International students join business council

WAIARIKI'S international students are hoping membership of the Rotorua Multicultural Business Council will create opportunities for them and for local businesses.

The Waiariki Institute of Technology Students Association has joined the council, and a delegation of international students attended the group's second anniversary breakfast last week.

Witsa vice president Rupin Taneja said the membership was a good way for overseas students to get involved in the wider community and make contacts within the business community.

"At the breakfast I got the chance to meet [Wai Ora's] Bryan Hughes and talk to him about his business. We learn about these things in our courses, but it's quite different being able to talk directly to people about their personal experiences."

Taneja, who is studying for a diploma in applied tourism management, said there were not many opportunities for students, domestic or international, to interact with top local business people and personalities, so council membership would provide valuable access.

"It is a good way to become part of the community and it would be great if Witsa could get a student on to the council committee to talk about international students' issues and to contribute."

He said it was difficult arriving in a new country, knowing nobody and trying to balance studies with finding accommodation and paying the bills, so meeting immigrant business owners and hearing about their successes was motivating. "For many international students, their families are paying a lot for them to come here and get a good education and there is a lot of pressure to do well, but it can be hard when there is no family or friends there to support you."

Taneja found interacting with other international students and local students helped him build a support network and to adapt more quickly to the New Zealand culture.

He and fellow student Davinderjit Singh are also Rugby World Cup volunteers in the city.

Singh is studying towards a diploma in applied management and, like Taneja, has plans to stay in New Zealand to work after he finishes his course.

The pair said there were no grants or benefits for international students studying in New Zealand, so it was also important to build up a relationship with the business community to help find jobs to support themselves during their courses or to enter the workforce when they finished.

And they hope the interaction with the business community will give employers a good insight into the young talent coming through.