Conference - Programme Updates
New Zealand’s 16th Annual International Education Conference is just ten weeks away – to be held from 8 to 10 August in Christchurch. The programme is almost finalised, with an excellent line-up of speakers and workshops. Highlights include:

• Mr John Lynch, Chief Executive, Education Ireland.  “Developing Internationalisation Strategies for the Future: Small nations achieving on a Global Scale” will examine the contexts (geographical, linguistic, economic, political, demographic and educational) within which internationalisation of education has developed and is developing in Ireland;
  
  
• Mr Tran Ba Viet Dzung, Director General of International Co-operation, Ministry of Education and Training, Vietnam.  Free and Frank advice for the industry on: (i) how NZ is perceived in Vietnam as an educational destination; (ii) how NZ compares alongside Australia, USA, UK and Canada as an educational destination;  (iii) if NZ compares favourably in any particular area, what, if anything, can be done to maximise this?; (iv) if NZ compare unfavourably in any particular area, what, if anything, can be done at a national level and by individual institutions to positively influence the Vietnamese view?; and (v) an update on the Vietnamese Government approach to educational joint ventures and what opportunities there are for New Zealand education providers.
  
  
• Professor Simon Marginson, Australian Professorial Fellow & Professor of Higher Education, The University of Melbourne and adviser to the OECD on educational rankings.  "Rankings: Marketing Mana or Menace?" will examine global university rankings and the implications for New Zealand institutions.
  
  
• Ms Helen Zimmerman, CEO, ACL Australia (Australia’s largest English language provider). “Is the Grass Greener?” will offer a view on Australia’s formula for success as an English language destination.
  
  
• Professor David Greenaway, Acting Vice Chancellor, Professor of Economics, Pro-Vice Chancellor and Director, Leverhulme Centre for Research on Globalisation and Economic Policy, University of Nottingham.  “Offshore Ventures, Joint Campuses and Diversification Games People Play" – one of the UK’s leading universities will offer insights on its international strategy, including the establishment of a sub-campuses in China and Malaysia.
  
  
• Dr Maurits van Rooijen, Vice President for International and Institutional Development, University of Westminster.   “Offshore Ventures, Joint Campuses and Diversification Games People Play" – winner of the Queen’s Export Award, the University of Westminister will offer insights on its international strategy.
  
  
• Hon Dr Michael Cullen, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Tertiary Education (with responsibility for international education). Dr Cullen will speak about the Government’s new International Education Agenda.  
  
  
• Sector Workshop Wednesday returns again with a half day schools workshop in the morning, and non-sectoral workshops in the afternoon.
  
  
• The Beat Girls.  It’s been another challenging year.  Let your hair down with your fellow colleagues with one of New Zealand's leading entertainment group, The Beat Girls, will be there to entertain from 9pm.  For those who'd prefer a quieter night, there will be a lounge bar next door.

Registrations, Programme and more information is available online HERE. If you have registered, or have been waiting for more information, check out the programme that has recently been updated with session abstracts and additional sessions.

The forth annual International Education Excellence Awards will open for entries and nomination very soon. You will be notified via a special E-News.

Brand  - Evolution
As outlined at last year's Conference, the New Zealand Educated brand is currently undergoing an evolution process with one of New Zealand’s leading brand strategists, Brian Richards.  The official launch will be in late June, and the new files will be online for industry to down load and use by early July.  In the meantime please continue to use the current New Zealand Educated brand as you see featured in this E-news.

ENZ Staff – Changes
There have been several staffing changes within Education New Zealand recently.  New additions to the ENZ team are:

• Tracy MacDonald, Industry Development and Contracts Co-ordinator, replaces Deryk Holland. Tracy has returned to New Zealand after a period working in contract administration in Sydney.
  
  
• Rahael Tharmatheva, Project Co-ordinator.  Rahael is a recent Marketing Graduate from VUW, and will replace Karen Frewing, who sadly will depart ENZ at the end of June.
  
  
• Ben Hodges, Marketing Operations Manager.  With a strong marketing background, Ben will take responsibility for leading marketing and promotion campaigns in the industry’s Depth Markets.

PACE – Upcoming Events
Fiji Fairs, 31 July – 2 August
These annual fairs are held in Suva and Lautoka.  For more information, please click HERE

Hong Kong International Expo, 3 – 5 August
Be part of the New Zealand pavilion at this Commercial Fair. Registrations close Friday 15 June. For more information, please click HERE.

Malaysian Education Fairs, 18 – 23 August
The second series of New Zealand Education fairs in Kuala Lumpur, Petaling Jaya, Penang and Kota Kinabalu are coming up. This is a great way to follow up for those who participated in the early series this March. Planning and organisation has begun and we urge quick registrations by Friday 15th June to ensure inclusion in the printed fair materials. For more information, please click HERE or contact Laurette

Philippines Inbound Agents, 19 – 27 August
Four agents from the Philippines will visit New Zealand in mid-August as part of the PACE programme. The agents are keen to promote New Zealand as a tourism, education and migration destination to their potential clients. There are only a few education agents in the market that promote New Zealand as a study destination, institutions interested in this market need to build and maintain working relationships with agents. Registrations close Friday 8 June. More information is available HERE or contact Genevieve.

Scholarships – NZIDRS closes July
Funded by the New Zealand Government and administered by Education New Zealand, the New Zealand International Doctoral Research Scholarships (NZIDRS) are a significant educational opportunity. The New Zealand International Doctoral Research Scholarship includes full tuition fees for three years of full time doctoral study, a living allowance and travel allowance for conference and research. Insurance and book allowances are also available to successful applicants.

Deadline for application for study beginning in 2008 is Monday 16 July 2007, 5pm

More information is available at http://www.newzealandeducated.com/scholarships.html

News – TOEFL in South Korea
As demand for English proficiency test TOEFL far exceeds supply, South Koreans have been resorting to desperate measures to be able to write the test. This includes hunting for alternative test sites from Japan to Southeast Asia, and even as far away as Australia. There has been an increase in the number of people taking the test in South Korea from 50,311 in 2001 to about 130,000 in 2006. However, ETS has reduced the number of times the test can be taken after switching to the new internet-based testing method last year.

Source: "High demand causes 'TOEFL crisis' in South Korea,"
International Herald Tribune, May 14, 2007

News – Saudis like NZ
As reported in Al Hayatt Newspaper on 21 May, Saudi Arabian students continue to search for study destinations beyond USA and China.  300 Saudi students are currently completing enrolment and travel procedures to begin study in New Zealand in July.  New Zealand university representatives have been in Saudi Arabia running academic study and New Zealand lifestyle workshops for the students. 

Dr. Hatem Taha, Immigration and Scholarship Affairs Expert said “the increasing number of the students seeking education in New Zealand is due to the easy entry and residence procedures where in New Zealand, it is permitted to the Saudi and Gulf students to enter New Zealand without visa for three months where the Students can get the Student visa within the Country.”

“New Zealand is attractive for students as a result for the cheaper living costs in comparison to Canada and Australia, besides the hospitality of its kind people and their positive view of the Arabs, in addition to the fantastic nature all over the country.”

For Saudi Arabia, New Zealand is an attractive study destination for everything from education to lifestyle and our friendly people.