At The PIE Live Asia Pacific event, education leaders and global stakeholders from across the Asia-Pacific region convened to hear an important country update from New Zealand following recent announcements of a strategic growth plan.
In July 2025, the New Zealand government launched the International Education Going for Growth plan, as part of its broader Going for Growth strategy, which was released in January 2025. Goals include increasing international student enrolments from 83,700 to 119,000 by 2034 and doubling the sector’s value from NZ$3.6 billion (GBP£1.60bn) to NZ$7.2 billion (GBP £3.20bn).
A raft of changes have also been announced, including upping the number of hours overseas students can work and study visas being linked to education providers – the latter which caught the attention of some stakeholders in Australia, who have been lobbying for similar measures.
Another change on the cards, subject to Cabinet agreement, is a short-term work visa for some vocational graduates and streamlined visa processes.
Amanda Malu, CEO of Education New Zealand (ENZ) was joined by Cheryl de la Rey, vice-chancellor, University of Canterbury, to discuss the landscape that enables New Zealand’s growth and the impact this expansion could have on both communities and institutions.
The country’s international education industry was severely impacted by pandemic-related border closures, and since then, recovery has been gradual and uneven across different subsectors. Universities and schools account for about 65% of all current international student enrolments in New Zealand, the ENZ CEO explained.
“We’ve got some some real balancing out to do, particularly with English language, which I know is a not an uncommon challenge around the world,” said Malu, adding that the polytechnic sector is also an area that needs attention.
But recovery is underway, with ambitious goals tempered by caution.
“We’ve watched the experience of some of our colleagues around the world falter as a result of that big boom that happened post-covid, and some of the the reduction in social licence… we’re really wary of of going down that path. We want to ensure our growth trajectory will be sustainable and balanced going forward,” said Malu.
Each year, ENZ surveys New Zealanders on their views toward international education and students. “Never has this been more important than it is today, when we see how around the world that has that can easily swing in the wrong direction,” said Malu.
Recent results show that 72% of New Zealanders believe that international education is beneficial to the country, and 77% would like to see at least the same number or more international students welcomed to the country.
However, Malu highlighted a challenge: half of New Zealand’s international students are concentrated in Auckland. A crucial part of maintaining positive social licence is balancing out international student population throughout the whole of the country.
“If we lose it in our big cities, we’ll lose it throughout the country,” said Malu.
In the more sparsely populated South Island, Christchurch – home to the University of Canterbury – has a population of just under 500,000. For de la Rey, international students bring a perspective she describes as “fundamental” to education.
What our international students do is ensure that our classrooms and lecture environments have global perspectives on whatever issue is being taught at a particular time
Cheryl de la Rey, University of Canterbury
“What our international students do is ensure that our classrooms and lecture environments have global perspectives on whatever issue is being taught at a particular time,” she said. “The best way to be a global citizen is to make sure that embedded in the curriculum is not only local knowledge, indigenous knowledge, but also knowledge that comes from elsewhere in the world.”
At Canterbury, any growth is supported by infrastructure, including accommodation, explained de la Rey. “What we wouldn’t want to have is huge growth in international and domestic students and then overcrowding in the local neighbourhoods.”
Despite warnings about the risk of focusing on too few markets, the government has set out that universities should focus on markets with the highest potential – a significant shift away from the diversification efforts seen in recent years in New Zealand. Within the new strategy, review points are in place for 2027 for this reason, explained Malu.
China and India remain New Zealand’s two largest international student markets, accounting for 34% and 14% of total enrolments.
One key advantage for New Zealand is a government fully committed to growth, especially in international education. Malu described Prime Minister Christopher Luxon as a “huge advocate” for the sector. In recent months, Luxon has led three major trade delegations to India, China, and Vietnam, with education taking “front and centre” at each stop.
