The agreement promises a path for the eventual return of foreign students

By John Gerritsen of RNZ

The government has announced an agreement that it hopes will create a cohort of foreign students who will be ready to enter New Zealand when the borders open.

The agreement organized by Education New Zealand and the eight universities in the country would make the universities recognize the pre-university courses offered by the NCUK company, which was owned by British universities and had study centers in more than 30 countries.

They would also recognize NCUK courses that provided the first year of a bachelor’s degree in business and engineering and a course that prepared students to study for a master’s degree.

Education Minister Chris Hipkins told RNZ that universities were optimistic and that many of the students studying with NCUK would like to come to New Zealand.

“Opening this path provides a recruiting opportunity for New Zealand universities to give international students the opportunity to start their studies in their own countries with a plan, with a clear plan and a clear path to come to New Zealand.” , said.

However, Hipkins said it was likely that large numbers of students would not be allowed into the country for at least another 12 to 18 months.

“We’re likely to see the border restrictions continue for the next 12 to 18 months, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that the border restrictions will look exactly the same during that time. So we’re going to try to do everything we can to create pathways for get international students into New Zealand, “he said.

“There is a lot of uncertainty where we can’t set a specific schedule when we can see big numbers coming in and so we have to do things a little differently in the meantime.”

Education New Zealand CEO Grant McPherson said the partnership is the first in New Zealand.

“It is the largest collaboration between the university sector and international education to date, and it is the first time that the government has made it easier for international students to begin their studies in New Zealand abroad.”

McPherson said the pandemic had devastated New Zealand’s international education sector.

Universities New Zealand said that universities were offering more than $ 300,000 in scholarships annually to students who completed an NCUK qualification.

He said the initiative offers an excellent pathway for students who want to study in New Zealand.

Foreign students were New Zealand’s fifth largest source of export earnings before the pandemic, spending more than $ 5 billion a year in foreign exchange.

They have been unable to enter the country since the borders were closed to non-New Zealanders in March and many parts of the foreign student industry have struggled this year and fear worse next year.

However, the government agreed to admit up to 250 foreign graduate students who had started their studies before the border closure in March.

By the end of November, universities had identified 195 doctoral students who met the criteria, and officials were working to find master’s students who could also return.