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WELLINGTON, New Zealand, June 22, 2021 /PRNewswire=KYODO JBN/ --

As the world moves online, international learners are taking up new

opportunities to get a taste of what countries, like New Zealand, have to

offer.  

Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao (ENZ), and FutureLearn, have announced a

new partnership to bring a curated selection of online courses from more than

15 quality New Zealand education providers to global learners.

FutureLearn is a social learning platform that offers online courses from over

250 education and industry partners to over 15 million learners across the

world.      

ENZ is partnering with FutureLearn and New Zealand education providers to

showcase quality short-courses, many of which are focused on sustainability –

something that students and prospective employers are increasingly seeing as

both a challenge and an opportunity.

General Manager ENZ Partnerships and Marketing, Paul Irwin, said while the

partnership has proven particularly timely given the impact of COVID-19 on

travel, ENZ has been committed to providing a more diverse range of study

options, for some time.

"We want to help bring a New Zealand education to people in new places, and in

new ways, as a complement to in-country study. COVID-19 has certainly

accelerated the need for this," Irwin said.  

"We also see this as a chance to understand interest in study relating to

global causes in which New Zealand has expertise, and is either a thought

leader or offers a unique perspective."

Research identifies sustainability as an increasingly important factor in

students' choice of study.

The New Zealand courses on offer will include options for both learners and

teachers across areas such as sustainable agriculture, English language for

sustainability, and growing a sustainable workforce.

"New Zealand education has a reputation for its future focus, and has topped

rankings for English speaking countries," Irwin said.

"We see an important role for international education in helping share

knowledge and build capability, to help equip learners to adapt, and tackle

some of the big issues facing this generation, such as climate change, water

quality, and diversity, equity and inclusion."

New Zealand's offerings include short courses from universities, English

language schools, vocational/Institutes of Technology, EdTech educators

(including virtual reality developers and game designers) and specialist

providers such as Media Design School.

"We are delighted to partner with ENZ and such a great selection of New Zealand

education providers to help break down geographical barriers and educate more

learners about urgent global issues," Chief Content and Partnerships Officer,

FutureLearn, Justin Cooke, said.

"Widening the reach of New Zealand's education establishments will help bring

more world-class teaching to our millions of learners worldwide, something

which is central to our mission here at FutureLearn," Cooke said.

The length of the courses on offer via the FutureLearn.com platform are

normally 6-8 hours of learning. Learners can access the courses for free,

choose to pay to upgrade to receive a digital certificate and longer access to

course materials, or subscribe to FutureLearn Unlimited to get unlimited access

to short courses available for upgrades for one year.

See more here https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/collections/study-new-zealand

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SOURCE: Education New Zealand and FutureLearn