New Zealand’s international education sector is recovering from the pandemic-era border closures at a slower pace than Australia’s, but the methodical rebound may be creating a more sustainable trajectory, sector leaders said at The PIE Live Asia Pacific conference.
Measured recovery and public support
Marie Clark, director of insights and performance at Education New Zealand (ENZ), told delegates that public backing for international students remains robust. ENZ’s social licence research, she noted, found that 77% of New Zealanders see benefits from international students and the same share would like to see the same number, or more, continue to arrive.
That sentiment, Clark argued, matters alongside enrolment and student experience metrics as New Zealand considers “what sort of growth as a country we should be aiming for.”
Slower border reopening shaped the rebound
Speakers drew a contrast with Australia’s rapid post‑border reopening. New Zealand’s borders reopened later and the rebuild has been smaller in scale, but participants said that may have spared the country some of the headwinds Australia now faces.
“At Victoria University, we only just recovered our international student numbers this semester – we’re talking about recovery literally last week,”
Amy Rutherford, director international at Victoria University of Wellington, said the later recovery meant New Zealand did not experience the same early surge as Australia. That, she suggested, helped preserve social licence and avoided pressures associated with a rapid inflow.
Universities face funding and operational pressure
At the same time, institutions confront structural domestic pressures. Rutherford pointed out the government has been explicit that there will be no further funding for universities, obliging institutions to seek alternative revenue streams — with international education a key pillar.
Operationally, universities are encountering a significant spike in interest. Rutherford described the situation bluntly: “We do have a lot of demand. At the moment we are waterboarded with applications.” She said application volumes at her institution had risen substantially.
- Public support: ENZ research shows 77% of New Zealanders value international students and want similar or greater numbers.
- Recovery pattern: Rebound slower than Australia’s due to later border reopening, potentially producing fewer social tensions.
- Funding squeeze: Government stance of no additional university funding increases reliance on international student fees.
Implications and choices ahead
Speakers framed New Zealand’s slower recovery as a chance to reflect on managed growth. With public sentiment favourable and institutions seeing renewed demand, the sector faces choices about the pace and composition of growth — balancing revenue needs against community impacts and student experience.
The conference discussion underscored two tensions: the need for sustainable funding for universities in an environment of constrained public support, and the operational challenge of processing and supporting a surge of international applicants without undermining quality or community acceptance.
| Indicator | Reported figure |
|---|---|
| Public support for international students | 77% |
| Share of enrolments (universities and schools) in 2025 | About 65% of total volume |
Speakers stopped short of prescribing a single path forward, but the evidence presented at The PIE Live Asia Pacific suggests New Zealand’s more measured reopening gives policymakers and institutions time to shape an international education recovery that aims to be both economically valuable and socially sustainable.
For South African readers and policymakers watching international education trends, the New Zealand experience highlights the trade-offs between rapid growth and social integration, and the ongoing importance of clear funding policy for higher education institutions.
