Chris Whelan: Universities NZ CEO on international student numbers returning to pre-Covid levels

International students are returning to New Zealand campuses, with numbers reaching pre-Covid levels. 

Education New Zealand says the students contribute billions to the economy annually. 

Universities New Zealand CEO Chris Whelan told Mike Hosking it's a welcome financial boost. 

He says as well as bringing life back to the campus, they also help keep our institutions afloat financially. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
And we've got good news meantime from the campus. Though

(00:02):
international student numbers are all but back to pre COVID levels.
Across eight unis there are around twenty thousand full time
foreign students right now. The university's New Zealand CEO, Chris Wheelan,
is back with us.

Speaker 2 (00:11):
Chris morning, Good morning.

Speaker 1 (00:13):
So this is good because tourism hasn't managed to do
what you guys have, which is encouraging. Does this cement
our reputation? In other words, it's not permanently damaged.

Speaker 2 (00:21):
Look, I certainly think so. All the feedback we're receiving
from agents networks and student networks overseas is it's great
to have these ends back open. We're seen as a
high quality destination to come and get a qualification, and
we are relatively free from a lot of the turmoil
that's being experienced around the rest of the world.

Speaker 1 (00:42):
Is it the same country, as the same makeup or
as things changed?

Speaker 2 (00:46):
It's very much the same countries. International education takes a
long time to shift countries, so majority of US students
are still coming from China, then a big step down
to India. These will always be very very important markets
to us, and we have incredibly strong relationships with those countries.
But obviously, you know, we're also looking at expanding into
different markets as you know, the world's education system changes

(01:10):
over time.

Speaker 1 (01:11):
Does the Australian scenario help us? That's got very angsty
Dunton's promising massive fees, all that sort of stuff. Do
we look better because of that?

Speaker 2 (01:19):
Well, this is why I say we are protected from
a lot of the turmoil facing the rest of the world.
Most of our competitor markets have policy settings that are
making them quite unattractive now to international students. So China,
that's sorry. Canada, I'm sorry, put a hard limit on
student numbers well below their current levels, and they just

(01:40):
haven't had enrollment to get even close to their target
because you know, agents and students have kind of gone.
Canada's closed for business. So countries, like you saidn't look
pretty good in that context.

Speaker 1 (01:50):
Fiscally, is it working?

Speaker 2 (01:52):
Absolutely, look at you know, and obviously money is only
a part of why we do this. It's great to
see the look for life back on our camp, you know,
with the internstrial students and you know what they bring.
But absolutely, at a time when you know, you know
there are financial challenges they are very welcome.

Speaker 1 (02:09):
Good stuff. Nice to catch up Chris Wheeland University's New
Zealand Bars.

Speaker 2 (02:13):
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