei

  In November, ENZ hosted an agent seminar in Taipei to provide agents with information on New Zealand education, marketing resources, and updates about the latest policy changes. 

  The event was an opportunity for new and established institutions interested in the Taiwanese market to meet education agents from Taipei, Kaohsiung and other neighbouring cities. The event was well-attended with 19 New Zealand schools, universities and technical institutes and 65 education agents.

  Joyce Hu, Education Marketing Manager of New Zealand Commerce and Industry Office said the attendance was a big step up from 2015.

  “It was great to see an increase in the number of New Zealand institutions and local agents involved this year, and we hope this trend will continue – along with the positive feedback,” Joyce said.

  “Agents were particularly pleased to see the range of institutions that had travelled to Taipei for the event and appreciated the chance to network,” she added.

  Alexandra Grace, ENZ’s Regional Director – Greater China, opened the seminar and provided an update on New Zealand's education strengths and proof points.

  

  DynaSpeak meeting with an agent

  This was followed by Deputy Director of the New Zealand Commerce and Industry Office, Tupe Solomon-Tanoa’i, discussing the importance of the education relationship between Taiwan and New Zealand, and the potential to increase student flows. Immigration Manager – Bangkok, Harun Samuel, then gave a presentation on student visa timelines, approval rates and pathways.

  To ensure each institute met with every agent, ENZ arranged a speed dating session, followed by a networking dinner later that evening for institutional representatives to mingle with the Taiwanese agents. 

  In organising the event, ENZ had two helpers in Prime Minister Scholarship for Asia winners Anne-Sophie Shogimen and Eva Laurenson, two Kiwi students currently studying in Taiwan.

  

  From left: Rachel Brandon, ENZ International Event Coordinator; Harun Samuel, Immigration Manager Bangkok; Anne-Sophie Shogimen, PMSA winner and event helper; Alexandra Grace, Regional Director – Greater China, Education New Zealand; Joyce Hu, Education Marketing Manager of New Zealand Commerce and Industry Office; Felix Ye, Education Manager, Southern, Western China & Hong Kong, Macau; Eva Laurenson, PMSA winner and event helper.

• Residence Programme Changes

  On 12 October 2016, the number of points required to be selected to apply for residence under the Skilled Migrant Category was raised from 140 to 160. Changes were also made to the way applicants prove their English language ability.

  You can find detailed information on the changes here. 

  No changes were made to Post Study Work Visa options.

  Once students have graduated, they may want to stay on and work in New Zealand for a while to gain work experience, or even consider staying in New Zealand permanently. There are pathways that make it easier for those graduates to stay, if they meet certain conditions. You can find out more here.

• South America webinars a success

  Last week, the ENZ South America team organised the first New Zealand Regional Webinars Marathon for education agents in South America, sharing information about education, tourism, economy and local industries from around New Zealand.

  The webinars were presented by representatives from regional organisations and hosted by ENZ. Javiera Visedo, ENZ’s Senior Market Development Manager Colombia and Chile said webinars are an effective and low cost marketing tool that allows them to provide training for agents without moving from their desks.

  “Agents are not able to attend all the education fairs, which can also be a big piece of work for our team. The webinars are a great way to solve both those issues, and allows us to connect with agents across the region without having to hold an in-person event,” said Javiera.

  “In a large region like ours, we need to be creative!”

  The sessions focussed on cities such as Dunedin, Wellington, Rotorua, Christchurch and Queenstown, presented by regional representatives Margo Reid of Study Dunedin, Christine Pugh of Grow Wellington, Meri Gibson of Rotorua Education, Karen Haigh of Christchurch Educated and Aaron Halstead of Study Queenstown.

  The South American team said the webinars were a great success with more than 1,000 registrations and nearly 650 attendances - an average of 130 agents per session.

  The majority of participants were from Brazil and Colombia, the largest markets in the region, though agents from Argentina, Peru and Ecuador also took part, reflecting a large interest in New Zealand education from the region.

• Merry Christmas Mr Hutchins!

  This week, we received a Christmas card from an ex-student in Singapore who was keen to reach out to their New Zealand English language teacher:

  “In 1995, I was a Teck Whye Secondary School student. It was my third school year.

  There was an English teacher who taught us. His name should be Mr Hutchins, he was in Singapore during that time.

  I was wondering if you have any idea where he lives. Maybe you could pass him this Christmas card.

  Wishing you a wonderful Christmas time and a very Happy New Year 2017. Thank you!

  From Char Guo Heng and family"

  In the spirit of the season, we thought we’d share these wishes. Wherever you may be, Merry Christmas Mr Hutchins! 

   

   

  

  Brian Hutchings, who taught at Teck Whye Secondary School in 1995

  UPDATE: Mystery of Mr Hutchings solved

   An ENZ team member tracked down Mr Brian Hutchings who confirmed that the card was meant for him and was touched to receive it.

   

   

   

   

   

• Scholarship update

  The team has also launched a new online application process for the different scholarships on offer, Community Force. Applicants simply create a username and login, select the relevant award(s), complete the form and submit.

  Visit the Study New Zealand and Education New Zealand scholarship pages to read about the scholarship programmes and find application links.

  Outbound scholarships

  Round one of the Prime Minister’s Scholarship for Asia (PMSA) 2016/17 and the inaugural round of the Prime Minister’s Scholarship for Latin America (PMSLA) 2016/17 have closed, and the recipients have been officially announced by new Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Minister, Paul Goldsmith.

  The purpose of these scholarships is to build lasting trade, economic and people-to-people connections between New Zealand and Latin America, and New Zealand and Asia.

  The awardees come from New Zealand universities, institutes of technology, polytechnics and private training establishments. They will have the opportunity to study, carry out an internship, or conduct research at top institutions throughout Asia and Latin America.

  Applications are now open for the next PMSA and PMSLA round. Applications for PMSA close 30 March 2017, while the PMSLA close 30 April 2017. 

  Please note: There has been a revision to the citizenship eligibility criteria for PMSA and PMSLA. Applicants must now be New Zealand citizens or permanent resident visa holders (no longer permanent resident visa holders of 2+ years).

  Inbound scholarships 

  The Generation Study Abroad (GSA) Excellence and Travel Award recipients are in the process of being finalised, with a further announcement to be made in January.

  ENZ has partnered with eight New Zealand universities and 10 institutes of technology and polytechnics to offer the GSA awards, with the aim to support the Institute of International Education’s GSA initiative to double the number of US students who study abroad.

  The GSA awards will also help attract US students to study in New Zealand. Along with ENZ’s Kiwi Ambassadors who blog and post on Instagram, GSA awardees will become Kiwi SnapChat Ambassadors, promoting study in New Zealand using social media – a first for ENZ in the US market.

  Also underway is the selection process for the inaugural New Zealand Excellence Awards (NZEA) developed for Indian students to experience New Zealand excellence in the fields of business, fashion, and STEM-related programmes. More details on the scholarship will be provided in the New Year. 

• Apply now for the Sister Cities New Zealand Youth Tour

  The 12 selected students will visit Shanghai, Beijing, and Xiamen in the April 2017 school holidays.  They will experience different aspects of life in China, including central and local government, culture and heritage, language, education, and trade and enterprise. Students will also be given an overview of the New Zealand-China bilateral relationship and will be provided with opportunities to discuss and share their experiences both during and after the tour. 

  Applications are open now, with delegate information packs and a guide on how to apply are available at www.sistercities.org.nz/youthtour. All Year 12 and 13 students enrolled at a high school in the Greater Wellington region in 2017 are eligible.

  Applications close Friday 10 February, but earlier applications are strongly encouraged as acceptances take place on a rolling basis.

  Sister Cities New Zealand is a registered non-profit organisation that supports 140 sister city relationships between New Zealand and overseas communities in 18 countries. The SCNZ Youth Tour is organised and led by the SCNZ Youth Subcommittee.

  Questions and expressions of interest can be emailed to youthtour@sistercities.org.nz.

• Talking international education in Berlin

  The get-together provided an opportunity to hear different views and perspectives on New Zealand, its education system and motivating factors for German students to study there.

  It was also a chance for IEC Online to showcase its activities, particularly as education agents are a main recruitment channel for German students to New Zealand.

  ENZ’s Senior Market Development Manager Ute Haug said New Zealand is a very popular English language study destination for German students.

  “In Germany, New Zealand is seen as offering high quality and globally-recognised qualifications in a supportive, welcoming and safe learning environment – with the bonus of great lifestyle opportunities.”

  Haug added that New Zealand’s appeal goes beyond tuition, and that international students are drawn here because of support networks in place too.

  “Even childcare options can be motivating factors for students as we’ve seen with Sina. She will be undertaking her study at Massey with her baby and partner in tow, so she’s happy to know that she will be supported in this regard.”

  In the discussion with Dr Mary English, whose family has hosted international students over the years, Haug said it became clear that it is not only international students who benefit from the New Zealand experience, but also Kiwi kids who gain insights into other cultures and learn about other parts of the world.

  Germany is the largest source country for European international students to New Zealand and New Zealand’s seventh largest education market worldwide – some 3,300 German students studied in New Zealand in 2015.

  IEC Online is one of Germany’s largest education agents sending German tertiary students to New Zealand. IEC cooperates with all the eight New Zealand universities and with five Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics (ITPs).

• Nelson English Centre gets an upgrade

  After six months of renovations, students are already enjoying the new school located off Trafalgar Street in Nelson, opposite Cathedral Park. The front five classrooms look out over the park and church, where students can enjoy their lunch breaks.

  The new facility has the city on its front doorstep and a cosy student courtyard at the rear. Director James Upton, says the student zone is specially designed so that teachers, staff and students are constantly crossing paths with people from other countries.

  “It’s a great open-plan area with everything our students need, from academic support to information about activities or just a space to use Wi-Fi and chill out,” he says.

  

  The student zone

• New Year brings new resources for international students

  The ENZ team has been undertaking thorough research to address the big question on every international student’s mind: how much does it really cost to study and live in New Zealand?

  After talking to students and seeking feedback about their experiences, ENZ has compiled a Cost of Living page.

  This will be a centralised source of information for students that addresses the subject with clarity and transparency, setting realistic expectations on what they will need to budget for.

  The page covers different budgets for a range of study options, noting the varying tuition fees depending on type of course (English language courses through to postgraduate) location and length of study.

  Along with links to sites with further information on immigration and accommodation, the page also acknowledges that a typical student lifestyle goes beyond the bare necessities, and outlines everyday expenses in order to help students gain a comprehensive picture.

  Of course, the cost of living is just one area of interest of prospective students – ENZ has also created a “Quick Facts” page where students can find 10 key reasons why New Zealand is the ultimate study destination.

• ENZ hosts Kiwi orientation for Tokyo students

  ENZ hosted an orientation for 33 high school students about to embark on a year of study in New Zealand at the New Zealand Embassy in Tokyo last Friday. 

  From education to lifestyle, representatives from ENZ and MFAT spoke to the students about everything New Zealand has to offer.

  The students are part of the “Next Generation Leadership” programme organised by the Tokyo Metropolitan Board of Education. Under this programme, some 200 high school students in Tokyo are selected annually to receive scholarships for one year of study in the US, Canada, Australia – and as of this year, New Zealand, which will receive 40 students starting February.

  The New Zealand study orientation included an interactive Q&A session discussing pathways to New Zealand universities (including ITP and PTE options), outdoor activities available in New Zealand and how computers and technology are incorporated in the classroom. One student made a speech in English during the day, expressing her excitement for her adventures in New Zealand.

  Ahead of Japan’s hosting of the 2019 Rugby World Cup and 2020 Olympics, the Tokyo Metropolitan Board of Education has been busy working with the city’s school sector to promote international education and student exchange.

  To further strengthen its relationship with the Board, ENZ will be securing a new partnership under the Arrangement on Education Cooperation. The partnership is set to be signed by ENZ and the Board next month with a reception to be held at the New Zealand Embassy in Tokyo.

  

  Misa welcoming students to the orientation

  Misa Pitt, ENZ’s Senior Market Development Manager – Japan, said the partnership with the Board of Education in the nation’s capital is a significant milestone for ENZ Japan.

  “This partnership will provide a fantastic opportunity for us to promote future expansion of the existing student/teacher training programme in New Zealand as well as to support the Board’s new initiative on inbound student recruitment to Japan.

  “We look forward to working with SIEBA, English New Zealand and other groups to introduce the exciting new programmes available in New Zealand.”