Nearly a month ago, experts in education, academia and government officials in New Zealand came together at a conference in Auckland — the largest city in the island nation — to brainstorm on bringing in more international students to the country’s top universities and technical institutes.
On the agenda at the New Zealand International Education Conference 2017 were discussions on the international education ecosystem and international student recruitment to New Zealand’s education system. The conference brought together practitioners and leaders from around the world to explore strategies for growth, provided an opportunity to discuss, strategise, and connect with speakers and delegates.
Currently, about 1.31 lakh international students are studying in New Zealand, and India has already emerged as New Zealand’s second largest and fastest-growing source country for international students. In 2016, as many as 28,154 students from India studied in New Zealand. In terms of growth, the number of students, who went from India, increased by 19 per cent from 2015 to 2016. According to the India-Market Overview given out by Education New Zealand, India also offers business development opportunities to New Zealand as the Indian government seeks to skill 500 million people by 2022 with help from international partners.
Going niche
As New Zealand is trying to attract more students from India, more niche courses that are yet to be established in India but have a demand in the market, are being showcased to students.
Some of the courses that the universities and institutes are looking at are art and design, sports management, cyber security, animation, and aviation, among others. New Zealand universities also offer internationally reputed courses in agriculture, food processing, health, media and entertainment, and tourism and hospitality.
With rapid growth in technology, the role of cyber security in government and private sector is assuming importance. Among the first to offer master’s programme in cyber security in New Zealand, the University of Waikato in Hamilton also has a Cyber Security Lab. “There are one million jobs currently, but not many trained staff are available. Any one having a degree in computer science and related subjects or a couple of years of experience in IT can apply,” said Dr. Sivadon Chaisiri, Research Fellow at Cyber Security Lab, Department of Computer Science at the University.
“Indian students are increasingly choosing to study in New Zealand as our education system provides global and fulfilling career opportunities, as well as a progressive and positive learning experience. This year, we have seen a 40 per cent increase in Indian students choosing to study at our universities. New Zealand is ranked number one in preparing students for the future, as assessed by the Economic Intelligence Unit’s ‘assessing the ‘effectiveness’ of education systems’ report,” says John Laxon, Regional Director, India, South East Asia and Middle, Education New Zealand.
Incidentally, in a recent statement made in the Parliament, Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj listed New Zealand as the fourth largest destination for Indian students after the U.S., Canada, and Australia. Indian students are currently studying in 86 countries across the globe.
Increasing engagement between the two countries has given rise to greater interaction too. Recently, a group of 20 students from the College of Creative Arts at Massey University in Wellington visited India to understand dyeing and weaving methods.
For students looking for animation, New Zealand offers plenty of opportunities. Wellington’s Park Road Post Production, which is among the leading post production houses in the world, has been offering job opportunities for those completing graphics and design, which are among the niche courses promoted by Education New Zealand.
The reconstruction of Christchurch, devastated by the 2011 earthquake, is also providing ample opportunities for those interested in engineering courses. “With about 60 billion New Zealand dollars expected to be spent in the reconstruction of the city, there is ample scope for funded research. This in turn offers job prospects for those coming to study here,” said David Wareham, Dean (International), College of Engineering at University of Canterbury.
Mr. Laxon says, “We excel at programmes that look at a holistic approach, thus providing a truly global experience for Indian students. More than 1,30,000 students choose to study in New Zealand every year from more than 180 countries worldwide.”
In Numbers
All the 8 universities are ranked among the top 3 % in the world by QS World University Rankings
New Zealand is the only country in the world to have all of its universities ranked within the top 500.
There are 16 Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics that provide professional and vocational training in a wide range of subjects.
More than 1.31 lakh international students were enrolled for study in 2016
Currently 28,000 Indian students are studying in different universities/ institutions.
New Zealand was ranked the most peaceful English-speaking country in the world by the 2016 Global Peace Index.
*Source: Education New Zealand
Scholarships
Education New Zealand offers New Zealand Excellence Awards. For more information, log onto: enz.govt.nz/news-and-re search/media-releases/ newzealand-excellence-awards-for-indian- students/
The New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade offers New Zealand Commonwealth Scholarships to high achieving students for Masters and PhD study. More details at: www.mfat.govt.nz/en/aid-and-development/scholarships/types-of- scholarships/com
For information on programmes and courses, look up www.studyinnewzealand.com
New Zealand India Research Institute
New Zealand India Research Institute was established in 2012 by the Council of Victoria University of Wellington. The Institute is a consortium of seven New Zealand universities. Prof. Sekhar Bandyopadhyay of Victoria University of Wellington is the the director of the institute.
The institute promotes and facilitates research besides promoting postgraduate studies on India in New Zealand universities. The institute has partnered with Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi University, University of Hyderabad, Jamia Milia and Ashoka University in India, and has sponsored 19 research projects.
The writer was in New Zealand at the invitation of Education New Zealand.