Connecting internat'l students to NZ communities

Media Release

Date: 20 August 2007

Connecting international students to NZ communities

Connecting international students to their local communities is a central theme of a national conference for professionals working with international students to be held at the University of Waikato from August 30 – 31.

The annual conference, organised by ISANA NZ (International Education Association) will be opened by the Minister for Tertiary Education, the Hon Dr Michael Cullen, at 10am on Thursday, August 30.

Speakers will focus on the theme of "interconnectedness" and practical strategies for day-to-day operations in international education. The conference is expected to attract up to 100 delegates from tertiary institutions and high schools from around the country.

Sessions on cross-cultural interaction will be led by Hamilton City Councillor Daphne Bell and University of Waikato Senior Research Fellow Dr Elsie Ho.

Dr Ho's paper, "Living and Studying in New Zealand: Socio-cultural challenges for Chinese international students", examines the learning and daily living experiences of 80 international students from the People's Republic of China between 1999 and 2006.

She will outline recommendations for enhancing the quality and experiences of Chinese international students' educational and socio-cultural experiences, based on her research findings.

An Asia New Zealand Foundation project paper, "The Impact of returning Asian students on New/Zealand Asian relationships", will be released at the conference by Terry McGrath, National Director of ISM (international Student Ministries) New Zealand.

Bev Thornton of Hamilton Boys' High, winner of Education New Zealand's 2006 Pastoral Care Award, will speak on best practice pastoral care, while other keynote speakers will cover topics such as immigration policy and the sector's Code of Practice for international students, and the sustainability of student exchanges.

The conference will be preceded by three all-day workshops which will focus on: supporting students from Islamic backgrounds; supporting students through critical incidents; and supporting students through initial transition.

Media are invited to attend any of the sessions on Thursday, August 30, and Friday August 31. For a full conference programme, go to www.isana.org.au then to the "News" page and click on "ISANA NZ 2007 Conference (17 Jul 2007)".

ISANA is a non-profit association of professionals working in international education throughout New Zealand and Australia.

ENDS

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