Amanda Malu stepped into her role as chief executive of Education New Zealand (ENZ) in October 2024, marking a return to the education sector. “It’s nice to be back,” she says, reflecting on her past experiences, which include senior marketing roles at the Tertiary Education Commission and within the vocational education sector.
Before rejoining the industry, Malu broadened her leadership portfolio in public service, serving as deputy chief executive for service delivery at ACC and, prior to that, as chief executive of Whānau Āwhina Plunket. Now, she brings that wealth of experience to the task of steering New Zealand’s international education sector through its next phase of growth and transformation.
As ENZ’s chief executive, Malu is responsible for leading the organisation in promoting Aotearoa New Zealand as a study destination and helping the country realise the social, cultural, and economic benefits of international education.
Malu says the sector is working within the broader government goal of doubling export revenue over the next decade, which includes international education. Currently valued at around $3.7 billion, the aim is to surpass $4.4bn by 2027 – an ambitious target, but one the sector is striving for. By 2030, the goal is to fully restore international education’s economic contribution to pre-pandemic levels.
“That’s a pretty ambitious goal. That is very much about our post-Covid rebuild, which has probably just really just started to uptick again.”
The country’s international education sector is rebounding slowly – with an uptick of 24% year on year and 6% higher than 2023 totals, according to data released by the New Zealand government in December 2024. University enrolments from international students are now just 7% down on pre-pandemic levels.
A key priority for Malu is broadening the diversity of New Zealand’s international student cohorts, reducing the sector’s reliance on China and India, which together account for half of all enrolments.
Despite the push for diversification, Malu sees significant growth potential in the Indian market – particularly for New Zealand’s polytechnics and institutes of technology, which have yet to regain their pre-pandemic student numbers from India.
This was a key focus of a New Zealand trade delegation visit to India in March 2025, which included Malu and Prime Minister Christopher Luxon.
Describing the visit as “a spectacular few days for New Zealand in India”, Malu says education was central to many high-level discussions. Malu emphasised the ongoing work to strengthen New Zealand’s position in the “minds and hearts” of Indian students while deepening reciprocal partnerships across trade, with education as a critical pillar.
That same strategic approach applies to other emerging markets, Malu says, pointing to Vietnam as a key example of untapped potential.
“We have relatively small numbers from Vietnam – currently about 1,700 enrolments – but there’s huge room for growth,” she says. The priority now is to build enduring relationships and ensure Vietnamese students see New Zealand as a safe, welcoming destination, one that is already home to Vietnamese communities.
“We’ve got our work to do to tell our story and encourage those students to consider New Zealand as an opportunity,” says Malu.
For her, meeting New Zealand alumni on these trips reinforces the country’s potential as a study destination. Their stories, she says, are “so compelling.”
“They’re very connected to their experience. And so we just need to be better at sharing that.”
Beyond New Zealand’s “unbeatable lifestyle” and high-quality education, Malu sees a deeper advantage rooted in the country’s culture of hospitality.
“We pride ourselves on what we call manaaki, which is looking after and caring for our visitors,” she says, emphasising that for parents considering sending their children halfway across the world, knowing they will be welcomed and cared for as if they were at home is a crucial reassurance.
Elsewhere, maintaining public support for international education is a priority for the organisation, with annual surveys showing strong backing from everyday Kiwis.
“That has impacted the speed of our recovery, but on balance, it’s probably a very good thing,” Malu tells The PIE News.
More than three-quarters of respondents in ENZ’s 2024 survey support maintaining or increasing international student numbers.
For the first time, the survey asked if New Zealand should host more students – 41% said yes, while 36% supported current levels. Only 11% wanted fewer.
Perceptions remain positive, with 72% believing international students benefit New Zealand, consistent with previous years.
We’re very careful to make sure we are watching social licence within New Zealand
Amanda Malu, Education New Zealand
Unlike other countries facing backlash, New Zealand’s more conservative immigration settings have helped maintain public confidence – though they have also slowed the sector’s recovery.
“That has impacted the speed of our recovery, but on balance, it’s probably a very good thing,” says Malu.
With neighbouring Australia undergoing policy shifts, Education New Zealand has been proactively highlighting New Zealand as an attractive alternative – just as any savvy marketing agency would.
A clear indicator of a shift in interest, Malu says, is the increase in traffic to New Zealand’s study website from students in Australia following restrictive policy announcements. The ripple effect is also evident in markets like Vietnam, where major education agents – previously focused on Australia – are now showing greater interest in promoting New Zealand as an option for students.
“With respect to our Aussie friends,” Malu says, “we are definitely trying to show people the benefits of coming to this side of the Tasman.”
“From a policy perspective and a government priority perspective, there is really strong support for the role international education will play in our recovery, tempered with not wanting at all to end up in a situation where we have tipped the scales too far and and have to dramatically change settings back, as we’ve seen in Australia and Canada. We’re watching and learning and trying to to plan our response accordingly,” says Malu.
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