The New Zealand Herald reports that international-student enrolments are holding up well and possibly rising as the economic crisis deepens.

The international students that comprise New Zealand’s $2.3 billion education-export industry and help employ 32,000 people have been falling since 2002, from 126,000 students to just over 90,000 in 2007.

Education New Zealand chief executive Rob Stevens attributes the fall to increased competition among other countries for Chinese students, a significant proportion of the country’s international students, as well as the collapse of two high-profile private training institutes in 2003. But now, with the dropping dollar and economic crisis, Mr Stevens believes the export industry may have a chance to stand against the recession:

“With offshore consumers more focused on seeking value for money, New Zealand’s value proposition – quality education at an affordable price – will be more attractive relative to our traditional competitors.”

That is a view supported by Chinese agents who argue New Zealand is seen as a cheaper place to study. Mica Yao, a client relations manager for EduGlobal China who studied in New Zealand herself, doesn’t believe the economic crisis will stop Chinese from sending their children abroad.

“No, that has enhanced the market to go abroad. Because of the economic crisis it makes the exchange rate lower. People feel they can’t do business, so they should invest in education,” Ms Yao said.

International student applications are 20 percent at the University of Auckland and 17 percent at AUT.

Lincoln University’s Roger Armstrong told the Herald it may be too soon to know whether numbers are up until the students actually turn up. “Our applications are up by 15 percent this year. But the application is the easy part. It is converting the applications to enrolment that is going to be the tricky thing.”

A typical bachelor’s student could bring $40,000 a year into the economy and only one third of that is in fees,” he said.