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Hundreds of UCOL’s international alumni from countries around the world keep in touch with their alma mater in New Zealand and many of them now hold leading teaching or working positions in design, film, television, IT, nursing, business and many other fields. are on industries and businesses.
The Universal College of Learning – known as Ucol – is one of the most progressive institutions of technology in New Zealand: the main objective is to help people succeed in life by equipping them with the right skills and knowledge – and the right attitude. The success of its students – either studying as international students or as people living in New Zealand – proves this.
Tiffany Chew from Malaysia is a good example. While she was studying at Ucool’s Whanganui School of Design in the beautiful city of Wanganui, she won the student section of a top national design competition.
Their work, called Spinobot (which is about spin), received the Tertiary Student Award at the Telecommunications Users’ Association of New Zealand (TUANZ) Business Internet Awards. The awards acknowledge innovation and excellence in research and development in digital and interactive media.
Tiffany created Spinobot in her final year of Bachelor of Computer Graphic Design studies. Now back in her homeland, she works for a leading interactive design company in Kuala Lumpur, developing websites and other online resources.
Many students from India have completed their nursing degrees at UCOL and now work in hospitals and health care centers across New Zealand. UCOL has the largest nursing school in New Zealand and an international reputation in this business-rich region.
Trevor Salang took a different path in life. He first learned to cook on the island of Borneo with only a knife as a cooking tool.
His earliest cooking lessons came from his father and his grandparents, who still use traditional tribal methods, with a wood fire and two metal rods to keep the pot from falling into the fire. “I learned from my father to kill chickens, wild boar, catch fresh fish and collect vegetables from the forest and cook them with only one knife.”
Trevor came to New Zealand to study when he was 16, finished secondary school and decided on a career as a chef. He liked the idea that he could also develop his artistic instincts through food presentation.
Trevor would like to try working overseas in a few years. “One day I would like to have my own restaurant – always serving a better product.”
San Tan, another student from Malaysia, wanted to go abroad to study and decided to go to New Zealand because she wanted to experience a new culture.
San had always wanted to work with animals, and she had a science background so she chose the Veterinary Nursing course at UCOL in Palmerston North.
While on a placement at a local vet clinic, San found the practical skills she learned at UCOL helped her get her first vet nursing job. “I started working as a spotter at my placement vet clinic straight after completing my course.”
San has enjoyed studying in New Zealand. “The people are nice, they’re fun. And I’ve enjoyed experiencing the New Zealand culture: it’s calm and peaceful, and it’s not so rushed.”
Bruce Osborne, who heads UCOL’s international unit, is not surprised that international students do well at UCOL. “They work very hard and have a good attitude towards studies and life,” he says. “And of course they have the support of Ucol. We value students from other countries because they bring new experiences and perspectives – and that’s good for all of us.”
Bruce emphasizes that Ucool exists to help all of its students be successful in any field they choose. “Right now we are celebrating the success of students and staff from our Bachelor of Visual Imaging program at Palmerston North. They picked up seven awards including Institute of the Year for the fifth year in a row at the New Zealand Institute of Professional Photographers national awards.”
UColl Catering and Hospitality students also took home 10 medals (including three gold) at the National Culinary Fair in Auckland. “We’re proud of all of them,” says Bruce.
Other features that set UCOL apart include its range of employability programmes, its regional range across three campuses in New Zealand’s North Island, and the passion of its lecturers.
UCOL offers over 100 programmes, available on campus and online, across a range of business, professional and creative qualifications, from certificates and diplomas to degrees. These include chef training and hospitality, fashion, hairdressing, business, computer technology, sports and exercise, fine furniture making, graphic design, fine arts, early childhood education, nursing, performing arts, applied science, and business.
Small classes are ideal and programs are built around a combination of practical experience and theory.
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