Whanganui schools present at NZ Embassy in Tōkyō

Education New Zealand sent out invitations to the event, designed exclusively for the Whanganui delegation, and 30 agents from Tōkyō, surrounding prefectures and beyond travelled to attend the event.

Whanganui High School, Whanganui Girls’ College, and Cullinane College all presented at the evening on October 22.

The unique opportunity was the result of an ongoing collaboration between Education New Zealand (ENZ), Whanganui & Partners, and the Whanganui schools. Whanganui & Partners drives economic development initiatives for Whanganui District Council.

Misa Kitaoka, Director of Education – Japan, said working directly with Rach Hoskin, Strategic Lead – Capability at Whanganui & Partners, and the schools had enabled ENZ to establish a strong connection to Whanganui and ensured a thorough understanding of what the region had to offer.

“These schools and Rach have been highly receptive to working with Japanese schools, municipal education boards, and agents. They have leapt at opportunities to host students and have delivered high-quality programmes and experiences.”

Kitaoka said Japan was one of New Zealand’s longest-standing trade partners with diplomatic relations having been established in 1952. “Education is fundamental to our relationship, it facilitates cultural and language exchange, and shared respect for each other’s culture and values.”

The group’s presentation at the Embassy follows on from a delegation Whanganui Girls’ College and Whanganui High School took part in last year, supported by Whanganui & Partners.

This year, Natasha McKee, Director of International Students at Whanganui High School, and Jane Williams, Director of International Students at Whanganui Girls’ College, were joined by Tony McBride, Principal at Cullinane College.

Kitaoka, who also presented on Whanganui’s education offering, said hosting the event at the New Zealand Embassy made a strong impression on the visiting agents and ENZ had worked hard to deliver a memorable event.

“Our New Zealand chef made special Japanese-Kiwi fusion canapes and we served lovely New Zealand wines. Our guests enjoyed all the beautiful details, such as the New Zealand art and relaxed Kiwi atmosphere. It was important that our guests felt New Zealand manaakitanga.”

Kitaoka said the connection between ENZ and Whanganui & Partners was highly effective. Few regions engaged directly with ENZ through their economic development divisions and Whanganui was exceptional in its approach and reputation.

“It is wonderful to work with a council that recognises the value in supporting the promotion of international education for its region. This Whanganui group has worked hard to establish programmes and partnerships with the Tōkyō Board of Education, Hokkaido Board of Education, Ichihara City, Whanganui’s sister city Nagaizumi, and has recently forged a relationship with Okinawa.”

Kitaoka said ENZ’s role was to champion New Zealand education and ultimately to strengthen the respective countries’ bilateral relations. “We are not limited to working with schools and tertiary institutions exclusively,” she said.

“Whanganui’s collaborative approach is a point of difference; the Whanganui team is promoting not only English language education but Whanganui itself. That’s what we strive for also; to highlight the unique characteristics and culture of New Zealand.”

Hoskin said Whanganui & Partners and the schools understood meeting kanohi ki te kanohi – face to face, and returning to nurture those relationships, was integral to maintaining strong ties.

“The basis of a strong proposition is finding common ground and demonstrating how important and valued international students are to our schools and community,” Hoskin said. “We’re committed to building relationships that last for years to come.”

Kitaoka said Whanganui’s effective relationship-forging and consistent effort built confidence. “Working so closely with Whanganui has shown us its strong proposition for Japanese students, so we don’t hesitate to recommend Whanganui when opportunities arise.

“The approach Whanganui makes is innovative in terms of international education recruitment, and it resonates strongly with Japanese.”