Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao took a delegation of the country’s eight institutions on a promotional tour to Surabaya and Jakarta. 

In each city, ENZ organised a day in late January where universities could meet agencies and school counsellors. It served to “reconnect the universities” with the Indonesian schools and “proved an excellent opportunity” for the former to show what they have to offer. 

“The two events provided a platform for open discussion, idea exchanges and the exploration of potential partnerships that were focused not just on recruitment but also on building sustainable collaborations that would benefit both New Zealand institutions and Indonesian students seeking quality education abroad,” said Ben Burrowes, ENZ’s regional director of Asia.

In Surabaya, the institutions met with 11 agencies and counsellors six schools from the area, and in Jakarta representatives met with 22 agencies and 18 schools.

“Through our research and understanding of Indonesia, we recognise the influence and trust placed in school counsellors by Indonesian students who are exploring tertiary study options offshore.

“We’ve built a strong network of school contacts across Indonesia, and they remain an important channel to share the latest New Zealand education offerings. We had some great engagements during the recent visit and we will certainly continue to build those relationships moving forward,” Burrowes told The PIE after the visit.

In addition, ENZ hosted a “New Zealand Alumni” Day after the agency meetings, where they could learn about both NZ and Indonesian government scholarships.

A new alumni group was also formed during the event, which will serve as a “networking platform for connecting New Zealand alumni in Indonesia”.

ENZ’s International Alumni Day. Photo: ENZ

“[It will] foster a supportive community and provide ongoing resources for professional and personal development,” the announcement said.

SUN Education and Fortrust Education, two key Indonesian agencies, also had direct meetings with Burrowes and other representatives of ENZ during the trip. 

“The agent channel remains a significant part of our promotional plans”

“We also have a number of agents who are incredibly dedicated to promoting New Zealand, as well as a number of new agents who are looking to add New Zealand to their portfolio. The agent channel remains a significant part of our promotional plans across all of ENZ’s focus markets,” Burrowes affirmed.

It comes amid the announcement that agents in India would form a non-profit organisation to promote New Zealand as a study destination, as well as good agent practice.

In the year 2022/23, approved student visas for Indonesians improved from a pandemic-era drop to 940, almost reaching their pre-pandemic total of 988. 

In the same period, only 13 nations saw over 1,000 visas granted – meaning Indonesia is on track to be a bigger supplier of students to the country.

“While we have not set any student visa targets for any countries, we’re currently in the process of finalising our FY 24/25 business plan but Indonesia will certainly feature as a key partner in those final discussions,” Burrowes added while speaking with The PIE.

The event was “such a success” that one school is planning on having universities back for its very own “New Zealand day” event – something he called a “great example” of such potential partnerships. 

“We believe there’s real potential for our countries to continue a mutually beneficial education relationship,” added Burrowes.