New Zealand has a reputation as a provider of high quality education. Our educational system is progressive with many state of the art facilities. We are known internationally as a safe country with a clean environment and low levels of corruption. These factors are significant marketing tools for attracting international students to New Zealand.

The education sector is changing and adapting to a global market. Students and staff are more mobile – they move between different institutions (and countries) more often. And there’s an increasing diversity of students taking part in international education.

More and more of our educational institutions are moving toward:

• arrangements between institutions that enable students to move between them
• more diverse forms of delivery, including electronic methods
• a more international curriculum
• reforming programme structures, credit systems and recognition agreements
• greater awareness of equity issues in international education.

The New Zealand economy is growing and it’s stronger now than it’s been for several years. The employment scene is changing because of technology and changes to our traditional markets. Our workforce is very mobile, and lots of people work overseas for at least some of their working lives. There’s a high level of employment and we have a reputation for an innovative, creative and forward-thinking approach to business.

These factors affect our attitudes to international education too. A global approach to business and a mobile workforce encourages an open attitude to international education.

International student numbers rose to their highest level in 2002 and have dropped since then. However, they are still very high compared with five years ago.