Tauranga woman off to study in Taiwan thanks to Prime Minister's scholarship

Brittany Oliver has been awarded a Prime Minister's Scholarship for Asia and shortly heads to Taiwan. Photo/ Andrew Warner.

Tauranga's Brittany Oliver is off to study in Taiwan after being awarded a 2017 Prime Minister's Scholarship for Asia.

Ms Oliver is in her third year of a four-year Bachelor of Management Studies (BMS), majoring in marketing at the University of Waikato in Hamilton.

The bubbly 20-year-old was "so excited" but also a "little bit nervous" about the cultural exchange experience she was due to take up in less than three months.

The government-funded scholarship would allow her to spend a semester at the National Chengchi University in Taipei from September 1 to mid-January next year.

Ms Oliver would be studying mainly economics and international relations papers, which the University of Waikato had allowed her cross-credit towards her degree.

Before starting her studies in Taipei she would attend a university scholarship leaders symposium in Thailand, then spend three weeks travelling, including in Vietnam.

Ms Oliver said she originally wanted to study in China, but when Taiwan was suggested as an option, she decided to go there instead.

"Taiwan has a similar type of culture and languages to China and many people speak Mandarin, which I am really keen to learn."

Ms Oliver said she was actively involved in her parents' two businesses Luxury Airport Shuttles and Royale Coach Tours, and had a lot of contact with overseas clients.

This included tour groups from China and India who regularly visited the Bay, she said.

"It's an incredible, amazing opportunity that most people only dream about, and I intend feeding everything I learn back into our family businesses."

Ms Oliver is one of 202 Kiwi students from universities and technology institutes chosen to travel to top institutions in Asia as part of the 2016/2017 scholarship rounds.

Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Minister Paul Goldsmith said that since the scheme was launched in 2013, more than 1000 Kiwi students had experienced an international educational exchange in Asian countries.

"The recipients of these scholarships will be ambassadors for New Zealand as they head overseas and form global connections that will last a lifetime."

Applications for the next round of scholarships close on September 30.

Prime Minister's Scholarship for Asia programme is administered by Education New Zealand

The programme aims include:

- Strengthening NZ's ability to engage with key Asian trading partners

- Improving international skills of NZ's workforce and tertiary institutions

- Increasing international understanding of New Zealand's education system

- Establishing connections between New Zealand and other countries

through fostering lifelong friendships and networks

Visit https://enz.govt.nz/support/funding/scholarships/prime-ministers-scholarship-for-asia/ to find out more or apply.