Delegates from ANEX Colombia were invited to New Zealand’s embassy in Bogotá for a meeting with chargé d’Affaires Michael O’Shaughnessy, building on a relationship established with the embassy last year to “support New Zealand as an educational destination”.

“Now New Zealand is reopening, we will continue in this work spreading its message and promoting its quality education, which will open the doors to training students to gain global profiles, which the world is demanding more and more,” Marcela Osório, ANEX’s executive director, told The PIE News. 

“For the association it is very important to strengthen our relations with all countries where Colombians are interested in going to study – these countries will find in Colombia a friendly hand and additional support for the efforts that they make as a country to promote international education,” she continued. 

The meeting allowed delegates to introduce themselves to O’Shaughnessy, who took up the post of Chargé D’Affaires at the New Zealand embassy in June.

“The topics discussed included the new international education strategy that Education New Zealand is promoting; the challenges, obstacles and expectations that agencies are facing with New Zealand; and the changes New Zealand is facing post-pandemic and its market expectations,” Osório explained.

“Students are definitely interested in learning about educational opportunities abroad” 

Delegates were given a tour of the embassy during the meeting, and Education New Zealand took to LinkedIn to thank Colombian agencies for “encouraging students to study in New Zealand”. 

“Colombia has waited patiently to reopen and continue as normal, as and when the pandemic will allow. Here, we are already operating normally, and there are no strict restrictions; the mask is only used in very specific places.

“As for the agencies, they are well underway with their efforts; students are definitely interested in learning about educational opportunities abroad,” Osório commented.

“This type of relationship makes the industry stronger and grows both in the quality of the agencies that promote this destination and in the transparency of the information that should reach those interested who want to travel to this country. 

“The association is a bridge to generate synergy in this industry that changes people’s lives to build a better world,” Osório added.

New Zealand education minister Chris Hipkins embarked on a trip to the US and South America earlier this year to promote the country’s education opportunities.

An agent survey from BELTA found that New Zealand ranked second after Canada in interest as a destination among Latin American students in “post-Covid” decisions.