New Zealand aims to regain lost ground with Indian students

Mumbai: New Zealand was the last country to open its borders to international students amid the Covid-19 pandemic. But the country is now working on strengthening its ties with India by collaborating with Indian educational institutes to increase student mobility, encourage tourism, and strengthen its economic ties.

Education New Zealand (ENZ), a government organisation responsible for sharing New Zealand's educational experiences with the world, recently wrapped up an India-New Zealand Education Week to increase the number of Indian students and researchers who enrol in NZ’s higher educational institutions and boost internationalisation.

Throughout the series of meetings, experts from both nations engaged in stimulating intellectual debates. The Town Hall discussion with Grant McPherson, CEO of Education New Zealand, and Indian alumni who studied in Kiwi universities was moderated by actress Soha Ali Khan, the brand ambassador for Education New Zealand.

While demonstrating the overall plans to strengthen ties with India, the Chief Executive of Education New Zealand, Grant McPherson, said that while the New Zealand government had already approved a NZ$ 400K investment in internationalisation and student mobility efforts, the country has intentions to keep investing more and work with Indian institutions to promote collaborations.

NZ’s distinguishing factors from other countries

In terms of post-study work rights, and migration policies, New Zealand is considerably different from other countries, according to Grant.

New Zealand has one of the best master's programmes in the world, according to Grant. “With 3 years of work rights regardless of whether a student chooses a one-year or a two-year master's programme. Furthermore, an international student enrolled in a PhD course will only have to pay domestic fees for the duration of their studies, with no additional costs for being an international student,” he told The Free Press Journal.

Though New Zealand has only eight universities, they are in the top 3% of the world. "The environment of the country is easily accessible; one can take surf lessons in the morning and go skiing in the afternoon," added Grant.

NZ’s three-year target

Since the borders of New Zealand have been open for six months, Grant claims that they have gotten an incredibly positive reaction from India, with 85% of student visa requests being approved, but right now, everything is being focused on rebuilding the lost ground.

“There is no set target in terms of the number but the following three years will be dedicated to recruitment and bringing students to New Zealand to experience the country,” asserted Grant.

According to Grant, NZ aims to have a deeper collaboration with the Indian institutes and encourage student exchange from both countries.

NZ’s opportunity in UGC reforms on foreign campuses

New Zealand is in discussion with the University Grant Commission (UGC) to acquire a deeper understanding of India's plan to allow foreign campuses here.

"Right now, the key is to rebuild relationships with India. The country plans to give its best to Indian students, even if it means establishing a campus there," Mr. Grant continued.

Talking about how these reforms are a brand new opportunity for New Zealand, Mr. Grant added, “Senior executives from universities would need to sort of think through their strategies, but we're quite optimistic about India.”