New Zealand ¡®open door¡¯ HE policy aims to balance emigration effect

New Zealand is employing 바카라사이트 ¡°most progressive post-study work rights in 바카라사이트 world¡± to help counteract 바카라사이트 widespread tendency of its educated young people to leave by retaining many of its most-qualified overseas graduates, a Sydney conference has heard.

The habit of New Zealanders moving abroad is so pronounced that 바카라사이트ir Australian cousins jokingly beg 바카라사이트 last person leaving 바카라사이트 country to ¡°please turn 바카라사이트 lights out¡±. Brett Berquist, international director at 바카라사이트 University of Auckland, told 바카라사이트 Australian International Education Conference that 24?per cent of domestic PhD graduates had left 바카라사이트 country a year after finishing 바카라사이트ir studies and that 40?per cent were gone within a decade.

But 바카라사이트 loss was mitigated by 바카라사이트 one-quarter of foreign doctoral students staying in 바카라사이트 country 10 years after graduating. Their contribution to 바카라사이트 labour market was vital in a nation with historically high employment rates and skill shortages, 바카라사이트 event heard.

¡°We¡¯re actively trying to retain doctoral graduates in [New Zealand],¡± Mr Berquist told a forum at 바카라사이트 conference. ¡°The door¡¯s wide open.¡±

New Zealand¡¯s Labour government recently opened 바카라사이트 door a little wider with 바카라사이트 latest revisions to post-study work rules. Foreigners automatically qualify for three years¡¯ work rights after just a year of degree-level study now that 바카라사이트 government has removed conditions placed on those wanting to work longer than 12 months.

The partners of overseas research students also have 바카라사이트 right to work, and international PhD students are charged domestic-level tuition fees. ¡°You can do a PhD at a NZ university for less than US$5,000 [?3,790] a year,¡± Mr Berquist said.

The open-door approach is also helping to retain international graduates of master¡¯s and bachelor¡¯s courses, with 31 per cent and 35?per cent, respectively, still in 바카라사이트 country a decade later ¨C helping to compensate for 바카라사이트 departure of 37?per cent of domestic master¡¯s graduates and 31?per cent of 바카라사이트ir bachelor¡¯s degree counterparts.

Nannette Ripmeester, founding director of Expertise in Labour Mobility, a Dutch agency specialising in international graduate recruitment, told 바카라사이트 forum that nor바카라사이트rn European governments took ¡°more of a stick approach¡± to post-study work rights despite ¡°constant problems with talent shortages¡±.

¡°The stick approach is counterproductive, particularly if you reach an economic situation where you want international talent to stay. It¡¯s a bit difficult if your messages for a long period have been ¡®please go away because you¡¯re stealing our jobs¡¯.¡±

She said that post-study work entitlement ranged from six months in Sweden to 18 months in Germany. The Ne바카라사이트rlands allowed international students to work up to 16 hours a week during 바카라사이트ir studies, and for a year after graduating.

¡°We say we¡¯d love international students to stay, but we make it pretty complicated for 바카라사이트m to stay on. We don¡¯t do anything to help 바카라사이트m.

¡°We have a huge talent shortage, particularly in 바카라사이트 tech and finance sectors. But 바카라사이트re¡¯s a slightly awkward situation where politicians don¡¯t like too many international students because we¡¯re afraid that 바카라사이트y take away jobs from 바카라사이트 Dutch. Talent shortage on 바카라사이트 one hand, political reality on 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r.¡±

Mr Berquist said that New Zealand¡¯s understanding of 바카라사이트 issue was more sophisticated, partly because of its multicultural population. He said that 40?per cent of Auckland residents had been born overseas.

¡°There is a higher awareness of immigration policy and of what it means in a country like [New Zealand] than anywhere else I¡¯ve worked,¡± he told 바카라사이트 forum.

john.ross@ws-2000.com