The New Zealand Education Fair 2007, which was held in Mumbai on April 15, showcased what the island nation has to offer Indian students -- a broad range of degrees, the opportunity for work after graduation and competitively priced higher education.

More Indian students are looking at New Zealand as a higher education destination due to the variety of degree options it offers, clubbed with increasingly lenient immigration laws.

• Aid for study abroad: Educational loans

The education fair featured 20 accredited institutions -- these included large universities, smaller vocational schools and institutes of technology. Among those represented were Lincoln University, University of Canterbury, University of Waikato, Unitec New Zealand and the Pacific International Hotel Management School.

Parents and aspiring students had the opportunity to speak face-to-face with representatives from the 20 institutions; their most frequent questions were immigration concerns, financial options and specialised degrees.

New Zealand hopes to show its genuine desire for Indian talent by encouraging students to immigrate after graduation. Moreover, recent legislation allows international students to work up to 20 hours a week while taking courses, and full-time during holidays; students who avail of this option often transition directly into employment after graduation.

 A representative from the immigration services said, "Indian students can work while studying; they find jobs in their fields after studying; and it's far less expensive in New Zealand than in the UK or the US. These are the reasons that our volume of international students continues to rise. New Zealand is increasing its profile as a destination for higher education."

Regarding finances, counsellors informed parents of the many ways to finance an education, including scholarships, grants and educational loans. A finance expert from Lincoln University said, "With the increased availability of all types of scholarships and the relative ease in securing an educational loan, coupled with the change in working laws, affording an education in New Zealand has never been easier."

In terms of specialisation, New Zealand's universities offer degrees at all levels and across a broad spectrum of academic disciplines. Areas of particular renown are biotechnology, business and business management, plant science and horticulture, food and dairy technology, forensic science, the natural sciences, information technology, computing and hospitality/ catering/ tourism services.

The event was hosted Education New Zealand, a government funded organisation designed to inform international students about the opportunities a New Zealand education offers.