Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao (ENZ), AFS Intercultural Programs and Massey University Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa have been shortlisted as finalists for the 2022 PIEoneer Awards for their partnership delivering the Global Competence Certificate to 1,000 students, faculty and educators from New Zealand and 13 other countries in Asia (China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, South Korea, Thailand, Vietnam) and South America (Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, Brazil) in 2021.
The PIEoneer Awards recognise innovation and achievement in global education each year. The New Zealand Global Competence Certificate is a finalist in two categories:
- Public/private partnership of the year, and
- Progressive education delivery award.
A model for delivering global competence education virtually and at scale
ENZ, AFS, and Massey joined forces to deliver global competence education virtually, at a time when students were unable to travel and schools were unable to host international visitors due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Global Competence Certificate was perfectly suited for this need, as it develops self-awareness, empathy, critical thinking, cross-cultural communication and flexibility — global skills essential to live, work, and make a real impact around the world.
ENZ provided full scholarships to increase access; AFS developed a customised version of their Global Competence Certificate and trained a cadre of qualified facilitators in New Zealand; and Massey educators delivered the programme so participants got a taste of the New Zealand teaching style.
1000 learners in 13 countries reached
Mixed classes, with learners from different countries, provided a rich cultural experience, and a chance to connect with peers offshore in a virtual exchange.
The nearly 1000 students and teachers in New Zealand and 13 other countries developed global competence skills they described as “life-changing” and “the best thing in the pandemic.” 98 per cent of the programme attendees said they were ‘very satisfied’ or ‘satisfied’ with the Global Competence Certificate, and 95 per cent rating their experience as ‘excellent’ or ‘very good.’
Thanks to the overwhelming success of this programme, the partnership will continue as borders reopen and international travel is back on the agenda, with more than 400 learners benefitting from the New Zealand Global Competence Certificate in 2022.
Supporting a nation-wide international education strategy
This collaborative project directly supports the Government’s International Education Strategy and helps students and teachers develop their cross-cultural skills together with their global peers.
Deputy Vice-Chancellor Students and Global Engagement Tere McGonagle-Daly says interacting and communicating effectively with people around the world is an important skill.
“Massey University’s significant experience teaching online, utilising the excellent customised content from AFS and the ongoing support of ENZ, provides a great opportunity for students to gain the knowledge and capabilities they need to live, work and learn in a connected world.”
ENZ Chief Executive Grant McPherson says, “As well as helping to develop the global citizens of tomorrow, this programme demonstrates the reciprocal benefits of international education, giving our rangatahi a chance to learn with high school students from around the world, and giving their offshore peers a chance to learn ‘with’ New Zealand and our unique way of thinking.”
The award-winning Global Competence Certificate, developed by AFS Intercultural Programs, is used far beyond New Zealand. As of 2022, it is used in more than 60 countries with 15,000 learners of different ages and backgrounds.
President and CEO of AFS Intercultural Programs Daniel Obst says, “Educating more young people to become global citizens is mission-critical for our world. At AFS we are committed to ensuring that everyone has access to intercultural learning and gain skills such as cross-cultural communication, empathy, and conflict resolution to effectively bridge differences.”
Learn more about the PIEoneer awards and see other finalists here. Winners will be announced on Friday, September 9, 2022.