10 million boost for international education

This will help reinvigorate what is an important export industry and a valuable part of our education sector.

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One of the country's biggest foreign exchange earners, international education, is to receive a $10 million helping hand from the government over the next four years, Tertiary Education Minister Michael Cullen announced today.

"This will help reinvigorate what is an important export industry and a valuable part of our education sector," said Dr Cullen.

The Minister made the announcement in Christchurch this morning at a speech marking the launch of the government's five year strategy for international education, the International Education Agenda.

"Promoting the already strong reputation of our education in depth markets, enhancing the recognition of our qualifications abroad, and extending our education diplomacy activities in the Gulf States are the areas identified as priorities by both government and the sector," said Dr Cullen.

The funding supports the goals and initiatives outlined in the international education agenda. The agenda notes the challenges in global education as increased competition for academics, students and funding, greater demand for education from developing nations, new skills required due to changes in technology, and moves to harmonise qualifications internationally.

The $10 million will fund:
$3.4 million to enhance the international recognition and value of New Zealand qualifications for study and employment purposes.
$3.96 million for development and implementation of the New Zealand Educated brand strategy for the NZ international education sector in 2007/2008 and 2008/2009, and provides an ongoing increase in the budget for generic education promotions activities. Over four years the total amount of funding for the generic education promotions initiative is $5.96 million.
$2.4 million over four years for education diplomacy activity and to fund an education counsellor for the Gulf States. This counsellor joins a network of education counsellors based in Washington DC, Brussels, Kuala Lumpur, Beijing, Santiago (Chile) and Delhi. A counsellor is also planned for Seoul.



"Maintaining and improving New Zealand's economic performance, and therefore our standard of living, depends on the quality and depth of our engagement with the global economy.

"Greater internationalisation in education can therefore play a vital role," said Dr Cullen.

In 2004 the government decided to invest $70.2 million promoting international education over five years. For example, international PhD students can study in New Zealand at the domestic fee rate, which has resulted in a 60 per cent increase in foreign doctoral students in one year.

The agenda also advocates exposing more New Zealand students to international experiences and interactions, and developing the talent of our teachers and researchers through international collaboration.

"Our reputation as a quality provider of international education is certainly improving. In June the first of 200 Saudi Arabian students arrived under a Saudi Arabian government sponsored programme.

"It is vital we do better in harnessing the potential of international education to help transform the New Zealand economy. There is no doubt that a successful international education sector will pay dividends for New Zealand by helping us compete and prosper on the world stage," said Dr Cullen.

Over 93,000 international students from 150 countries were studying in New Zealand in 2006. With annual foreign exchange earnings of $1.9 billion, international education is New Zealand's fourth largest export earner.