After conquering the seven highest mountain peaks of the world, Indian/Nepalese twins Tashi and Nungshi Malik are on their next adventure at SIT. The Malik twins, who were the first siblings and first twins to successfully climb all seven highest peaks of the world, have each been awarded a New Zealand India Sports Scholarship (NZISS) to study the Graduate Diploma in Sport and Exercise at SIT in Invercargill. Previous study undertaken by Tashi and Nungshi includes the Bachelor of Journalism and Mass Communication at Sikkim Manipal University in India.

The scholarships are funded by the New Zealand Government and cover all 2015 tuition fees for Tashi and Nungshi to study at SIT plus a contribution to their living costs. Ten lucky scholars from India were awarded

2014 at a Glance Page 2

Student Snippets Page 2

Mai Chen Message Page 3

SIT Projects Page 3

Staff Researchers Page 4

Business and Students Page 4

T e W h a r e W a n a n g a O M u r i h i k u M A Y 2 0 1 5

Scholarship Takes Indian Twins to New Heights

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Recent meetings with our Nepalese students and graduates have really brought home to us how wide reaching and devastating the earthquakes in Nepal have been.

From the very personal and individual stories of lost families, friends, homes and businesses to the broader infrastructure issues throughout the country preventing the distribution of much needed clean water, food and medical assistance, the situation is dire.

Many of our Nepalese graduates from previous years are now living and working in Southland on dairy farms in places like Knapdale and at the Warehouse and Southern District Health Board in Invercargill, creating a Nepalese community

throughout Southland, totalling approximately 70 people.

These graduates are teaming up with current students to help raise funds to send back to Nepal via the Red Cross.

Please watch out for their collections at such events as Southern Steel and Southland Sharks games as well as the Red Cross collection buckets at various businesses where we would really appreciate your support. Alternatively you can make a donation via internet banking to the SIT bank account Nepal Earthquake 02-0924-0133516-006 with reference Nepal EQ. All money will go to the Red Cross Nepal Fund.

I would like to acknowledge and thank the Rotary Clubs throughout Southland who have rallied to support Nepal through their own

fundraising efforts and with our students and graduates. The speed and efficiency of the Rotary network has been amazing.

Our Nepalese students have their own issues in terms of keeping themselves without financial assistance from home now. Anyone able to provide part-time work for them while they study would be much appreciated and our Employment Officer, Kris on 03 211 2699 extn 8841 would love to hear from you. We are also lobbying Government to allow Nepalese students to work more than the 20 hours per week that the student visa allows them. The students aren’t wanting handouts, just the ability to keep themselves.

MESSAGE FROM CHIEF EXECUTIVE

scholarships to study at institutions in New Zealand. SIT secured the highest number of awardees with three of the ten students selected coming to study towards the SIT Graduate Diploma in Sport and Exercise in 2015. Yogesh Sharma joins the twins as SIT’s third NZISS awardee.

Yogesh is a physiotherapist and is actively involved with private Cricket Academies in Delhi, North India, providing physical training and cricket coaching to young cricketers. He was a local physician/trainer for the Canadian National Cricket Team when they were in India for the Cricket World Cup warm-up games. Sharma has also assisted the Rajasthan Royals, Indian Premier League team.

New Zealand India Sports Scholarship awardees Tashi and Nungshi Malik

SIT was proud to receive the Employer of the Year Award from the Otago-Southland Territorial Forces Employer Support Council at a Dunedin function.

The award recognises employers who have staff serving as New Zealand Defence Force reservists and who contribute to the defence force through supporting staff to serve their country in this way. Achieving this recognition gives SIT the opportunity to be selected for the national award. The selection will be made in May.

SIT hosts three of ten awardees

TERRITORIAL FORCES ROLE RECOGNISED

TWINS BREAK MORE RECORDSOn 21 April 2015 after a gruelling seven day ski journey sledding nearly 136 kgs and braving minus 34 degrees Celsius, the courageous twin sisters hoisted the tri-colour Indian flag on the North Pole. They are now record holders for the first siblings and twins as well as the youngest women to complete the Adventurers Grand Slam. The Adventurers Grand Slam comprises climbing all seven highest peaks in seven continents as well as reaching both the North Pole and South Pole on skis.

Tashi and Nungshi are happy to speak to local groups about their experiences and causes. To enquire about this please email whitney.irwin@sit.ac.nz

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2014 at a Glance

STUDENTS

government funding

total income

international student fees

total expenses

domestic student fees

surplus

other income

total net assets

$32,891,000

$48,798,000

$ 6,282,000

$48,032,000

$ 667,000

$ 766,000

$ 8,898,000

$96,778,000

InvercargillChristchurchQueenstownGoreAucklandEFTS

PROGRAMMES

CAMPUSES

OF SIT GRADUATESOF SIT GRADUATES

4,664 512,446

*Goverment funded EFTS

STUDENT ETHNICITY*

STUDENT GENDER*

46%Male

54%Female

confirmed overall satisfaction with SIT

reported they were in employment or studying

Graduate Destination Survey conducted in 2014

Graduate Destination Survey conducted in 2014

STUDENT AGE*

under 25 years

25+ years

37%

63%

15% 3% 4%5%

82%

Thirty SIT students and graduates are celebrating the success of their short film Charlie Floyd’s Visionarium after winning the Best Use of VFX Award at the New Zealand branch of the world largest international film festival Tropfest. Charlie Floyd’s Visionarium was a joint project for the SIT Bachelor of Digital Media 3rd year animation and film students, as well as other SIT alumni who were involved from across a wide range of music and sound programmes.

SIT graduate and Charlie Floyd’s Visionarium producer Jaimee Poipoi said “We wanted to make something that would really highlight the talents of both the animation and the film students... and we were fortunate to have both Invercargill Mayor Tim Shadbolt and Gore District Mayor Tracy Hicks having cameo performances in the film.”

SIT graduate Ruth Wilkinson has been named Up and Coming Personal Trainer of the Year at the New Zealand Fitness Awards. Ms Wilkinson studied the Certificate in Personal Training at SIT’s Queenstown Campus and has been working fulltime in the industry, with her business Prime Fitness, since graduating.

On 20 March SIT hosted students from Otago and Southland secondary schools at an open day offering 22 workshops and tours for the students. 3D animation was a highlight with the workshop being booked out. Members of the Southern Steel and the Southland Stags teams attended the event and joined in games and lunchtime activities with the students as well as hosting the barbecue lunch.

Director Emma Schranz and producer Jaimie Poipoi with Tropfest Award

SIT Film Scores International Award

Queenstown Graduate Ruth Wilkinson Wins New Zealand Fitness Award

SIT Hosts Secondary School Students

StudentSnippets

98.5% of SIT Graduates Employed or StudyingSIT graduates achieved top results in the annual Graduate Outcome Survey completed last year. Results revealed that 98.5 per cent of graduates were working or studying towards another qualification, with the majority of these enrolled at SIT. Nearly all the graduates were satisfied with the quality of their programme with 94 per cent expressing overall satisfaction, 93 per cent confirming that they would recommend their programme to others and 93 per cent confirming that their programme represented good value for money.

Mayors have cameo parts in SIT film

Mai Chen, one of New Zealand’s most influential public law specialists, was hosted by SIT in a recent visit to Invercargill. Mai spoke to a group of international students outlining her immigration experience as a

young child from Taiwan to New Zealand and how she has paved her way to becoming one of New Zealand’s most highly respected lawyers.

Mai is a partner in Chen Palmer based in Auckland. Chen Palmer has won the Best Boutique Law Firm in 2010, and the Best Public Law Firm in the New Zealand Law Awards annually from 2007 to 2013, and was a finalist in the Employment Law Awards in 2011. Mai has also won several significant business women’s awards.

As the inaugural Chair of New Zealand Global Women, Mai recently founded New Zealand Asian Leaders (2013), connecting top Asian NZ Chief Executives and emerging leaders with New Zealand companies doing business in Asia to enhance their success to help NZ Inc.

Mai has a First Class Law Honours degree from Otago University, a Master’s degree from Harvard Law School, is a Fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Management, and an Honorary Associate of Auckland University of Technology.

Her message to international students was clear: in order to become successful in New Zealand you must practise your English and become a fluent communicator – without

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“You are very lucky, here at SIT they look after you and you are special.” - Mai Chen

Message for SIT International Students

from Top NZ Lawyer

Projects ReflectExpansionSIT Opens Auckland CampusThe SIT Auckland Campus was opened in Queen Street Auckland in February 2015 in partnership with Te Wananga O Aotearoa and Dynaspeak. The primary purpose of the campus is to deliver English Language and the National Diploma in Business for International students. SIT also plans to offer blended delivery of the National Diploma in Project Management for both domestic and international students similar to the model already successfully undertaken at the SIT Christchurch Campus.

Student Apartments Completed2014 saw the completion of the Invercargill Spey St student apartments and the Queenstown Remarkables Park apartments to accommodate the increasing numbers of international students coming to study at SIT. SIT’s international student numbers achieved growth of 20% in 2014 which has continued SIT’s six year trend of double figure growth in international student numbers. The continued growth pays major dividends for SIT’s domestic students as well as the broader community through the students’ educational, social, cultural and economic contribution to the region.

Hansen Hall Refurbishment ProgessesStage Two of the refurbishment of Hansen Hall started before Christmas 2014. Costing over $500,000 the upgrade by Henderson Construction will include an expanded foyer with glass frontage and exhibition spaces, a new roof and reconfiguration of the amenities area and a new and larger kitchen. This will bring Hansen Hall up to a high standard for teaching larger classes and hosting major conferences, seminars,

In addition to the annual ceremony for degree and diploma graduates, SIT introduced an inaugural Certificate Graduation Ceremony in Invercargill to celebrate the success of graduates who had completed a certificate level qualification in trades, business, horticulture and health science.

SIT Chief Executive Penny Simmonds commented “This is the first time we have had an institute-wide graduation ceremony for our certificate level programmes and we are pleased to be celebrating the certificate graduates’ success in this way. Many of these graduates will be moving onto apprenticeships and providing much needed support skills to the primary sector in the south”.

In December, the SIT Christchurch Campus followed suit with its inaugural Graduation Ceremony. SIT Chief Executive Penny Simmonds, Christchurch Campus staff and a large number of guests celebrated the success of graduates achieving diplomas in beauty therapy, mental health support work, and project management, as well as in a wide variety of trades, business and sports certificates.

Inaugural Graduations in Invercargill and Christchurch

this you will not be able to succeed. Mai further advised the students to study hard and make the most of the opportunity afforded to them. Mai praised SIT Chief Executive Penny Simmonds and International Head of Department Bharat Guha for their care of international students saying “You are very lucky, here at SIT they look after you and you are special. In Auckland you are a dime a dozen and the opportunities are not the same”.

» People’s Government of Puning, Guangdong, China and Puning Vocational Institute of Technology (China)

» Chinese Service Centre for Scholarly Exchange (China)

» Columbian National Training Service (SENA) (Columbia)

» Flensburg University of Applied Sciences (Germany)

» Ho Chi Minh City University (Vietnam)

» Hochschule Fuer Wirtschaft (HfWU) (Germany)

» LP3i Polytechnic Indonesia (Indonesia)

» Hong Kong Polytechnic University ( Hong Kong)

» Hubei University of Education (China)

» University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria (Austria)

» Vietnam National University of Agriculture (Vietnam)

» Pearson VUE Authorised Centre

» Rissho University (Japan)

» PPKS /ICATS (Malaysia)

SIT’S INTERNATIONAL PARTNERS:

Gymnasium ExpandsThe expansion and upgrade of the SIT gymnasium features quality Cybex equipment and Olympic training weights and will be well suited for health/fitness, rehabilitation and high performance sport. The upgrade is a win-win situation as it will benefit sport and exercise students as they work alongside elite sports people, and will benefit Southland’s top sports teams and athletes who will be able to access high performance training and testing equipment.

functions and events for up to 400 people.

Early Notice : Mai Chen will be the guest speaker on “Superdiversity” at SIT’s Advisory Committee function on Wednesday 28 October. Put this date in your diary now!

Freephone: 0800 4 0 FEES (0800 4 0 3337) Phone: 03 211 2699 Fax: 03 214 4977 Email: info@sit.ac.nzJULY

SIT Deputy Chief Executive Presents at New Zealand Asian Leaders’ Session

Business and Industry Support SIT Award Ceremony

Deputy Chief Executive- Corporate, Bharat Guha, presented at the New Zealand Asian Leaders’ (NZAL) first session for 2015 “Growing NZ’s Export Education to Asia” in February at the Auckland City Art Gallery. Bharat shared his experiences as an Otago University international student and his successful career pathway that followed. Keynote speaker Prime Minister John Key discussed the repositioning of New Zealand as a smart, high technology and high quality economy, with immigration viewed as an instrument of change to achieve this. NZAL Founder-Chair Mai Chen (Managing Director of Chen Palmer) said that the vision of the organisation is to draw on the considerable expertise and knowledge of top Asian New Zealand leaders to maximise the country’s successful business interface with Asia.

Acknowledgement: www.indiannewslink.co.nz

SIT Staff Researchers Present At Conferences Around the World

“Inclusive Museums” in Los Angeles Kathryn Mitchell programme manager for arts and digital media travelled to Los Angeles to present her PhD research at the Annual International Conference on the Inclusive Museum. The purpose of the conference was to present and discuss ideas on how to make museums accessible to all people. Kathryn’s research “Performing the DIY public museum: Shifting the frame of conception, production, and reception” presented findings on how museums can engage community.

Sustainable Planning in Krakow Environmental management programme manager, Erine Van Niekerk, presented at the International Geographic Union (IGU) Regional Conference in Krakow, Poland in 2014. The purpose of the IGU is “to gather knowledge and resources from the international community to strengthen international science for the benefit of society”. Erine’s topic was “GIS food shed modelling: A sustainable planning tool for Invercargill”.

Qualitative Research in Newcastle The Third Asia Pacific International Conference on Qualitative Research in Nursing, Midwifery and Health, Newcastle, Australia included a presentation from Reen Skaria, SIT Nursing Tutor. The purpose of Reen’s presentation “Experiences of overseas nurse educators teaching in New Zealand” was to gain insight into lived experiences of overseas nurse educators and to assist in formulating specific strategies to help prepare overseas nurse.

Speed Networking Between Business and Students Reaps RewardsThe Southland Chamber of Commerce in conjunction with SIT and the Otago Southland Employers’ Association hosted the first Speed Networking event for SIT students to present themselves to employers for potential work experience and project opportunities.

Employers from Hospice Southland, EIS, Work Bridge, Awarua Synergy, Invercargill City Council, Carolyn Dean Coaching, Jack Refrigeration, South Alive, Southland Art Foundation and Venture Southland attended the event.

Brent Webster Engineering Manager at EIS also found the event beneficial, “I have met five or six young people here today that could potentially fill jobs at EIS in the future. It is also great to help the students develop their interview confidence and learning how to approach an employer.”

The Southland Chamber of Commerce and Otago Southland Employers’ Association are planning to host two more Speed Networking events for SIT students later in the year in May and September.

150 awards to the value of approximately $100,000 were presented at the 2014 Award Ceremony with the vast majority of awards sponsored by local business and industry. Chief Executive Penny Simmonds said that SIT’s partnerships with business and industry were a significant factor in the success of the institute and included involvement in advisory committees, internships, clinical experience, work experience, joint research, guest speaking, mentoring, sponsorships and joint projects. Ms Simmonds noted that the award ceremony was an opportunity for SIT to celebrate the outstanding achievements of our top students and to showcase our close relationships with local and national businesses and industry who have assisted in our students’ success.

Prime Minister John Key with NZAL Founder-Chair Mai Chen(Standing), and SIT Deputy Chief Executive Bharat Guha (seated far left)

ILT Board Member John Young presents Lorraine Labitad with the Invercargill Licensing Trust Award for Top Student Year 2 Bachelor of Hotel Management

First Ever Masters Programmes to be Offered at SIT - Commencing 2016*

» Master of Information Technology

» Master of Applied Management

Employers interested in employing SIT students ( part time or full time) and SIT graduates check out SITuations Vacant on SIT’s website or call the SIT Employment Officer 03 2112699 ext 8841.

*Subject to NZQA approval and accreditation