Media Design School Shines at NZIEC: A Journey of International Success
Media Design School’s Country Director Ruth Cooper recently had the honour of presenting at the prestigious New Zealand International Education Conference (NZIEC), held in Wellington from August 6-8. This event is a significant platform for educational institutions to showcase their contributions and innovations in the field of international education, and MDS made a remarkable impact.
MDS’s panel discussion proposal titled "A Recipe for International Success," was selected by the NZIEC board. Facilitated by Ruth Cooper and featuring international students who recently studies at three of New Zealand’s top Private Tertiary Establishments (PTEs), these graduates shared why they chose New Zealand as their study destination, what success means to them and how the PTEs provided the support and guidance necessary for them to achieve their study and career goals.
What was really interesting to learn from these young graduates, is that success meant different things each one of them and that no two learner journeys were alike. For one graduate it was all about living in an environment that encouraged creative freedom, for another it was felt New Zealand provided the opportunity to dream big, and the final graduate shared a desire to bring their family to New Zealand and a better life.
Ruth Cooper, Country Director
A particularly proud moment for us was the inclusion of MDS graduate Narayana Paripalli, fondly known as Nani, who hails from India and took the Graduate Diploma of Creative Technologies. Nani’s journey is a testament to the opportunities MDS provides for its students to excel on a global stage. Now working as a 3D Generalist at JIX Reality, a Christchurch-based R&D Studio, Nani’s Virtual Reality (VR) experience, created for Education New Zealand | Manapou ki te Ao which focuses on sustainable food production was showcased at the conference. This work not only highlighted his technical prowess but also underscored the importance of sustainability in today’s world.
Adding to the excitement, the President of India, Droupadi Murmu, made a surprise appearance as the chief guest at the conference. Her presence underscored the importance of educational collaboration between India and New Zealand, and her visit to Aotearoa highlighted the strengthening ties between the two nations in the realm of education.
We are immensely proud of our participation in NZIEC and are excited about the opportunities it has opened up for further collaboration and growth. At MDS, we remain committed to empowering our students to achieve international success, just as Nani has done, and we look forward to welcoming more talented individuals from India and around the world to our vibrant community.