University of Auckland students to gain Asian experience

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THE University of Auckland has received the largest share of funding from the latest round of the New Zealand Prime Minister’s Scholarships for Asia (PMSA) announced this week.

Under the PMSA scholarship programme, 21 students from the University of Auckland have secured NZ$132,263 towards exchange and study programmes in Asian nations.

In total, 140 awardees across New Zealand received over NZ$850,000 in this round of scholarships.

A group of 10 of the university students was awarded NZ$65,000 for a six-week programme led by the director of the Development Studies programme Professor Andreas Neef: Post-Disaster Recovery Processes and Disaster Risk Management in Southeast Asia. The programme will see the group travel to Indonesia and Thailand.

A further 11 students were awarded funding for exchange or independent programmes with an average scholarship of nearly NZ$6,000.

Of these, seven students are completing their overseas study through the University’s 360 degrees Auckland Abroad exchange programme, and will earn credit towards their University of Auckland degree while studying for a semester at the university’s partner institutions in Singapore, Hong Kong and China.

Launched in 2013 and funded by the New Zealand Government, the scholarship programme gives New Zealand students the opportunity to experience life in a different country and culture. It aims to improve the internationalisation of tertiary intuitions and, by extension, the international skills of the New Zealand workforce.

University director Brett Berquist said that it is a priority for the university to see as many students as possible gain international experience.

“These scholarships go a long way towards helping students access overseas study opportunities that will prove invaluable as they progress their careers. Experience in Asia is particularly beneficial as it is such an important trading region for New Zealand,” he said.

Meanwhile, deputy vice-chancellor Professor Jenny Dixon said that the scholarships will help the University of Auckland to strengthen strategic relationships in the Asian region.

Dixon visited China with vice-chancellor Stuart McCutcheon in April, where they met with a number of partner universities and alumni across the country.

“We have been discussing ways in which we can strengthen our relationships with our partners in Asia, and have been working closely with Education New Zealand to create more opportunities there for our students,” she said.

Information on study options in New Zealand can be found at www.studyinnewzealand.com.