Indian students with a passion for sports have now access to scholarships that will fund their study in New Zealand for sports-related programmes, New Zealand Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment, Steven Joyce, announced today.
New Zealand High Commissioner to India, Grahame Morton, and former New Zealand Cricket Captain, Stephen Fleming, are encouraging Indian students to take up the unique opportunity.
Education New Zealand, the New Zealand Government’s agency for international education, is calling for applications from Indian citizens who have secured a place in sports and exercise science or sports management programmes at a New Zealand university or Institute of Technology for Study in 2015.
The sports scholarship programme builds on the strong sporting ties and significant people-to-people links between New Zealand and India, Morton said.
"New Zealanders love sport and in 2015, we are proud to be co-hosting the ICC Cricket World Cup, and the FIFA Under 20 World Cup. To be competitive, New Zealanders want the best support, whether it is in international sports, or so they can challenge their friends down at the park, or simply train in excellent gym facilities. I would be delighted to see more Indian students on our quality courses, whether they are seeking to become elite athletes or aspiring to careers in the fast growing global sports and exercise industry," Morton said.
Studying in New Zealand provides students with new ways of thinking so that they stay in touch with what is happening globally. Chennai Super Kings coach, Stephen Fleming, says international sport is fiercely competitive and there are ever-growing career opportunities, in addition to actually being a sportsperson.
The scholarships are open to Indian students enrolling to study bachelor or postgraduate qualifications in New Zealand. Successful students will have their tuition fees funded for the first year of fulltime study with an additional NZ$15,000 stipend also paid to them during that year. The New Zealand India Sports Scholarships are a partnership between Education New Zealand and the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs.