Linda Sissons: Education NZ Acting CEO on the growing number of international students enrolled in New Zealand

New Zealand's seeing renewed growth in international education, with rising demand from both major and emerging markets. 

Education New Zealand data shows more than 92 thousand international students enrolled last year, up 11% on the year prior. 

China and India make up almost half of all enrolments. 

Acting Chief Executive Linda Sissons told Mike Hosking we’re sitting at around 80% of our pre-Covid numbers, but the difference between then and now is the focus on value as well as volume.  

She says we’re on track for both, as in the past year we've exceeded their target of export earnings and are sitting just below the target for enrolments.  

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Tell you what's booming international education. Full year data for
last year ninety two, five hundred and eighty international students enrolled.
That's up eleven percent in the year before. China thirty
four percent, India fourteen. The U key markets frol Ankor
and Nepaul are emerging apparently. Doctor Lindas Sistems Education New Zealand,
Acting Chief Executive with us Linda, very good morning, Good morning.
We're sitting at eighty percent of COVID, So is this

(00:21):
a thing or not? Are we getting back? Will we
ever be back? Do we want to be back? Where
are we at?

Speaker 2 (00:26):
We're certainly at that eighty percent and our goal or
the government's goal for twenty thirty four is around two
hundred thousand international students. I think we have difference between
before COVID and now is that the government's looking very
much at value as well as volume, and we're on

(00:49):
the track with that too, because this past year we
earned over our target of export earnings four point five
billion dollars, just under target for a number of enrollments.
But the momentum and the feeling among our population in
New Zealand in favor of international education is very strong.

Speaker 1 (01:12):
Good Is this organic or are we out in the
world hustling and selling ourselves.

Speaker 2 (01:17):
We're definitely out there hustling. We've just put in a
new regional director for India who'll be working there with
the team that already existed. We've also opened up an
office in Sri Lanka for the first time. That's a
fast growing new market.

Speaker 1 (01:33):
What are they studying? Is it universal in other words,
are you spreading them around the country and spreading them
around degrees or is it highly specialized.

Speaker 2 (01:42):
It's pretty broadly based. Universities are the most successful hustlers,
if you like, in terms of international students. So there
is a real move on the part of prospective students
to look at the return on investment. They want to
ultimately get a job that will set them up for life.

(02:02):
So definitely, degree level post degree is very strong in
terms around the country. Well, Auckland is still but fifty
percent of where international students are and that's only to
be expected. Canterbury second, growing very strongly and Waikato the third,
which has also had extremely strong growth.

Speaker 1 (02:21):
Good to hear Linda good Insight Assistants, Doctor Lindassistants Education
New Zealand Acting Chief executive.

Speaker 2 (02:27):
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