Alistair Jones: Waikato University Deputy Vice Chancellor on the new financial targets for the international student market

Education New Zealand's confirmed new financial targets for our international student market. 

Its strategy aims to build the sector's economic contribution by $4.4 billion over the next three years. 

International students here are at 86% of pre-pandemic numbers. 

Waikato University Deputy Vice Chancellor Alistair Jones told Mike Hosking there are some details to be worked out, but he's glad there's an ambitious target. 

He says it's good to see sector engagement but acknowledges there's still a long-way to go in recovery, which will span years. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
So we have new targets for the international student market.
Education New Zealand is hoping by twenty twenty seven the
sector will bring in four point four billion dollars. The
University of whitecat Device Chancellor Elister Jones is with us
on this alistair. Good morning, Good morning, right now, correct
me if I'm wrong. I thought it used to be
five Are we aiming low here? Are we a bit underwhelmed?

Speaker 2 (00:19):
I think so four point five billion depends on how
you calculate it. It says economic impact and the press release
so that really doesn't I'm not sure what the multiplier
they're using on student numbers, so it's a little bit
unclear what the target is. But it's great that they
want to be ambitious and I think we're in the
stage of rebuilding and I think it's going to take

(00:41):
those two or three years. So it's good to see
Education New Zealand engaging with the sector. But we've still
had a long way to go.

Speaker 1 (00:48):
And.

Speaker 2 (00:49):
I think the commitment to grow our numbers is really important.

Speaker 1 (00:53):
Why do we still have a long way to go?
And did we blow it during COVID?

Speaker 2 (00:58):
I think I think our borders were closed for a
long time I think others opened earlier, and we always
knew that it was going to be two three four
years before we recover. But in that time off shore,
I think the market's also changed. It's for universities in
particular that it's become a postgraduate market, students staying close

(01:22):
at the home for the first few years and then
looking to undertake international study later in their student career.

Speaker 1 (01:31):
Really post grade market means less time here, which affects
the bottom line, doesn't.

Speaker 2 (01:35):
It It does well. Also means we've got to fill
the pipeline each year. So traditionally, if we were looking
at undergraduates, they'd be here for three four years, so
you'd fill it once. Now we have to fill that
pipeline every year. So we might be getting better students,
but we're also more activity needs to take place to

(01:58):
keep filling that so it's going to take a while.
We may see the undergraduate market come back. We're starting
to see that for universities now, but that will take
time as well to rebuild the brand once again.

Speaker 1 (02:10):
Correct me if I'm wrong, but Australia's boomed with students
they open them. In fact, it's become such a problem
they're having to limit numbers and this great political debate
going on. How come they've done so well and we haven't.

Speaker 2 (02:20):
I think the two things they opened early, They encouraged
international students to come back, They managed quarantine during COVID,
and I think the universities, the top universities there have
very strong brand presence. They get also good support from

(02:43):
the federal government as well as the state government. So
some of the go eight universities, the top eight universities
there can have fought it between fourteen and fifty international students.
So there is a momentum there and I think that's
probably what the government is responded.

Speaker 1 (03:00):
Good insight hel us to appreciate it pretty much heldis
to Jones, University of Wykat Advice chancellor. So four point
four it is the damage done. We've said it on
the program many many times, the way they handled it,
and this should be part of the inquiry, of course,
the way they handled it, we're still painful. For more
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(03:21):
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