The government has an ambitious target of doubling New Zealand’s total export earnings in the next ten years and education is slated to play an important part in this endeavor. The estimated economic contribution of the New Zealand education sector was NZ$ 2.2 Billion in 2023 and the government wants to increase it by 100% by 2027 to NZ$ 4.4 Billion by 2027.
Education New Zealand Chief Executive Dr. Linda Sissons talked about the strategy to do so and highlighted the role of key markets like India, Vietnam, the Philippines, Thailand and Japan in achieving this target. “We need to start now to grow awareness of New Zealand in these markets if we are to achieve our growth targets,” said Dr Sissons. “Moving forward, we will continue to seek growth through diversifying markets while maintaining our strength in traditional markets such as China and India.”
All this occurred at the New Zealand International Education Conference (NZIEC) in Wellington this week, as officials began to lay out a plan for a new strategy to enhance New Zealand’s profile in the international education ecosystem. ENZ Director, Marketing and Brand Adrian Hirst said “In a sea of [several international destinations], it’s increasingly difficult to stand out for students and for student families, How do we differentiate ourselves? If we don’t differentiate ourselves, we run the risk of being totally ignored. We need something to hang our hat on. We need something that resonates with the core needs and motivations of our audience, and we need to look at differentiating in a way that adds quality and value to our industry.”
This announcement is sure to generate a positive buzz in the international education sector because, though small, higher education in New Zealand is world class and they are global leaders in education for renewable energy, agriculture and aerospace.
