新-奥塔哥大学-2024年3月简讯：2024S2申请截至4月30/七月offer持有者的下一步/预科(6月和10月)和英语课程(10月)开课/文件认证提醒/代

Kia ora Partners,

Welcome to the University of Otago International Education Consultant Newsletter - March 2024 update.

• Vice-Chancellor Appointment: former Deputy Prime Minister

• Welcoming new students!

• Applications for Semester 2 (July) 2024

• Next steps for Semester 2 offer holders

• Next pathway intakes: Foundation Studies Certificate (June and October) and English for Otago (October)

• Document certification reminders

• Agent manual

• Applications for semester 1 (February) 2025

• New Digital Undergraduate Prospectus 2025

• Collaborate with us on Instagram!

The University has recently announced the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister The Hon Grant Robertson to the role of Vice-Chancellor, effective from 1 July 2024.  

Mr Robertson has had a long association with the University of Otago, first as a student (he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts with Honours) and President of the Otago University Students’ Association, and later on holding a business development role with the University of Otago, which involved working with researchers, investors and businesses to develop and commercialise the University’s world-leading research.

Mr Robertson has served as the Minister of Finance, Minister of Foreign Affairs and as the 19th Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand from 2020 to 2023, under the Dame Jacinda Ardern-led Labour government.

What a fantastic start to the year, welcoming so many new international students from across the globe to the University of Otago – New Zealand’s first university!

Among the many orientation activities, the official welcome event was a special highlight and featured a traditional Māori welcome, including kapa haka performance.

Classes are now well underway, the campus is full of activity and we trust your students are settling in well.  

A reminder that there are many different support services and layers of support right across the university to support students in achieving academic success, supporting social integration and maintaining good health and mental wellbeing too. A key go-to service is the International Student Support Team - this is a specialist team of compassionate and professional International Student Advisers, who are available on a confidential basis to assist all international students with any issues or questions that may arise during their study period.

We warmly welcome your students and thank you for your partnership with Otago! 

Apply for student visa!    Avoid delays and the stress of last minute visa applications. If your students have received their full/unconditional offer for studies starting in semester 2, Immigration New Zealand is accepting applications for student visas. As always, a complete application (with tuition fee receipt when applicable) helps avoid delays in processing times.   Residential college accommodation applications: open from 1 April -  apply by 1 June. The colleges are the perfect accommodation option for new first-year Bachelor degree students (and Foundation Studies students). The colleges are owned and managed by the University and offer wrap around support to ensure a safe and comfortable ‘home away from home’, with excellent social programmes and full support services.  The colleges also offer international students the opportunity to live and study alongside our domestic students. Apply via the eVision account using the accommodation tab.   UniFlats accommodation applications: open from 1 April – apply by 1 June. UniFlats are University-owned houses enabling international students to have the ultimate Otago ‘flatting’/shared living experience with other international students and a ‘Kiwihost’, New Zealand student. Each student has their own private bedroom and enjoys co-living with other students, sharing cooking, cleaning and the overall student ‘flatting’ experience. UniFlats residents are predominantly international students on a Study Abroad/Exchange semester, students transferring into our degrees from partners or are joining us for postgraduate students.   Accept the admission offer – connect with other new students! Please ensure your students actively accept the admission offer (look for the green button on the offer letter via eVision), so we can plan and prepare accordingly. In addition, students with a full admission offer and who have accepted the offer will be invited to join our ‘Goin’ app, designed especially for new international students to meet other new students preparing to move and start at Otago! We launched this app late last year to support new semester 1 international students as they prepared for Otago.  Over 90% of those students reported that be being part of the app helped them with practical matters by talking with other students, it improved their student experience and reduced their anxiety preparing to move countries and start at a new university.

The next Foundation Studies Certificate intake commences the week of 17 June for all four academic streams (Health Sciences, Sciences, Business, and Arts/Humanities). Applications should be submitted as soon as possible to allow time for the student visa application and a smooth arrival for studies. The third intake for Foundation Studies starts in October (for the Sciences, Business and Arts/Humanities streams only). The next English for Otago intake is on 23 October – this specialised course is suitable for students who need to go up a level to meet English language requirements, for either undergraduate or postgraduate studies at Otago (e.g. go from IELTS 5.5 to 6.0 for undergraduate studies, or from IELTS  6.0 to a 6.5 for postgraduate studies). To apply for Foundation Studies Certificate and English for Otago, please visit the Pathway and English Language Centre website to submit an application.

A friendly reminder that certification information should be clear and legible (we have had recent cases of very small text/stamps which are not easy to read).   Please also ensure you include the following requirements when certifying documents (especially digital certification):   The statement “Certified true copy” The certifying person’s name and authority (e.g Study Abroad role) The certifying person’s signature The certifying person’s role or institution stamp (this can be a digitally created “stamp” of the institution’s name or an official stamp if available) All of the above must be completed in English   This is an example of a simple digital certification meeting all requirements:

New counsellors in your team? Or simply need a refresh on using eVision? Our ‘Agent Handbook’ is available here.

It’s great to already have interest for placing applications for next year. Our usual application cycle opens from 1 May for studies commencing in February 2025. If you already have Bachelor degree applicants, please contact your Regional Market Manager so they can help liaise with admissions to receive these early applications ahead for the formal application cycle.

We have a new undergraduate prospectus covering our Bachelor degree programmes as well as Foundation Studies, Diplomas and English Language programmes. This is a new product we are hoping to evolve to better meet everyone’s needs while our website is being redeveloped. If you have feedback please let us know – the digital brochure is available here.

Ngā mihi nui - Kind regards,

International Team
University of Otago