13 Representatives from New Zealand Education Institutions Met with over 350 Students
By I'mACE Team
Representatives from 13 New Zealand education institutions visited Phnom Penh for the New Zealand Education & Scholarship Expo, which was held on 27 March 2019 at ACE Tuol Tom Poung campus from 9:00am to 4:00pm. Organised annually by IDP Education (Cambodia), the Expo was open to the public with free entry. “The high turnout to the Expo this year strongly demonstrates that New Zealand is a desirable destination for Cambodian students who wish to study abroad”, said Sreng Mao, Country Director, IDP Education (Cambodia).
The Expo gave students and their parents an opportunity to meet face-to-face with representatives from a range of New Zealand education institutions, including secondary schools, vocational training providers and universities, to receive advice and guidance on study options, program outcomes and career opportunities. Students also received information about the application process, enrolment requirements, scholarships and visa application requirements at the Expo. A number of students were asked about their experience at the Expo: Manh Le Duy reported that his dream major is Data Science, and that the Expo had given him the opportunity to interact with representatives from universities that offer this course. Kouy Eng Heng commented that the Expo had given her a chance to ask detailed questions about the requirements and preparation needed to study in New Zealand. She added that she was also interested in learning more about New Zealand Scholarships (NZS). Overall, students who attended the Expo gained valuable information about New Zealand education institutions where they can further their education.
The representatives were very excited to be involved in the event because it enables them to meet with Cambodian students. New Zealand provides a world-class education in an excellent environment and has a diverse and multicultural society. Accordingly, all the representatives love welcoming Cambodian students into their institutions. Roger Armstrong, Victoria University of Wellington, said, “New Zealand has this idea of inclusiveness, so it is very easy for students to join in and feel like they’re accepted and can study, especially with the student support from the university”. Monique Van Veen, Auckland University of Technology, explained, “Cambodia and New Zealand have a special relationship. Cambodian students who come to New Zealand find that it is a great place”.
Representatives from the Australian Centre for Education (ACE) and the IELTS Cambodia Official Test Centre were also at the Expo. Representatives from ACE were there to discuss opportunities to study English to meet the requirements of Australian education institutions, and IELTS representatives had the new computer-delivered IELTS (CDI) on display for interested students to practice taking the IELTS test.
“Representatives at the Expo were able to meet face-to-face with over 350 students. We also had our expert IDP counsellors on-site to give advice to students”, said Vantak Chheang, Student Placement Manager, IDP Education (Cambodia).
IDP Education is the world’s largest student placement services provider, with over 50 years’ experience and more than 100 offices in over 32 countries worldwide. IDP provides counselling and enrolment services free of charge to students preparing to study in New Zealand, Australia, Canada, the UK, the US and Ireland.
In Cambodia, students and parents can visit the IDP Study Abroad Offices at all five ACE campuses in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap.