Singapore Polytechnic

I greet you: Hon Minister Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Community Development Youth and Sports; HE Justice MPH Rubin, High Commissioner for Singapore to New Zealand; HE Martin Harvey, High Commissioner for New Zealand to Singapore; Distinguished Guests otherwise; Ladies and Gentlemen.

I begin with a New Zealand Māori greeting, "Kia Ora," which means “good health” and in the context of this afternoon’s gathering add the following: Greetings; Selamat Datang; Huan ying and Vanakkam.

It has been with pleasure that my wife Susan and I have accepted the invitation to visit the Singapore Polytechnic as a part of our State Visit. It is particularly pleasing to able to address staff, students and alumni of the Singapore Polytechnic-Massey University Food Technology programme.

Here we have Singaporean Polytechnic students who are able to continue their studies in Singapore and then come away with a Massey University Food Technology Degree that is world-renowned and rated in the top five of such qualifications globally.

In my short address to you this afternoon, I want to emphasise two important points.  The first is that the comprehensive and deep partnership between Singapore and New Zealand is highly valued and New Zealand looks forward to expanding and deepening its engagement in the education sector in the future.

The second matter I want to emphasise is that the people-to-people ties are of the most importance. It is these ties that bind us together and create understanding between the peoples of our two countries.  In creating those people-to-people ties, education plays a key role and there is considerable potential for more student exchanges between Singapore and New Zealand.

It should come as no surprise that the Singapore Polytechnic and Massey University have entered into a successful and mutually beneficial relationship.  What is surprising is that there is not more of this type of collaboration between the educational institutions of our two countries.

The relationship between New Zealand and Singapore in education is longstanding and stretches back to the Colombo Plan of the 1960s that saw many young Singaporeans studying in New Zealand.  There are still Singaporeans travelling to New Zealand to pursue their studies, but we would like to see those numbers further enhanced.  In particular, we would like to encourage more exchanges and collaborations like the Singapore Polytechnic-Massey programme, which is a good model for others to emulate.

Singapore and New Zealand are natural partners in many areas.  We have a historic and close relationship.  New Zealand was present at the creation of Singapore and its armed forces helped maintain the region’s stability until 1989.   Underpinned by the 1971 Five Power Defence Agreement, defence links continue to be strong and close. 

New Zealand also shares similar world views with Singapore.  Both nations have a shared commitment to a free and open global trading environment.  In fact, New Zealand’s second free trade agreement—after that with Australia—was with Singapore.  Since then, that agreement has been built upon by the 2005 “P4” trade agreement between New Zealand, Singapore, Brunei and Chile.   Negotiations are now underway to expand the membership of that grouping further across the Pacific.

It is not just a trade agreement, however, but a comprehensive and strategic partnership.  One of the chapters of the partnership agreement covers education. The agreement urges governments to co-operate and collaborate and build their education linkages.  New Zealand stands ready to do this with Singapore.

Like Singapore, New Zealand views investment in education as inextricably linked to growth and prosperity.  Both countries know that having a highly educated population raises productivity levels and contributes to greater creativity and innovation in the economy.  So it is vitally important that education systems provide young people with relevant skills and pathways for the future.  In other words, there needs to be a direct transition of academic and vocational training to future employment.  That is clearly happening with the Singapore Polytechnic-Massey University programme.

As I said at the outset, New Zealand wants to see many more Singaporean students choosing New Zealand as an education destination.

The reasons for choosing New Zealand are many and varied.  New Zealand has a world-class education that is modern and responsive.  It produces leaders and workers who are equipped to cope with sophisticated technologies, and the complex workplaces of the 21st century.  New Zealand is consistently placed among the highest performing group of OECD counties, including in subject areas like science, mathematics and reading.

New Zealand tertiary institutions have an international reputation for excellence.  There are only eight universities but all are highly regarded and offer internationally-recognised quality qualifications.  Each of them has their particular strengths.  Some of the key areas where Singapore students will find high quality programmes, and centres of excellence, include creative studies, aviation, animal and veterinary sciences, agricultural studies, horticulture, engineering, biotechnology, teacher education, early childhood education and, of course, food technology.  All of this is offered in a country that is safe, clean and which has lots of open spaces for the pursuit of outdoor activities.

Furthermore, for those Singaporeans thinking about doctoral studies, New Zealand is a logical choice.  PhD fees for international students are based on domestic fees, making New Zealand one of the most cost-effective PhD options available.  Furthermore, children of international PhD students are able to attend New Zealand schools on domestic rates.

Young people are the future of the relationship between our two countries, and therefore New Zealand would also like to see more New Zealand students studying in Singapore. 

I understand there are already a number of New Zealand scholarship students at the National University of Singapore. Many of these students continue to maintain ties with Singapore after they graduate, working here or with New Zealand companies expanding into Asia.

A Work Exchange Programme was signed in 1999 to enable New Zealand and Singaporean tertiary students and recent graduates to work in each other’s country for up to six months.

New Zealand’s education relationship with Singapore fits well with our broader ties with Asia.  Those ties are solid and longstanding and are increasing at a rapid pace.  They are built upon vital political, trade and economic realities and an understanding that what happens in Asia affects New Zealand more and more. 

As well, they are built on strong people-to-people links that have been enhanced by immigration policies that have seen more immigrants coming from Asia than anywhere else over past decades.  Some are recent immigrants while others, such as myself, were born in New Zealand and whose parents or grandparents migrated south from Asia many years ago.

More than nine percent of New Zealanders are of Asian decent.   In the Auckland region, that figure rises to 19 percent. 

Significant numbers of Asian students have also studied in New Zealand over the years.  All this has meant that New Zealanders today have a growing affinity with the people and cultures of Asia.  Festivals such as Diwali and Chinese New Year are increasingly celebrated by New Zealanders of all ethnicities.  The Asia New Zealand Foundation, of which I am the organisation’s Patron and a former deputy chairman, assiduously promotes New Zealand’s ties with Asia both generally and in the nation’s schools.

More secondary schools and tertiary institutions have entered into exchange agreements.  There has also been growth in scholarships, research collaboration and joint qualifications between universities and other tertiary institutes in New Zealand and Asia.  All this is a reflection of the fact that our futures are intertwined in an increasingly integrated and interdependent world. 

Finally, I should end by noting that while there are some good linkages in place, there is also much untapped potential. 

New Zealand looks forward to working with Singapore to identify key areas where relationships can be built and people-to-people exchanges enhanced through education collaborations and exchange agreements like the one between Singapore Polytechnic and Massey University.

For the value of such exchanges is not only in knowledge and skills, but in greater cross-cultural understanding between peoples of different races, ethnicities and religions.  In a world where high-speed transportation and information technology are transforming the global economy, such skills are just as valuable.   The German playwright and novelist Goethe once said that: "those who know nothing of foreign languages know nothing of their own."   If I could adapt that slightly, I would add that knowledge of another’s culture, also enhances one’s knowledge of your own culture.

And on that note, I seek to close in New Zealand's first language Māori, offering greetings and wishing everyone good health and fortitude in your endeavours. No reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, kia ora, kia kaha, tena koutou katoa.