New Zealand is a popular country among the international students community for its fantastic mix of different cultures and diversity. A lot has changed in the way learning is being facilitated across the globe and New Zealand is no exception. The pandemic has led to new factors that are now being taken into consideration by students and have also focused the spotlight on emerging careers. Despite the pandemic, the willingness for international students to study there remains intact. The wait for international students to return to the country is finally over as New Zealand is set to welcome travellers, including students. For this, the government has come out with a 5-step plan to reopen New Zealand borders. The normal processing of visa will reopen from October 2022 and therefore the students will be able to enrol for regular studies in 2023.
What to expect in the changing landscape of international education?
New Zealand government had released an International Education Strategy 2018-2030 which broadly sets three goals delivering an excellent education and student experience, achieving sustainable growth and developing global citizens. It aims at doubling the uptake of education pathways by 2030 for International students undertaking pathways to a higher level of study. The pandemic might have brought certain changes with respect to pursuing these goals but the long-term prospects for education in New Zealand are bright. Amidst the pandemic, international students could study online without a visa. However, once the border restrictions are lifted, the learners would need to provide evidence of online study to support the visa application. All this points towards resilience of New Zealand’s education system and can help students plan for pursuing higher education in a country which supports practice-based and research-oriented learning. Diverse classrooms is a unique selling point of universities in New Zealand and the online learning keeps the interaction of students coming from all over the globe, limited to screens. The fluid interaction of various cultures and the exposure which got limited in the online mode, will once again become possible as the country opens borders.
Emerging careers
The universities in New Zealand have a range of industry-oriented courses which makes it easy for students to not only work in New Zealand after completing their education, but also look for employment opportunities in other countries. A shift from the traditional choice of courses was witnessed which has now been accentuated by the pandemic leading to a sharp increase in demand for professionals in health sector. Students are willing to integrate multiple disciplines and add variation to their core skills. For instance, students from India who are otherwise healthcare professionals are enrolling in MBA programmes to add the management and leadership skills and thereby diversifying their job opportunities. With a focus on safety and environment, opportunities are being created in the renewable energy and green sectors. Food technology is another sector witnessing surge in demand as New Zealand, which offers high living standards, is becoming even more conscious of health and safety-related aspects. With the changing digital landscape, one can also look for jobs in information technology and data science. New Zealand is focused on improving the economy and has put a thrust on developing infrastructure. Going forward, a number of jobs in the construction sector can also be expected. Besides, engineering and management programmes retain their appeal among Indian students and offer great employment opportunities.
Strong connections
New Zealand has been ranked 14th in Human Development Index 2020 of the United Nations Development Programme. It does tremendously well on per capital gross national income and education component of the index. While students make a decision with respect to the country they want to study in, they take into account factors like quality of education, employment opportunities, avenues for earning while studying and now health and safety factors are also featuring in the list of students’ decision-making matrices. New Zealand fares well on these parameters. It has a very low unemployment rate, high living standards and allows those on student visa to work 20 hours a week and during vacation on decent wages. In addition, diversified classrooms help students make strong connections. Anyone willing to study in New Zealand for more than 3 months is required to apply for a student visa. With a fee-paying student visa, one can study full-time for upto 4 years and also work while studying.
Popularity among Indian students
The eight universities of New Zealand feature in popular rankings such as QS World Universities Ranking and Times Higher Education World University Rankings, among others, for their high-quality education. Of all the students studying in universities of New Zealand, 16% are international students. Apart from the reputation of institutions and strong credentials, safety and receptivity also attract Indian students in the country. Students who are looking to study in New Zealand are advised to prepare well for requirements applicable to their programmes. General requirements include scores for tests that evaluate proficiency in English language, entrance tests, statement of purpose, resume, among others.
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