Alumni ambassador wins NZ experience

Friday 1 April

Alumni ambassador wins NZ experience

A former international student has won a unique Kiwi experience, as part of a campaign to encourage foreign alumni to become ambassadors for New Zealand.

Chinese former AUT student Rowena Chen has won a four day New Zealand retreat valued at $35,000 featuring flights, luxury accommodation, a private chef, a private concierge, and more Kiwi experiences.

Since completing her studies at AUT, Chen has returned to Shanghai and works for Avis as a marketing manager.

The competition was run by New Zealand’s global network Kea, in partnership with destination management business Bespoke.

Kea is working with government agency Education NZ to connect with foreign students and alumni who have since left New Zealand, to provide them with opportunities and help them to grow their networks and connect with other Kiwis.

Kea is looking for 10,000 foreign students to become ambassadors for Aotearoa as part of a campaign to bring New Zealand’s alumni into the half-a-million strong Kea community.

“Kea’s research has shown foreign students and ‘friends of New Zealand’ to be some of the country’s biggest advocates, holding a strong connection to New Zealand,” Kea Global CEO Craig Donaldson says.

“These student alumni are ideal representatives of what Aotearoa has to offer the world. It is important to maintain contact with alumni when they return home, in order to harness their affinity for New Zealand and leverage their connections. The
international education sector is worth about $3 billion to the New Zealand economy, but if we build those global connections its true value could be much greater.”

Mark Everard, CEO at Bespoke says the prize package offers a chance to experience New Zealand in a way few people do. “The experiences exemplify what it means to be ‘Kiwi’.”

As part of the campaign, Kea has also attended several events across China asking alumni to officially become part of New Zealand’s global community.

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