Aotearoa New Zealand’s experience of innovative partnership, engagement and collaboration

Mr Ross Crosson¹

¹Education New Zealand | Manapou ki te Ao, , New Zealand

Partnership is a cornerstone of success but how is it understood and more importantly how is partnership and engagement brought to life to improve international student outcomes. Further, how does the COVID-19 pandemic provide opportunities from which to innovate and positively impact these student outcomes.
Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao is mandated, through the International Education Strategy He Rautaki Mātauranga A Ao 2018-2030, to support students to have an excellent student experience: “to make sure they are welcome, safe and well while they are in New Zealand.” That challenge now extends to students unable to study in New Zealand but who continue their study journey with a New Zealand education provider.
This session will share insights from current student experience research that informs how we deliver on International Education Strategy goals. It will explore key initiatives, both digital and face-to-face, that are building sustainable models of partnership and engagement – ones that can traverse pandemics and perhaps other, yet unknown, future challenges. Partnership will be explored in the context of Education New Zealand and international student networks engaging with local and central government, key education providers and other large organisations.
2021 continues to challenge and 2022 will be no different. What can we learn from each other, from models of partnership we each have in our own countries and communities, to build stronger partnerships of shared interest and which strive for mutually beneficial outcomes for all.

Biography:
Ross is the Student Experience Manager at Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao, a role focussed on improving and embedding student experience outcomes for all international students studying in New Zealand. Ross has over twenty years in international education roles. He spent a number of years at the University of Auckland managing international short courses, developing academic and experiential learning for students from around the globe. He joined Education New Zealand in July 2018, the New Zealand Government Crown Agency responsible for building international education.