Universities NZ to strengthen ties with India

Universities New Zealand has announced the development of an engagement strategy to strengthen relationships with India and also attract more university students to New Zealand, during a delegation to India led by Prime Minister John Key.

Professor Harlene Hayne, Chair of Universities New Zealand and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Otago, says, “Currently, students from India make up five per cent of the 26,000 international students who are studying at a New Zealand university.  We recognise there is significant potential to attract and welcome increasing numbers of university-level students from India. 

“New Zealand is a world-class destination for university study, with all eight universities ranked within the top 3 per cent world-wide.   In addition, a recent global survey of students studying abroad found that 93% of international students chose to study in New Zealand because of the reputation of our universities.

“This is an important milestone,” says Professor Hayne.  “This strategy will see New Zealand’s universities working collectively to promote study in New Zealand, and to further develop and strengthen partnerships between institutions in India and New Zealand.”

The strategy builds upon an increasing university market presence in India, with student visas for first-time university students from India up 18 per cent through to August 2016.

Professor Hayne says Universities New Zealand is delighted to be working with Education New Zealand, the Government promotion agency for the New Zealand education sector, who is co-sponsoring the strategy.

The Chief Executive of Education New Zealand, Grant McPherson, says “We are delighted to partner with our universities in India, and applaud their leadership in investing in the long-term future of this hugely important market.”

Education New Zealand has also announced the following initiatives to support New Zealand higher education institutions in India during 2017:

• The 2017 New Zealand Excellence Awards, which will provide partial scholarships to more than 30 students studying at New Zealand universities,
• A 2017 Academic Lecture series, which will provide support for New Zealand academics to forge academic linkages with prestigious Indian universities and Indian Institutes of Technology, and
• Innovate to New Zealand: which will provide internship opportunities in New Zealand for the winners of an Information Technology and Management ‘Dragon’s Den/Shark Tank’ competition format.

“These combined initiatives will lay the platform for New Zealand to continue growing the high-value segments of the Indian market, as well as the connections between our two countries” added McPherson.

The Universities New Zealand India Strategy is scheduled to be formally launched in early 2017.