Amanda Malu stepped into her position as chief govt of Schooling New Zealand (ENZ) in October 2024, marking a return to the schooling sector. “It’s good to be again,” she says, reflecting on her previous experiences, which embody senior advertising roles on the Tertiary Schooling Fee and throughout the vocational schooling sector.
Earlier than rejoining the business, Malu broadened her management portfolio in public service, serving as deputy chief govt for service supply at ACC and, previous to that, as chief govt of Whānau Āwhina Plunket. Now, she brings that wealth of expertise to the duty of steering New Zealand’s worldwide schooling sector by its subsequent part of progress and transformation.
As ENZ’s chief govt, Malu is accountable for main the organisation in selling Aotearoa New Zealand as a examine vacation spot and serving to the nation realise the social, cultural, and financial advantages of worldwide schooling.
The sector is working throughout the broader authorities purpose of doubling export income over the subsequent decade, which incorporates worldwide schooling. At present valued at round $3.7 billion, the intention is to surpass $4.4bn by 2027 – an bold goal, however one the sector is striving for. By 2030, the purpose is to totally restore worldwide schooling’s financial contribution to pre-pandemic ranges.
“That’s a reasonably bold purpose. That may be very a lot about our post-Covid rebuild, which has most likely simply actually simply began to uptick once more.”
The nation’s worldwide schooling sector is rebounding slowly – with an uptick of 24% yr on yr and 6% increased than 2023 totals, in keeping with information launched by the New Zealand authorities in December 2024. College enrolments from worldwide college students are actually simply 7% down on pre-pandemic ranges.
A key precedence for Malu is broadening the variety of New Zealand’s worldwide pupil cohorts, decreasing the sector’s reliance on China and India, which collectively account for half of all enrolments.
Regardless of the push for diversification, Malu sees important progress potential within the Indian market – notably for New Zealand’s polytechnics and institutes of know-how, which have but to regain their pre-pandemic pupil numbers from India.
This was a key focus of a New Zealand commerce delegation go to to India in March 2025, which included Malu and Prime Minister Christopher Luxon.
Describing the go to as “a spectacular few days for New Zealand in India”, Malu says schooling was central to many high-level discussions. Malu emphasised the continued work to strengthen New Zealand’s place within the “minds and hearts” of Indian college students whereas deepening reciprocal partnerships throughout commerce, with schooling as a essential pillar.
That very same strategic strategy applies to different rising markets, Malu says, pointing to Vietnam as a key instance of untapped potential.
“We’ve comparatively small numbers from Vietnam – at present about 1,700 enrolments – however there’s large room for progress,” she says. The precedence now’s to construct enduring relationships and guarantee Vietnamese college students see New Zealand as a secure, welcoming vacation spot, one that’s already house to Vietnamese communities.
“We’ve bought our work to do to inform our story and encourage these college students to think about New Zealand as a possibility,” says Malu.
For her, assembly New Zealand alumni on these journeys reinforces the nation’s potential as a examine vacation spot. Their tales, she says, are “so compelling.”
“They’re very related to their expertise. And so we simply must be higher at sharing that.”
Past New Zealand’s “unbeatable life-style” and high-quality schooling, Malu sees a deeper benefit rooted within the nation’s tradition of hospitality.
“We delight ourselves on what we name manaaki, which is taking care of and caring for our guests,” she says, emphasising that for fogeys contemplating sending their youngsters midway the world over, understanding they are going to be welcomed and cared for as in the event that they had been at house is an important reassurance.
Elsewhere, sustaining public help for worldwide schooling is a precedence for the organisation, with annual surveys exhibiting sturdy backing from on a regular basis Kiwis.
“That has impacted the pace of our restoration, however on stability, it’s most likely an excellent factor,” Malu tells The PIE Information.
Greater than three-quarters of respondents in ENZ’s 2024 survey help sustaining or rising worldwide pupil numbers.
For the primary time, the survey requested if New Zealand ought to host extra college students – 41% mentioned sure, whereas 36% supported present ranges. Solely 11% wished fewer.
Perceptions stay optimistic, with 72% believing worldwide college students profit New Zealand, in keeping with earlier years.
We’re very cautious to ensure we’re watching social licence inside New Zealand
Amanda Malu, Schooling New Zealand
In contrast to different nations going through backlash, New Zealand’s extra conservative immigration settings have helped preserve public confidence – although they’ve additionally slowed the sector’s restoration.
“That has impacted the pace of our restoration, however on stability, it’s most likely an excellent factor,” says Malu.
With neighbouring Australia present process coverage shifts, Schooling New Zealand has been proactively highlighting New Zealand as a pretty various – simply as any savvy advertising company would.
A transparent indicator of a shift in curiosity, Malu says, is the rise in site visitors to New Zealand’s examine web site from college students in Australia following restrictive coverage bulletins. The ripple impact can be evident in markets like Vietnam, the place main schooling brokers – beforehand centered on Australia – are actually exhibiting higher curiosity in selling New Zealand as an choice for college students.
“With respect to our Aussie associates,” Malu says, “we’re undoubtedly attempting to indicate individuals the advantages of coming to this facet of the Tasman.”
“From a coverage perspective and a authorities precedence perspective, there may be actually sturdy help for the position worldwide schooling will play in our restoration, tempered with not wanting in any respect to finish up in a state of affairs the place we now have tipped the scales too far and and must dramatically change settings again, as we’ve seen in Australia and Canada,” shared Malu.
We’re watching and studying and attempting to to plan our response accordingly.”
