Seven reasons why you should study in New Zealand

New Zealand, situated down under and an immediate neighbour of Australia and the pacific islands Fiji, Tonga and New Caledonia has always been a favourable location for international tourists. The scenic surroundings in and around New Zealand, the numerous islands, picturesque mountain peaks, lush green rain forests, beautiful lakes and extensive coastlines add to the beauty of the place. The country is prosperous, a modern economy and is considered part of the developed world. The people here enjoy a high standard of living and the country ranks high in the human development index.

Seven great reasons for studying in New Zealand

1. Focus on foreign students

   Till recently, New Zealand was experiencing a brain drain of its skilled manpower, especially to Australia and UK. But the scenario has now reversed, for the betterment of New Zealand and its people. The country is now giving more focus to its educational system and is giving a lot of importance in its efforts to woo foreign students from the neighbouring countries and beyond. Things have changed for better in New Zealand and the country is now experiencing a brain gain, attracting students from far and wide including India. The best part of this renewed focus by the New Zealand government is that they are giving opportunities to such trained and skilled persons to stay back in the country permanently and make a living there.



2. Education system – among the best in the world

   The education system in New Zealand is a very robust one and follows the British educational system. Other than the schools for primary and secondary education, New Zealand has a number of polytechnics and universities. The education system is famed for its quality of education and even the United Nations' Human Development Index constantly ranks the country as one among the best in the world. New Zealand has eight world class universities and all of them feature in the QS World University Rankings. The country also has 18 institutes of technology and polytechnics which provide vocational courses on a multitude of fields. Considering that New Zealand is a small country and has a population of only 4.6 million, the feat is quite impressive.



3. Permit for work and permanent residency

   The country is quite liberal on this aspect. Foreign students studying in New Zealand are permitted to work for 20 hours a week during the semesters and for 40 hours during the vacations. There are plenty of work opportunities during the course itself and the universities themselves help in finding suitable job to help the students cover a part of their expenses. At the end of the course, the students are given a one year permit to work in the country. And if the area of work and the field of studies are same, the foreign students are eligible for applying for permanent citizenship of New Zealand. Because of the liberal policies quite a large number of foreign students, including Indians have made the country their home.



4. A friendly country

   New Zealanders, also popularly called as "Kiwis", are very warm and friendly in nature. People of diverse ethnicity have made this beautiful country their own. Though most of the population is European in origin, there are a good percentage of people who are either the original natives of the island nation called as Maoris or have come from the neighbouring countries in the Asian region. As a whole the country is a melting pot of diverse cultures. No surprise, everyone who goes to study in New Zealand, including Indians, get settled there for good.



5. Safety and stability

   Being relatively aloof from the rest of the world in terms of location, it is a very safe and secure place to stay and study. Being a modern democracy, the political system in the country is very stable. Economic policies too don't fluctuate and issues related to immigration by foreigners are dealt with much fairness. New Zealanders are very welcoming in nature and racial crimes against foreigners are unheard of. Maintenance of law and order in the country is excellent.



6. Moderate weather

   New Zealand, which is one among the few countries to be located in the southern hemisphere has a moderate weather. It's neither too cold or too hot here. The upper reaches do however experience snowfall. The period of winters and summers are just opposite to that of the countries in the northern hemisphere. Having a moderate climate it is very much of liking for students from countries like India. In stark contrast, the climate in countries like Canada, UK and northern US, can rather turn very harsh during the winters, when the temperatures fall extremely low; a climatic condition most Indians are unused to



7. Sports and recreation

   When in New Zealand, it's not all study and no play. The country is an amazing place for adventure sports of all kinds. Trekking, climbing the rooftops of the tall mountains, sailing, surfing - any outdoor activity you name, they have it all in New Zealand. Among the usual sports - rugby, cricket, netball and soccer are very popular with the people. New Zealanders or the 'Kiwis' are very much sports loving. As part of your university education you will get plenty of opportunities to participate in scores of sporting events. New Zealand is among the best for those students who are in love with sports.

Immigration to New Zealand is almost a hassle-free experience, unlike to countries like the United States and the European countries. The government is focusing on foreign students and making it easy for students from countries like India and others to get in New Zealand for studies as well as for permanent residency. It's no wonder more than 1,00,000 people from around the world go to New Zealand for their studies every year. Every year the number of foreign students are increasing by almost 10%. An amazing feat for a small country like New Zealand. Indians students form more than 15% of the foreign students population. The advantage of English language gives a head-start to Indian students. So give New Zealand a serious thought, if you have plans for studying abroad for higher education.