Bollywood and Cricket come together to promote New Zealand education
Education New Zealand (ENZ) brought together the worlds of Bollywood and cricket in a fun, student-centred event called ‘The Kiwi Quotient’ at Symbiosis International University (SIU), Pune. At the New Zealand-themed event, popular Bollywood actor Soha Ali Khan and New Zealand cricketer and ENZ Brand Ambassador Stephen Fleming led SIU student teams to test their knowledge of all things New Zealand.
Mr John Laxon, Regional Director, Education New Zealand and Prof. Anita Patankar, Deputy Director, Symbiosis Centre for International Education presented prizes to the jubilant winners.
Talking about the winners, John Laxon said, “New Zealand’s values of invention, innovation and collaboration were reflected in the enthusiastic and active participation of the students at the event today. We encourage ambitious and capable Indian students to experience the world class New Zealand education experience, while developing life-long peopleto-people links across the globe and enjoying all that New Zealand has to offer.
“Education New Zealand is delighted to build on the strong history of educational excellence between India and New Zealand, and we look forward to more partnerships and initiatives with our Indian partner institutions,” added Mr Laxon.
Dr Vidya Yeravdekar, Principal Director, Symbiosis Society says, “The genesis of Symbiosis International University lies in internationalisation and it is therefore committed to promoting international understanding through quality education. So, we genuinely look forward to strengthening relationships with our counterparts in New Zealand.”
Speaking about the event, Ms Soha Ali Khan said, ““I am excited to be associated with Education New Zealand and honoured to share the panel with Stephen Fleming. We witnessed great competitive energy between the participants and their eagerness to learn about New Zealand in the process. New Zealand is a beautiful country and an amazing overseas education destination.”
Stephen Fleming, Brand ambassador, Education New Zealand, quipped, “The students at SIU displayed high levels of energy, and their enthusiasm to explore my home country was incredible. Being a graduate myself of the New Zealand education system, I am proud of the excellent learning opportunities offered by New Zealand’s worldrenowned universities.”
To motivate outstanding stu- dents from India to pursue their higher education in New Zealand, Education New Zealand is announcing a range of studentcentric engagement activities including New Zealand education fairs in Mumbai (22 April), Vadodara (23 April), Kochi (28 April) and Vizag (30 April). These fairs provide a one-stop solution for students and parents to interact with representatives from New Zealand institutions and get advice on appropriate courses and application procedures.
The year will also see the delivery of innovative student-focussed specialist projects like: Sustainability Challenge, encouraging student expertise and collaborations in environmental resource management, sustainability and climate change; Fashion Symposium, showcasing New Zealand education capability in the creative and design sectors; and season two of New Zealand Excellence Awards – jointly funded (ENZ and NZ universities) scholarships for Indian students in STEM-related courses.