Aussie attacks may steer students towards Rotorua

More international students may consider studying in Rotorua after a spate of racist attacks on Indian students across the ditch.
The New Zealand export education industry is distancing itself from Australia as a result of the incidents.
About 70 attacks have been made on Indian students in Australia in the past 12 months, with one student left fighting for his life.
Indians make up about 75 per cent of Waiariki Institute of Technology's 400 international students and chief executive Pim Borren said they were an important part of the institute and the community. The bad publicity for Australia would impact positively on New Zealand's export education market, which could include Rotorua, he said.
"Whenever another country has problems with international students that's going to have a positive spin-off for us."
 New Zealand was a more welcoming country than Australia and respected difference and diversity, Dr Borren said. That was especially the case in Rotorua, given it was a tourism city that had welcomed overseas visitors for more than a century. International students were an important part of the community and needed to be looked after, he said.
Indian student Vishesh Taneja said he knew little about the attacks but it was "pretty sad". The 20-year-old from New Delhi is in Rotorua studying for a Diploma in Multi-Media at Waiariki. His Rotorua experience had been a positive one and he believed international students would probably choose New Zealand over Australia because of the attacks, he said.
"That will actually create a kind of danger in people's mind ... maybe this will increase students coming to New Zealand."
Mr Taneja described Rotorua people as very friendly and the support at Waiariki as "really helpful".
"I haven't seen any sort of racism here."
At Waiariki, international students can be paired up with a Kiwi student as part of a buddy system. Mr Taneja has a buddy, Tye Simoes, whom he can go to when he needs help with his course and studies.
Waiariki's international manager, Graeme Rennie, said the buddy system benefited international and local students: "The aim of that is formalised to help the transition of the international students."
He said the system gave the international students someone to reach out to and gave the Kiwi student the opportunity to learn about an international culture.
"Long term, they both have a better network of people," Mr Rennie said.
 Waiariki was part of the community and business sector. International students were a huge asset to Rotorua because not only did they spend money to live and study here, family members also visited, which boosted the local economy, he said.