‘Education partnerships vital to Malaysia-NZ ties’
KUCHING: sectoral partnerships, including education, have been a key element in the warm relationship between Malaysia and New Zealand over the last 60 years, said New Zealand High Commissioner to Malaysia Dr John Subritzky.
Speaking at an Education New Zealand ( ENZ) roundtable discussion ahead of the annual ENZ fair this weekend, Subritzky commented on how partnerships across sectors such as education, trade and tourism have allowed both countries to prosper by providing quality education, career experiences and business opportunities for the citizens of both countries.
“Malaysia has also always been an important market to New Zealand when it comes to education. The first students from Malaysia arrived in New Zealand in the early 1950s under the Colombo Plan and many thousands have come since then including to the present day.
“These students return to Malaysia to take up positions in business, government or academia. Both our countries are significantly enriched from their experiences,” said Subritzky.
ENZ South, Southeast Asia and the Middle East regional director John Laxon spoke on the growth of Malaysia and New Zealand’s education relationship, Strong highlighting that many agreements and collaborative programmes have been launched over the 60 years to provide the best opportunities for students in both countries.
“In 2016, there was a 10 per cent growth in the number of Malaysian students choosing New Zealand as an education destination. This is very encouraging as this is the third year in a row we’ve seen growth. Currently, we have just over 2,000 Malaysian students in New Zealand.
“Over the years, many initiatives have been launched to provide Malaysian students with the opportunity to study in New Zealand. These initiatives include the recent launch of the FCertNZ Foundation Programme have been developed to strengthen our relations in education,” he said.
He also cited the New Zealand government’s Prime Minister’s Scholarship for Asia ( PMSA), which has also allowed New Zealand students to study in Malaysia and experience its diverse and innovative education system.
The FCertNZ Foundation Programme launched in March provides Malaysian students with the opportunity to experience a seamless transition from a foundation programme to an undergraduate degree in New Zealand.
Under this programme, students in Malaysia who are keen on pursuing their education in New Zealand will be able to complete their foundation year at the KYS Business School in Melaka before completing the rest of their undergraduate degree at their university of choice in New Zealand. Laxon added that the ENZ fair recognises ‘the commitment New Zealand has towards the education relationship we have in Malaysia’.
Victoria University of Wellington alumni Affandy Faiz, who is Francorp Malaysia president/CEO, shared his experience of studying in New Zealand.
“If I could turn back the time to about 30 years ago, I would still choose to study in New Zealand. The education system in New Zealand encouraged me to keep asking questions, which were not only relevant to my course of study, but my other areas of interest as well.
“I was also given the flexibility to choose the subjects I wanted to study, which meant that even though I was taking a degree course in Commerce, I had the opportunity to also pursue my interest in literature. This flexibility developed my creative and independent thinking, which allowed me to express myself better and be more confident,” he said.
He called himself ‘a product of how beneficial the partnerships between the education sectors in Malaysia and New Zealand’.
“I’m excited to see the many other different opportunities that future collaborations will bring for Malaysian students,” Affandy said.
The ENZ fair will be held at One World Hotel in Petaling Jaya this weekend (July 29-30).
Over 10 institutions from New Zealand will give students a preview of the education system there and how they can benefit from it. To learn more about education opportunities in New Zealand, go to www. studyinnewzealand.govt.nz.
Malaysia has also always been an important market to New Zealand when it comes to education. The first students from Malaysia arrived in New Zealand in the early 1950s under the Colombo Plan and many thousands have come since then including to the present day. Dr John Subritzky, New Zealand High Commissioner to Malaysia