A new platform based around the Maori concept of manaakitanga – to show care and respect – has been rolled out by Education New Zealand to help international education adjust to study in a new country.
NauMai NZ, which takes its name from the Maori word for “welcome”, provides advice to support international students in their first six months of study and was developed by ENZ in collaboration with government bodies including Immigration New Zealand and the New Zealand Qualifications Authority.
“Students have been telling us that they need to know where to get reliable, up-to-date information”
“Our culture of care and respect for all visitors is incredibly important,” said Grant McPherson, chief executive of ENZ.
“We are proud that the majority of students have a fantastic, often life-changing, time in New Zealand. We want this to be the case for every student.”
Using the platform, students can access government information around areas such as accommodation, work rights, health care and wellbeing.
“Students have been telling us that they need to know where to get reliable, up-to-date information about living and studying in New Zealand, and NauMai NZ provides this,” McPherson said.
“This is a generation that is online 24/7 – and NauMai NZ has been designed to provide useful information at their fingertips.”
Currently in its initial phase, there are also plans to broaden the information available on the platform to extend to graduation and beyond.
According to ENZ, the launch of NauMai NZ fits into the broader shifts occurring within New Zealand’s international education sector, after 2018’s strategy prioritised improving the student experience over numbers targets.
One of the short to medium term goals of the strategy was the improvement of services to ensure international students received clear and timely information around education and immigration.
New Zealand attracted just over 125,000 international enrolments in 2017, according to ENZ data.
New Zealand’s changing international education priorities are featured in the upcoming edition of The PIE Review.
