Hear it from students and alumni
“OWING to my time at Canterbury, New Zealand has become a sentimental place to me. I have always thought of New Zealand as my second home. As a student, I lived with a New Zealand family who treated me like their own son. It was also in Canterbury where I fostered some of my most enduring friendships.
“In general, I believe New Zealand is a good place to learn skills and gain international experience, which is useful for not only enhancing one’s career back in Malaysia, but also enriching one’s outlook in life,” says Dialog Group Berhad co- founder and major shareholder Tan Sri Dr Ngau Boon Keat – an alumni of the University of Canterbury.
“My husband and I enjoy a very balanced and quality life here in Invercargill and find the locals very hospitable and have already made connections with the community here.
“SIT’s own international students come from very diverse and vibrant backgrounds, and we enjoy their friendship very much and intend to build lifelong networking links even after we graduate,” says Gulwant Kaur, who is doing her postgraduate studies in Business Enterprise at the Southern Institute of Technology ( SIT). She’s now in New Zealand with her husband.
“The International Office here looks out for us. They regularly meet with the international students to ask us how we are doing and whether there is anything they can do for us in terms of studies or health – they basically just want to make sure we are doing alright.
“This care and attention are among reasons I don’t regret my time here in Dunedin one bit,” says Ethan Lim, a student at the University of Otago.
“I have selected the Southern Institute of Technology ( SIT) to further my studies because it offers the course that I’m interested in – environmental management. This course is not offered much in Malaysia. Furthermore, the costs of studying and living in New Zealand is relatively low compared to other countries.
“The syllabus for my Bachelor of Environmental Management is really interesting – the vegetation in New Zealand is different from that back home and because of that, I have the opportunity to learn about how New Zealanders conserve and preserve their natural resources.
“Excursions are a key part of our syllabus and they allow us to gain realistic exposure to the environment. With the pleasant surroundings and state- of- the- art facilities, SIT is definitely a good place to study at,” shares Inessa Endawie, a Bachelor of Environmental Management undergraduate at the Southern Institute of Technology ( SIT).
“While pursuing my degree in medicine at the University of Auckland in New Zealand, I was exposed to the importance of medical research and this proved to be invaluable for working in a world class institution such as IJN. Medical schools in New Zealand also place special emphasis on psychiatric and mental health education.
“I brought back to Malaysia many exciting experiences and unforgettable moments from New Zealand such as having the opportunity to bungee jump, white water rafting and work part- time selling food at cricket games,” says Dr Beni Isman Rusani, a cardiologist at the National Heart Institute ( IJN) in Kuala Lumpur. After spending six years at the University of Auckland, he earned his Bachelor or Human Biology ( BHB) and Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery ( MBChB).
“In New Zealand, the students are encouraged to participate in these discussions – even after class is over. To me, these discussions helped tie things together and provided me a clearer picture of what I was learning. I was fortunate to have been exposed to the way lessons are conducted in New Zealand.
“When I eventually begin my career as a lecturer and am given the opportunity to develop the structure for my classes, I will definitely do it the New Zealand way.
“I will encourage my students to start online discussions on what they have learnt as this will enable them to continue thinking even after the class is over,” shares Elvenna Majuddin, a Masters graduate from the Victoria University of Wellington.
She is also the first New Zealand- Asean scholar from Malaysia in 2013.