Universities in New Zealand
There are eight universities in New Zealand. The University of Otago was founded in 1869 as New Zealand’s first university. However, because the government preferred one university for the entire colony rather than individual provinces, it founded the University of New Zealand in 1870 and incorporated Otago as a college. In the following decades, other colleges were established that are now independent universities, for example the University of Auckland or the University of Canterbury . In 1961, the University of New Zealand was dissolved in order to better cope structurally with the increasing number of students. In this way, the colleges were given university status.
New Zealand universities put an emphasis on vocational courses early on. So-called special schools made it possible to focus on medicine or engineering . Today’s Lincoln University and Massey University grew out of special schools for agricultural sciences .
In the course of the educational reform of 1990 in the tertiary sector , all New Zealand educational institutions became more independent and competitive by being able to offer mostly equivalent qualifications. The number of students increased continuously and as a result many universities merged with the Colleges of Education and some Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics . In order to secure the financing of the universities in addition to the state funding, the tuition fees increased . Now only international students pay the full fees for a degree. It is for this reason that New Zealand universities continuously advertise this group of students. However, the university landscape is also lively and innovative. This is precisely what ensures the quality of teaching at New Zealand universities.
University status
New Zealand educational institutions have had to meet certain criteria in order to receive university status since the Education Act of 1989. First and foremost, universities offer an advanced level learning environment . The intellectual independence and innovation of students are to be promoted and not only subject-related knowledge but also practical life skills are imparted. This includes, for example, communication and analysis skills or flexible thinking. Research and teaching are intertwined at New Zealand universities and are driven by the teachers. Ultimately, the universities serve to provide knowledge and expertise and the role ofTo capture critics of New Zealand society .
In addition to the university, Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics and Private Training Establishments as well as Wānanga can award academic titles in undergraduate and postgraduate areas in New Zealand . However, students only receive the doctorate at universities.
Competition and alliances between New Zealand universities
In New Zealand there are no university associations like the Group of Eight in Australia or the Ivy League in the USA.
At the end of the 19th century there was strong rivalry between the individual provinces. The establishment of the University of New Zealand led to stiff competition between the subordinate colleges and special schools, especially on a financial level. The particular proximity to Great Britain as a colony was considered a prestige factor, so that the university had all written work corrected and graded there until the Second World War. In order to finally make the funding of the colleges fairer, the University Grants Committee was established in 1948. The committee distributed the funds from the state to the institutions as needed. Today the Tertiary Education Commission is responsible for the distribution of state funding to the tertiary educational institutions and advises the government on educational strategies.
In 2008, the eight New Zealand universities developed a program that aims to deepen partnerships between the business sector and universities . The universities organized events to highlight relevant areas of cooperation and to receive feedback.
