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Leading the way in cyber security

New Zealand’s educational ranking brought Mohammad Bany Taha from Jordan to the University of Waikato to study cyber security.

“If someone said they graduated from a university in the US or UK, you would have to know which one to know how good it is. But all New Zealand universities are high-ranking.”

He has already published a paper at a high-profile cyber security conference that even his professors back in Jordan have not had papers accepted for.

“When we go for job interviews, we will be able to say we have the degree and have also published in high-ranking conferences.”

Mohammad says the cyber security students work as a company, which prepares them to fit right into the workforce.

“The relationship between professor and student here is very easy and friendly. When I arrived in New Zealand I called Ryan ‘Dr’. He told me, ‘That is the last time you call me Dr - I am Ryan.’”

PhD fees an advantage for Vanuatu student

For Jeffery Garae, a major attraction of studying abroad in New Zealand is that international PhD students pay the same fees as local students.

“I was looking at doing a Masters here and when I read about the PhD fees I thought, ‘Whoa – that’s an even better advantage,’” says Jeffery, who is from Vanuatu.

“No-one says no to studying in New Zealand. It’s a nice place, and the people are very friendly.”

Jeffery was the first student to study a Master of Cyber Security at the University of Waikato, and is now studying for a PhD.

Jeffery has had a paid internship with an Auckland tech company, and believes studying in New Zealand will be an advantage when he starts job-hunting.

“Even big companies like Google look at New Zealand when they are recruiting computer science graduates. We have good chances after studying in Waikato because we contribute to research in our field and have good industry connections.”

Making a difference in the world

Studying biotechnology in New Zealand is a way for Kenyan student Anish Shah to make a positive difference to society.

“I love working with plants and microbes and learning about the cool techniques used to study various aspects of plant physiology and molecular biology,” he says.

“In the future I would like to be involved in a leading research group, working with high-yielding GM plants which will eventually help solve world hunger.”

He believes biotechnology is an excellent subject to study. “Biotechnology is a very employable, fast-growing and lucrative scientific field.”

Anish decided to study at the University of Canterbury because it was “a different, faraway place that I didn’t know much about”.

He was also attracted to the research being carried out at the university.

Anish enjoys the multinational campus and the friendly, supportive lecturers. He urges other international students to open up and talk to others during their time studying abroad in New Zealand.

“The importance of personal relations cannot be stressed enough,” he says. “You can make contacts at university that will definitely come in handy when you’re looking for jobs.”