New initiative to bring more international students to Christchurch

The University of Canterbury Council today agreed to engage with global education provider Navitas Limited to establish an affiliated college on campus that will recruit and prepare international students for degree study at UC.

Students will study first-year courses at the affiliated college and on successful completion will enter their second year of study at UC.

The affiliated college is expected to open its doors to a small group of students in the second half of 2013 with the main cohort of students beginning in 2014. Suitable facilities for the college on the UC campus are still being discussed.

UC Vice-Chancellor Dr Rod Carr says the aim of the affiliated college is to grow the international student population at the University.

“Increasing the presence of international undergraduate and postgraduate students is a key element in the University’s internationalisation plan because of the important role that international students fill while they are studying alongside New Zealand students and later as alumni.

“International student recruitment is a challenging task for all universities particularly as an increasing number of countries begin to compete for internationally mobile students. UC needs to ensure it remains in the market and that UC is the university of choice for international students.

Dr Carr says the University hopes international undergraduate students will account for approximately 15% of funded enrolment within 10 years. Currently 8% of undergraduates are international students.

“Welcoming a diverse range of students from other countries into the UC community enriches the cross-cultural exchange of knowledge and ideas that emerge from all aspects of the academic experience.”

“We are delighted to be partnering with the University of Canterbury to improve student body diversity and to help more international students enrich their lives through education,” says Rod Jones, CEO of Navitas.

Navitas was selected as the private sector provider following a tender process. Operating since 1994, Navitas currently operates nine pathway colleges in Australia, two in Canada, eight in UK, five in the USA, one in Kenya and one in Sri Lanka as well as three managed campuses in Australia and one in Singapore. University partners include the University of Adelaide, Macquarie University, Curtin University, La Trobe University, Simon Fraser University, University of New Hampshire, University of Massachusetts, Brunel University and Anglia Ruskin University.