New Zealand’s international student industry has been battered by fierce global competition, losing more than a third of its foreign student population over the past three years.
But smart marketing strategies and the lower New Zealand dollar are luring overseas students back.
Compared to offshore competititors, New Zealand is a world leader in export education, says Education New Zealand.
The market for foreign students makes up nearly 7 percent of New Zealand’s export earnings, bringing in $2.30 billion per annum.
It also provides employment for 32,000 people.
Our school system is seen as very consistent and reliable and people perceive New Zealand to be a safe place, says Michelle Waitzman, Communications Specialist, Education New Zealand.
Adam Qi, a student a student from China studying travel and tourism at Auckland University of Technology, said that there were a number of things that attracted him to New Zealand.
“I wanted to improve my knowledge of different cultures and because New Zealand is a multicultural country, it was a very good choice. The environment is also very beautiful and the exchange rate was good.”
New Zealand competes against Australia, Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom for a market of roughly three million students who are studying long term.
Education New Zealand said it is difficult to get accurate overall statistics because short term students are difficult to track.
In recent years the number of foreign students in New Zealand had plummeted from 126,919 to 90,934, according to the New Zealand Herald.
Breakdown of International student origins:
| Students from | 1st July - 1st Nov 2006 | 1st July - 1st Nov 2007 | 1st July - 1st Nov 2008 | Comparison % first 4 months: 06 - 08 |
| China | 681 | 1009 | 1312 | +93% |
| Korea | 1568 | 1439 | 1754 | +12% |
| Japan | 361 | 323 | 378 | +5% |
| Thailand | 194 | 194 | 206 | +6% |
| Taiwan | 270 | 280 | 212 | -27% |
| Hong Kong | 66 | 94 | 150 | +127% |
| Malaysia | 81 | 115 | 148 | +83% |
| Vietnam | 53 | 126 | 191 | +260% |
| India | 268 | 820 | 1314 | +390% |
| Indonesia | 41 | 38 | 48 | +17% |
| Germany | 266 | 240 | 430 | +62% |
| Brazil | 209 | 251 | 358 | +71% |
| Chile | 26 | 15 | 39 | +50% |
| Saudi Arabia | 75 | 166 | 298 | +297% |
