Waikato currently has campuses in China, Vietnam and is open to proposals for Indian campus: Vice Chancellor

Professor Neil Quigley, Vice Chancellor & President, University of Waikato, New Zealand shares his thoughts about opening campus in India, popular courses among Indian student, collaboration with Indian universities and other details about the university. Since his appointment as VC has led substantial change designed to improve the quality of teaching and research, leading to growth in student enrolments and a ranking within the world’s top universities.

The University of Waikato is ranked in the top 100 universities in the world for sustainability by two leading international ranking organisations, Times Higher Education (THE) and QS, in the THE Impact Ranking 2023 and the QS Sustainability Ranking 2024 respectively.

Q. The University of Waikato is among the top universities, which are popular courses among Indian students at your university.

A. We offer a number of 12-month master’s degrees leading to post-study work opportunities, which are always popular with students from India. Notable programmes include Master of Business and Management, Master of Management in Supply Chain Management, Master of Digital Business and Master of Information Technology. Interest in 3-year bachelor’s degrees is also growing.

Q. What kind of internship and placement opportunities are available in New Zealand for international students? How does your university help in that?

A. All of our bachelor’s degrees and a number of postgraduate programmes include a work-integrated learning component, allowing students to gain practical skills and connect with potential employers. We have a dedicated team of staff who assist students seeking work-integrated learning experiences. Our Careers and Employability Team offers career development tools and support.

Q. How is New Zealand govt and universities looking to attract Indian students?

A. New Zealand has always welcomed people from across the word to its shores and student experiences are overwhelmingly positive. The New Zealand government had put in place favourable policies for international students, including generous in-study / post-study work allowances and the ability to bring dependants for programmes at master’s level or higher. All universities have dedicated international student support staff and offer generous scholarships to international students, helping them to fund their studies.

Q. New Zealand universities are known for technological advances, how do you look at those Institutions partnering with Indian counterparts?

A. New Zealand universities are always open to considering opportunities for collaboration with Indian institutions. An example of this is the establishment of the New Zealand Centre at IIT Delhi. All 8 universities in New Zealand are part of this new initiative, which will provide opportunities for Indian students to participate in annual summer schools as well as conducting joint research activities in STEM subjects.

Q. Tell us something about the University of Waikato’s collaboration with Indian institutions.

A. The University of Waikato has agreements with over 20 institutions in India. Agreements include provision for joint research initiatives, student / staff exchange opportunities and progression to a range of degree programmes at Waikato with guaranteed credit. We are open to exploring the establishment of new partnerships in different areas.

Q. Govt of India is looking to attract foreign universities to come and set up campuses in India. How do you look at options for New Zealand universities in this regard?

A. The new regulations recently implemented by the Indian government present a significant opportunity for trans-national education in India. Waikato currently has campuses in China and Vietnam and is open to proposals for the establishment of a new Indian branch campus.

Q. Kindly share the details of scholarships your university is offering to Indian students.

A. Indian students can apply for the University of Waikato Vice-Chancellor’s International Excellence Scholarship. The scholarship is awarded on academic merit with a value of up to NZ$15,000. Prospective students holding an offer of place at Waikato are encouraged to apply.