Thirty-one talented young university students from India have received 2017 New Zealand Excellence Awards, Education New Zealand (ENZ) announced today.

The students are pursuing undergraduate or postgraduate study in New Zealand in the fields of business, design or STEM-related programmes (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics).  

ENZ Chief Executive Grant McPherson says India is a core trade, economic, political and education partner for New Zealand, with two-way trade valued at around $2.5 billion.

He said: “These top young scholars will further strengthen ties between our two countries, by contributing to a broader exchange of ideas in our universities, building our respective research capabilities, and enriching New Zealand culture. I congratulate these students on being selected by their university for these awards, and I hope they succeed in their studies and become lifelong ambassadors for New Zealand.”

Nineteen of the students received their awards in person at the annual India New Zealand Business Council (INZBC) Summit in Auckland today, which is focused on education and technology opportunities. INZBC invited a delegation from India to take part in this summit.

The New Zealand Excellence Awards were established by New Zealand’s universities and ENZ in 2016, to increase the number of talented Indian students studying in universities here. All eight of New Zealand’s universities are ranked in the top 450 in the QS world rankings.  

This is the first round of the awards, and each scholarship has a value of NZ $5,000 towards the first-year tuition fee. The scholarships will be awarded again in 2018, and applications are due to open on September 1, 2017.

Last year, more than 28,000 Indian students came to study in New Zealand, making India the second largest source of international students there.  Indian student enrolments at New Zealand universities are continuing to increase each year, reflecting a market trend towards higher level qualifications.

The full list of 2017 New Zealand Excellence Award winners can be found here.

ENZ is New Zealand’s government agency for international education. One of its goals is to increase awareness of New Zealand as a study destination. More information is available here.