Strengthening global connections

New Director of International and Exchange Students, Pale Tauti chats with Saki Shinozaki (Japan) Year 9, Tim Briel (Germany) Year 11, Friederike Moerke (Germany) Year 12, Miyu Yamamoto (Japan) Year 12, Charlotte Schube (Germany) Year 12.

St Andrew’s Director of International and Exchange Students, Pale Tauti, has a unique understanding of living in a different culture.

Before taking up the newly created position this year, Otago-born Pale spent 10 years living in Hong Kong, where he enjoyed a varied career as a semi-professional rugby player, English as a Second Language teacher, high performance rugby coach (a role that took him to countries as diverse as India, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Singapore and Thailand), and working with a community outreach programme promoting rugby in Asia. “These roles provided me with a great insight into different cultures, and an understanding of the struggles and challenges young people face when leaving their homes and families to study in a different country,” he says. Pale is excited about his new position at St Andrew’s, which includes enrolling, providing orientation, and ongoing support and pastoral care to the College’s vibrant, close-knit community of international students. The programme currently encompasses 24 students from Germany, Fiji, Taiwan, China, Japan, Thailand, Singapore and the United States of America.

Head of Values and Culture, Hamish Bell, says growing the international programme to accommodate up to 40 students is another exciting aspect of Pale’s role. “We are keen to expand and develop the international programme, and Pale is responsible for setting out a strategy for how this might look like in the future.” Hamish says Pale is a great addition to the Values and Culture team. “He is good guy who gets on very well with people and has great international experience.” Pale says language and culture shock can be two of the biggest challenges facing international students. “Some arrive with good conversational English, but need help with literacy to enable them to achieve their academic goals. The College’s English as a Second Language teacher Stephanie Brooks does great work with the students.” He says the international programme is well supported by local St Andrew’s families, many who are happy to host overseas students during holiday weekends or for longer periods. “It’s fantastic to get that support, with many local families enjoying the experience and the opportunity to practise speaking the students’ language.” The richness, diversity and colour added by international students to the St Andrew’s campus is also highly beneficial to local students, he says. “Exposing our students to the experiences, expectations and lifestyle of international students opens their minds to internationalism and the fact we live in a small world with plenty of opportunity.” Events, including international assemblies, concerts or food fairs are held to showcase the enhanced diversity at the College, and the benefits of creating local and global partnerships. An International Club, run by Year 13 students and open to all, also provides students from overseas with strong support, a local perspective and helps them to make new friends outside the international community. The Student Exchange Programme also falls under Pale’s umbrella, which gives St Andrew’s students in Year 10 through to Year 12 the opportunity to live and study in a range of exchange partner countries, such as Australia, South Africa, Canada, England and Scotland. “I am keen to grow the Exchange Programme and open new opportunities for St Andrew’s students, particularly in Asia,“ says Pale. After a decade in Hong Kong, Pale says he, his wife and young family have found it ‘refreshing’ to come back to New Zealand. “It’s great to be back. I’m enjoying the new role and the fantastic support I get from staff and students here. The world is changing and it is great to see St Andrew’s changing with it and embracing its growing multicultural identity.”

Innovation only takes one great idea and the drive to follow it through

We’ve all had a great idea for a new product that is going to change the world, but for most of us it remains just that – a great idea. Every now and then, however, one of us does the hard yards, takes the knocks and perseveres to the point where the once great idea becomes a reality. Christchurch mother and entrepreneur, Tracy Austin, is the brains behind the mimark recognizer – a product set to revolutionise safety. On the outside the mimark looks like a cool watch but on the inside it carries the wearer’s ID and other critical information that could be the difference between nding your loved one quickly or saving their life in a medical emergency. At the heart of the mimark is a unique QR code that links to the child’s mimark prole that says who they are, how to reach their emergency contacts and ags crucial medical information. The QR code is embedded into the side of the watch for easy access. Scan with a smartphone or text the ID number to 5211 and immediately the wearer’s ID and emergency details are accessible. While the world sees advancements in technology every day, for Austin the technology involved with the QR scanning was key to its value. The simplicity and direct-to-source nature of the QR technology mitigates the risk of distorted information in an emergency situation. Furthermore, the SMS (short message service) that mimark also provides is usually the last cellular network to go down”. “It is really important to keep things simple, especially when you’re dealing with the vulnerability of children” says Austin. “I couldn’t have a situation of technology failure.” Launched in April 2016, it has taken Austin two years to get from concept to launch. She has gone to great lengths to perfect the product before going to market. Focus groups with children, parents and medical professionals provided valuable insight in the development of mimark. “While safety is the underlying proposition of mimark, it has been critical to develop a balance between functionality and aesthetics” adds Austin. “If you can’t tick both boxes then you really don’t have a marketable product.” mimark is designed in New Zealand and manufactured locally in Christchurch. Austin is committed to keeping the product kiwi-made. Like most entrepreneur’s, Austin is continually innovating and has two new mimark product ranges in development already to meet needs in the market. to meet needs in the market.

recognizer with you 24/7