New Zealand aiming for greater education links to Latin America

A government-led delegation left New Zealand Tuesday on a mission to strengthen education and trade links in a three-nation tour of Latin America.

Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Minister Steven Joyce, on his first visit to Latin America, is leading the 10-day visit to Chile, Colombia and Brazil with a delegation of university representatives.

"New Zealand is an increasingly popular destination for Latin American students studying overseas. Within the region, plans to internationalize education systems are also an opportunity for New Zealand to expand its existing relationships into new areas," Joyce said in a statement.

New Zealand's education relationship focused on research collaboration and scholarships, particularly relating to agriculture, science and innovation, but the visit would explore opportunities for cooperation in new areas, including teaching training, curriculum development and qualification frameworks.

"International education fosters learning opportunities and links between New Zealand and the world, encourages collaboration and knowledge sharing and builds people-to-people connections," Joyce said.

"As a small trading nation, our level of success in this Asia- Pacific century will be determined by our level of connectedness."

Joyce would also give a keynote address at a science, innovation and technology education conference at Bogot's Universidad del Rosario, and speak at an international education conference in Cuiab, Brazil. Endi