New Zealand plans to recover international student numbers post-Covid-19, by 2025

New Zealand's internationaleducation sector could recover to pre-pandemic enrolment levels by 2025 after a severely impacted period, experts say.

Vietnamese parents and students listen to school representatives in New Zealand give career and scholarship advice

Maintain stable study abroad policy

New Zealand, which once had the strictest Covid policies among English-speaking countries, saw its international student population plummet when it reopened its borders in 2022, from more than 115,000 in 2019 to 40,000. However, the country’s latest statistics show that enrolments for the 2023-2024 academic year are up 67%, the first increase in six years, and are expected to recover to pre-pandemic levels by 2025, according to Studymove.

Keri Ramirez, CEO and co-founder of Studymove, said the recovery was due to a number of factors, including New Zealand’s successful promotion of its core values; competitive tuition fees among English-speaking countries, especially at the postgraduate level, where the average cost of these degrees is 26% lower than Australia’s; and many post-graduation job opportunities.

“The policy changes in Canada and Australia have certainly brought some benefits to New Zealand, but they are not the core aspect of the recovery,” Mr Ramirez stressed, adding that the number of visas issued to self-funded international students between January and August increased by 8% compared to the same period last year, reaching an estimated 24,000 by the end of 2024, a level only slightly lower than before the pandemic.

For English language courses, Kim Renner, CEO of English New Zealand, predicts that the 16 member schools could recover up to 90% of enrolments by the end of the year, with a full recovery expected by 2025. For secondary education, 80% of SIEBA member schools believe it will take several more years to fully recover, CEO John van der Zwan told StudyTravel .

A representative of a high school in New Zealand answers students' questions.

In Vietnam, 2023 marks a return to growth in the number of international students coming to New Zealand after 3 consecutive years of decline. However, this figure is only equivalent to 57% compared to the peak in 2019 (3,042 people). That is also one of the reasons why the country's international education sector wants to focus on investing in Vietnam by expanding many opportunities, from scholarships, admissions to study abroad policies.

Speaking to Thanh Nien at a recent event organized by the New Zealand government in Ho Chi Minh City, Mr. Ben Burrowes, Acting Executive Director of International Affairs at Education New Zealand (ENZ), said that recently, many new study abroad companies have expressed their desire to cooperate. This is a positive sign in the context that the island nation will maintain its current policy towards international students in the coming time, Mr. Burrowes affirmed.

Mr. Scott James, New Zealand Consul General and Commercial Counsellor, added that the process of assessing and granting student visas for Vietnamese people has been improved, ensuring that eligible students can apply easily and helping to shorten the time to receive student visas. "New Zealand still has room to accommodate more students, so at this time, we have no intention of making the assessment process more difficult," Mr. James said.

Scholarships for Vietnamese

Ms. Le Minh Anh Thu, admissions manager in Vietnam at the University of Auckland, said the school has a scholarship worth NZD 10,000 (VND 150 million) for Vietnamese people along with scholarships for international students, including Vietnam. The scholarship is applicable to bachelor's, master's or postgraduate degrees and applicants need to have a minimum average score of 8.8 in their most recent level of study. In addition, applicants must attach a CV and a letter of recommendation to the scholarship application.

In Vietnam, the number of people coming to study in New Zealand in 2023 increased by 10% compared to last year, concentrated mostly in universities.

Mr. Quan Dang, Southeast Asia Admissions Manager of Waikato University, also informed that the school has scholarships for Vietnamese and international students in general, including Vietnamese, with a value of up to 15,000 NZD (226 million VND). To be considered for the scholarship, candidates need to achieve a minimum average score of 8, state the reason for wanting to study at the school and share how to become a global ambassador for the school.

Regarding the admission process, both Ms. Thu and Mr. Quan commented that the schools require lower GPA scores, from 8 (Waikato University) to 8.2 (Auckland University), and only take the results of Year 12. In addition, both schools require candidates to achieve a minimum IELTS score of 6.0, with no skill below 5.5. Candidates also need to submit a high school diploma to be officially admitted.

A new feature in university admissions in New Zealand is that from the upcoming admissions period, all schools will accept IELTS One Skill Retake results from applicants, according to an announcement in early October from the IELTS test co-organizers. "This helps students who are good but have difficulty with a certain skill to still be eligible to apply," said Meredith Smart, International Director of Auckland University of Technology.

Representative of King's College, a secondary school in Auckland, talking to parents

ENZ launches first book about New Zealand

At the recent New Zealand Education Fair 2024, ENZ launched the book Coming to New Zealand to Welcome the New Dawn - a project implemented by ENZ for the first time, gathering 50 stories from experts, celebrities and international students to provide a panoramic view of the country, culture and people of New Zealand. The book is structured into three chapters "Learn", "Work", "Live" with a total of 170 pages.

The book Coming to New Zealand to Welcome the New Dawn is produced by ENZ in collaboration with Hoa Hoc Tro Newspaper.

"Through each chapter, you can find your own answer to the strange fate of New Zealand that makes both short-term travelers and international students eager to step out into the world forever attached. New Zealand is the first country in the world to welcome the dawn, with this book, I hope you will also be inspired to open a new journey, start a new future", Ms. Banh Pham Ngoc Van, Director of ENZ in Vietnam, shared.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/new-zealand-dat-ke-hoach-phuc-hoi-so-du-hoc-sinh-hau-covid-19-vao-nam-2025-185241105013629771.htm