A feast of performance and delicious foods featured at a cultural celebration with a family feel at the Ara | Te Pūkenga City campus on Thursday.

For the first time since the Covid pandemic, ākonga (students) and kaimahi (staff) were treated to a full-scale international showcase with displays, traditional acts and tasty foods on offer from across the globe.

Ara | Te Pūkenga International Director Beth Knowles said the event was an opportunity for ākonga to share their culture and food with the wider Ara community and welcome host families on campus.

"We have over 50 nationalities amongst our international learners and many diverse cultures amongst our local learners too," she said.

Knowles noted that Ara’s semester two international intake exceeded expectations ensuring a strong foundation of students who will carry on their studies into 2024 - and applications for those looking to start in February next year were also looking strong.

"While there’s been an increase in students learning English on campus this year, other popular courses with international learners include Ara’s Masters in Sustainable Practice," she said. "Bachelor’s degrees in areas such as Construction, Quantity Surveying, Nursing, Engineering, ICT, and International Tourism and Hospitality Management are also attractive to our international cohort."

The celebration drew a crowd of around 500 to the whareora (gymnasium) at Ara's City campus.

It opened with a powerful performance from Te Whanau Tahi kura which was followed by several other traditional music and dance groups. Hands-on activities included henna tattoo art, origami and other decorative arts.

There were queues for kai including vegetarian and halal options from street-style vendors as well as free ice creams and the famous Ara Student Support team on the BBQ.

The timing was perfect for a group of students visiting Ara from JF Oberlin University in Japan.

"The group is here to improve their English skills and learn about airline studies and event management - so they’ve pitched in on the day helping at the event as part of their study programme," Knowles said.

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