Our newest students are learning about everything OPAIC has to offer at this week’s Orientation.

We’re welcoming students from countries including Russia, Nepal, China, Philippines, Brazil, Malaysia, India, Thailand and Vietnam for Study Block 4.

ICT and Facilities Manager Sonny Teio began yesterday’s Orientation activities with a traditional Māori introduction, or Mihi.

He talked about how his parents had come to New Zealand to achieve their dream of providing a better life for their children. Sonny says he got educated at Otago Polytechnic and is now living an amazing life because of the sacrifices his parents made.

Sonny said he knew the students arriving this week had also come with a dream or a vision, and the OPAIC team would do its very best to help them succeed.

Executive Director: Academic Alex McKegg then welcomed the students to Tāmaki Makaurau.

“What I know about all of you is that you are brave and adventurous. You’ve left your homes and families and everything that was comfortable, and you’ve come to New Zealand to take up the challenges of studying in a new country.”

She encouraged them to bring that adventurous spirit to their studies. She said our experiential learning and teaching approach might be different to what they were used to - they would have the opportunity to develop their capabilities as well as their technical knowledge. They would also have the chance to engage with industry, develop their employability skills, and socialise with other students.

Student Success Manager Annemarie Meijnen told students they had made a great choice in coming to OPAIC.

“We’ve got outstanding academic staff and dedicated teams of service professionals here to support you at every step of your learning journey.”

Yesterday’s activities also included a Maori Cultural Performance, presentations, quizzes, games, and a campus tour.

Orientation continues today with programme introductions from department heads, and an Emloyability afternoon.

Check out our Orientation photos over on Facebook.


Published on 8 Aug 2019

Orderdate: 8 Aug 2019
Expiry: 16 Aug 2020