Vietnamese Agents Visit New Zealand

Education New Zealand: Media Advisory

Vietnamese Agents Visit New Zealand

Eight education agents from Vietnam are visiting New Zealand for ten days in February/March as guests of Education New Zealand. During their time here they will be visiting educational institutions from Whangarei to Invercargill.

This visit will allow the participating institutions to form a close working relationship with the agents, and allow the agents to see first hand the quality of education and pastoral care that their clients can expect if they choose to come to New Zealand for their education.

Vietnam is a growing market for New Zealand educators. The industry realises that diversification and the development of new markets is vital to the future of international education, and years of solid work to develop the Vietnamese market are starting to pay dividends with a gradually increasing flow of students choosing New Zealand as their preferred education destination. During 2002, 888 Vietnamese students came to New Zealand.

This visit is part of a comprehensive series by agents from many of New Zealand's key education markets during 2003. These visits are all part of the joint Education New Zealand/Trade New Zealand "Five Steps Forward' strategy that promotes New Zealand globally as an education destination.

SUMMARY

What? Vietnamese education agents visit to New Zealand

When? February 23rd - March 4th

Who? Eight agents will be coming to NZ, travelling in two groups of four.

They will be escorted by Education New Zealand staff whilst here.

Where? The agents will be visiting institutions in the following regions:

Whangarei Auckland

Hamilton Tauranga

Hawkes Bay Taranaki

Wellington Christchurch

Invercargill

Education New Zealand: Market Brief

Vietnam

February 2003

Vietnam is growing in importance as an education market for New Zealand, with 888 students coming here to study last year. For some years, Vietnamese student figures had been steady at around 300 but the last two years have seen sustained growth. The increases are a result both of the expanding Vietnamese economy and especially the hard work put in by many New Zealand institutions to develop this market.

In the last few years, the Vietnamese market has expanded from being almost exclusively an English language market to a broad based market with significant numbers in universities, polytechnics and secondary schools. As the market matures, the demand for longer and broader education will expand.

Agents are very important in this market, and the most successful institutions are those that build good relations with respected agents to maintain the flow of good quality students. Recent initiatives such as compulsory registration and compliance with the Code of Practice for Pastoral Care will further enhance New Zealand's standing as a preferred destination for Vietnamese students.

New Zealand is up against strong competition in the Vietnamese market. The USA, UK and Australia are all active, and figures from the US and Australia indicate that they are experiencing growth similar to New Zealand. The positive aspect of this is that it confirms that the Vietnamese market is genuinely growing, rather than students shifting their allegiance from one country to another. A more recent development is the presence of Singapore and Malaysia, who are both developing their own international education industries, and new entrants to the market such as The Netherlands.

Accordingly, New Zealand is not being complacent about its position in this market. The joint Education New Zealand and Trade New Zealand "Five Steps Forward' marketing strategy has a range of activities in place to help our institutions in the Vietnamese market this year. These include:

- Vietnamese Agents visit to New Zealand - February/March

- New Zealand Education Fairs in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Danang - June

Interest in these events is high and twice the normal number of agents has been invited out in February to meet the demand. The Vietnamese education market is currently worth over $20million to the New Zealand economy, and forms an important part of the diversification strategy that New Zealand education providers are pursuing.

ENDS

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