Industry Submission on Proposed Student Immigration Policy Changes

In December 2006, the Department of Labour wrote to Education New Zealand to scope a number of potential changes to immigration policy and practice.  The Department asked Education New Zealand to distribute a discussion paper to education exporters in order to solicit comment and feedback from the sector.  

Following submissions from institutions, Education New Zealand developed a submission for the Department of Labour, and the ENZ Chief Executive has met with senior officials to present the industry’s submission.  The submission has since been forwarded, along with Departmental recommendations, to Hon David Cunliffe, the Minister of Immigration.  

A copy of the submission is HERE.  We recommend that institutions review the submission as it contains a number of important potential changes in the way immigration policy will impact upon the industry. Please note that the institutional names/identifiers have been deleted in this version in order to protect the privacy of the institutions submitting their views.

If policy changes are made following consideration by the Minister of Immigration, we will inform institutions via a future edition of e-news (in other words, watch this space!).

Education New Zealand are pleased to advise that as part of the 2006/2007 EEIDF work programme, a  two day workshop will be held in Wellington in conjunction with UK NARIC.  

UK NARIC is the National Agency for the Department for Education and Skills (DfES). They are the only official information provider on the comparability of international qualifications from over 180 countries worldwide (www.naric.org.uk). 

You do not need to be a member of NARIC to benefit from the information distributed at this workshop, which will run on the 17th and 18th of May 2007, and covers the following topics:

Day 1:

• NARIC Essential Guide to Evaluating Academic and Vocational Qualifications
• NARIC Essential Guide to Identifying Genuine & Fraudulent Documents  

Day 2: 

• NARIC Guide to Education in China
• NARIC Guide to Education in India  

This is a rare opportunity, places are limited and we encourage you to register your interest as early as possible!

For an overview of the workshops and a biography on the NARIC trainers, please click HERE

To register your interest in attending this workshop*, which is fully funded** by the EEIDF, please click HERE

For additional information please contact Kathy Phillips - Industry Development Programme Manager.

*please note that there are limited places available, and places will be allocated on a 'first in first served' basis.  You will receive either a confirmation of attendance, or advice that you are pre-registered for a possible future round of NARIC workshops (demand dependent). 

**please note that all transport, accommodation, parking, as well as refreshments outside of the workshop, are at your own expense.

LAST CHANCE TO REGISTER!!! - Sector Forum with the Ministry of Education’s Offshore Education Counsellors

If you are involved in international education, come and hear first-hand from the Ministry of Education’s offshore education counsellors what the latest trends and opportunities in the areas of education policy, offshore regulatory settings/frameworks and education diplomacy are, and how they are supporting the work of educational institutions and other agencies.

Beginning at 9am on 22 February 2007 Education New Zealand will facilitate a forum in Wellington with the Ministry’s counsellors whose regions cover North America, the UK and Europe, China, South East Asia and India.

The forum is interactive with the chance for you to ask questions and talk with the counsellors who, over the past year, have gathered significant understanding, insights and intelligence about the education environments in which they work. Education New Zealand is collating and passing on questions to each counsellor so that they have time to prepare a response.  To submit a question please click HERE

The Minister for Tertiary Education, Hon Dr Michael Cullen, will open the day, followed by counsellor briefings/presentations on each of their regions. A copy of the forum’s programme is available HERE

Register by 10 February HERE There is no charge. The venue will be confirmed to registered delegates after 10 February. 

The education counsellors are funded by the New Zealand Government (note: they are not funded by the Education Export Levy) to advance New Zealand’s educational policy and diplomatic relationships in countries of strategic significance.  The counsellors have a close working relationship with New Zealand Trade and Enterprise and Education New Zealand. 

'Conference 2007: The Bigger Picture'

Bookmark your diary now for Conference 2007: August 8th - 10th.
Venue is the Grand Chancellor Hotel in Christchurch.

We plan to open registration in mid March, by which time the full programme will be in place. This year's Conference looks set to be the biggest yet, with a host of offshore speakers, research reports on comparative costings between countries, industry forecasting and more, market research from China, Vietnam and India, brand and web workshops to update you on the major evolutions currently underway and much more.

In response to feedback from past Conferences there will be a full day workshop session specifically for schools on Wednesday (so plan for arrival Wednesday morning).  And for the Thursday night dinner dance there will be an adjacent quieter room for the after dinner session, so for those who wish to network away from the delights of 'YMCA' delivered in e-flat at 200 decibels there will be the opportunity for a post meal relax over drinks and coffee!

Bulk discounts for institutions wanting multiple attendees will be available and the 'earlybird' specials will run until 30 June 2007.

Information will be added to the Conference website www.educationnz.org.nz/conference as it becomes available.

Over the past few months Education New Zealand has been working on a scholarship agreement for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in close partnership with New Zealand’s universities, NZVCC, MFAT, DoL, NZTE and the MoE.

To secure the deal, Education New Zealand has resourced and employed two temporary staff members in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia for the past several months to assist with the administration and co-ordination required to participate in the large Saudi Arabian Government funded scholarship programme.  The agreement has resulted in New Zealand securing over 300 scholarships.   

A copy of the Media Releases from Dr Cullen and ENZ are HERE

Malaysian Education Fairs, 13 – 22 March
The New Zealand Education fairs in Penang, Petaling Jaya, Kuala Lumpur, Kuching and Kota Kinabalu are coming up.  To allow for the printing of fair materials the final cut off date for registration is Monday 12th February.  For more information, please click HERE or contact Laurette 

BELTA 2007, 17 – 24 March
Great news!  The early bird special has been extended exclusively for New Zealand participants. Don’t miss this opportunity to tap into potential students in two new cities – Brasilia and Port Alegre as well as Sao Paulo and Curitiba.  Click HERE for more information or contact Karen

Taiwan Virtual Fairs, late March to late May
Virtual fairs are internet (generic NZ and institutional) advertising.  These are being financially supported by NZTE based on their success in 2006.  A total exceeding 400,000 hits during the two Virtual Fairs demonstrated that they attracted a high level of interest. The registration deadline is Wednesday 14th February.  For more information click HERE or contact Genevieve

Korean Student Fair (KSF), 31 March - 1 April
Spring 2007 will be the 24th KSF Study Abroad & Language Fair held in Seoul. This commercial fair is open to all sectors of education, and involves very strong input and support from Korean Agents. Photos of the impressive 2006 pavilion are available on the ENZ website HERE. The fair is expected to have more than 30,000 visitors during the two days. For more information including the list of agents who will represent NZ institutions at KSF click HERE or contact Genevieve

Taiwan Agents and Students Workshops, 14-17 April
These events are primarily Agent Seminars, for meeting with the top performing agents in Taiwan.  Agents are also invited to bring with them interested students, and allocated time slots are open to the public too.  The events will be held in Taipei, Kaohsiung and Taichung. For more information click HERE or contact Genevieve

Indian Fair Series, 15, 18 and 22 April
In 2007 two sets of New Zealand Education fairs will be held in India. The April fairs are in Mumbai, Cochin and New Delhi, with the September series having a much larger range of cities.  Registrations will be accepted up until 1st March. Click HERE for more information. The contact for all Indian activities is Laurette

IEFT Turkey Fairs, 15 – 22 April
New to PACE this year, IEFT is a great way to check out the Turkish student market.  There are educational fairs in 4 cities, see our website for special prices for each city you attend. For more information click HERE or contact Karen

Hong Kong Agent Seminar, 20 April
Agent Seminars are a good way of establishing contact with many reputable agents in one place. The Hong Kong market is suitable for all sectors, particularly tertiary as most Hong Kong students aim to achieve at least an undergraduate degree. For more information about the Seminar, click HERE or contact Genevieve

All PACE registrations run on a first-in first-served basis, please register at our online Marketing Mix Builder HERE

'How does New Zealand compare?'  'Which institution is the best'? International students are thirsty for comparative information to help them decide where they should study. However, international rankings are at best an imperfect art, and for many sectors rankings don't exist. In spite of these limitations, rankings are increasingly becoming a high profile tool by which institutions and countries are judged.

Probably the best known international ranking report is the UK Times Higher Education Supplement Top Universities list. For 2006, New Zealand had two Universities in the top 200 in the world, and 1 of those was a Top 50. How did we compare with other countries? Find out more HERE from Monday.

Funded by the New Zealand Government and administered by Education New Zealand, the New Zealand International Scholarships are a significant educational opportunity.
The New Zealand International Scholarship Programme reflects the New Zealand Government's commitment to deepening New Zealand's educational partnerships with participating countries and regions. The New Zealand education system provides students with the knowledge and skills to achieve results equal to the world's best. The scholarship programme is about sharing this excellence with the rest of the world, and bringing the best from elsewhere to share their knowledge with New Zealand.
In 2007, the following scholarships are being offered.  For more information including past recipients and terms and conditions for 2007, please visit HERE

• Students should be directed to the Student Website www.newzealandeducated.com/scholarships

New Zealand Undergraduate Study Abroad Award (NZUSAA)
The NZUSAA are available to students enrolled in an undergraduate diploma or degree programme at a New Zealand institution who wish to complete part of their qualification overseas.  The 2007 NZUSAA are available to students enrolled at universities, institutes of technology and polytechnics.

Close date for nominations is 1 May and 1 November 2007

New Zealand Postgraduate Study Abroad Award (NZPSAA)
The NZPSAA are available to postgraduate students enrolled fulltime in either doctoral or master’s degree programmes at a New Zealand institution whose research programme would benefit significantly from a short-term period of study or research abroad. 

Close date for applications is 1 May and 1 November 2007

New Zealand International Undergraduate Fees Scholarships (NZIUFS)
The Scholarships provide financial support by way of international tuition fees for eligible students from designated localities undertaking undergraduate study at New Zealand institutions.  Scholarships are awarded on the basis of academic merit and students are nominated to ENZ by the designated agency in their home country. 

Close date for  applications vary from country to country.  In general, nominations are received in Wellington between the months of February and May.

New Zealand International Doctoral Research Scholarships (NZIDRS)
The scholarships provide financial support for international students undertaking doctoral degrees by research in New Zealand universities.  Scholarships are awarded on the basis of academic merit.

Close date for applications is 15 July each year.  As the 15th falls on a weekend, 2007 applications will be accepted until close of business on Monday 16 July.

Education New Zealand has a newly created position within our marketing team, as Marketing Operations Manager.  We are seeking someone with industry experience (preferably in marketing) to take a lead on the operational aspects of a range of interesting projects.  This will include close liaison with the NZ international education industry, NZTE staff, agents and other key stakeholders.  Work will include involvement in the implementation of the industry's Depth Strategy Campaigns (primarily in India, Vietnam, South Korea, China and Hong Kong), and establishing New Zealand registered agents groups in a range of key markets.  More information about this position, and an application form can be found HERE

Applications close 5pm Friday 16th February 2007.

"The English-language abilities of more than a third of all fee-paying foreign students who obtained permanent-residence visas after completing a degree in Australia are so dismal that they should never have been given visas to study in the country in the first place, according to a scathing report published this week.

The report, "Implications of Low English Standards Among Overseas Students at Australian Universities," describes a study by Robert Birrell, director of the Centre for Population and Urban Research at Australia's Monash University, and appears in the latest issue of the demography journal People and Place.

Mr. Birrell's findings are based on previously unpublished results of language tests of foreign students who obtained permanent-residence visas in the 2005-6 academic year.
The period was the first time university graduates applying for visas had been required to demonstrate "competent" spoken-language skills as a part of the application process. Around 34 percent of the 42,295 successful applicants fell short."

To view more on this story see: http://chronicle.com/daily/2007/01/2007013105n.htm