A New Zealand Education Counsellor for India

Economic Development Minister Trevor Mallard today announced plans to appoint an Education Counsellor to India with the aim of strengthening education institution links between New Zealand and India, and helping New Zealand international education providers in the India market.

Trevor Mallard made the announcement in India where he is leading an education mission. The mission involves senior representatives from New Zealand tertiary institutions and is aimed at promoting the New Zealand international education and research industry to Indian students and institutions, and further advancing the New Zealand-India education relationship.

The counsellor in New Delhi will focus on maintaining the momentum generated by the first ministerial education mission in 2005 - also led by Trevor Mallard - and the mission currently underway.

"The main role of education counsellors is to build bilateral education relationships, provide support to the New Zealand education sector's efforts to establish or increase the export market, and to contribute to New Zealand's wider foreign policy goals," said Trevor Mallard.

"The New Delhi education counsellor will work to expand tertiary linkages, especially in research and the creative, biotechnology and information communications technology industries. These are areas that our government has identified as having considerably growth potential for the economy."

The counsellor will also help strengthen New Zealand's education relationship with India as envisaged in the Arrangement for Education Cooperation signed by both governments last year.

The education counsellor position in India is the fifth in a network of counsellors that is being set up and that operates from New Zealand's Embassies and High Commissions around the world.

Three education counsellors are already working in Beijing, Washington, and Brussels, and the fourth will begin work in Kuala Lumpur in July. It is expected that the education counsellor in New Delhi will be appointed before the end of 2006.

The New Zealand international education industry is worth more than $2 billion annually to our economy. The Indian market is estimated to be now worth around $60 million compared to $19.5 million five years ago.

ENDS

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