Key Highlights:

• No. 1 QSR in Vietnam (Euromonitor): Achieved top ranking despite not having the largest store network
• 250+ stores across 50+ provinces: Sustained expansion since market entry in 2005
• Strong local relevance: Growth driven by localized menu, superior taste, and consistent execution
• ~1.5 million students reached across 676 schools: Deep engagement with youth, supported by 500+ scholarships and a 15,000-attendee anniversary concert
• Recognized by independent institutions: Named No. 1 most reputable F&B company in Vietnam and Grab Vietnam’s 2025 Restaurant Partner of the Year

MANILA, PHILIPPINES – Media OutReach Newswire – 8 May 2026 – Jollibee Vietnam has been named the No. 1 quick-service restaurant brand in Vietnam by Euromonitor International in its Consumer Foodservice 2026edition study—achieving the top ranking despite not having the largest store network in the market. The recognition underscores the brand’s strong consumer relevance and execution in one of the Jollibee Group’s key international growth markets.

Jollibee Vietnam’s success reflects the brand’s steady growth over two decades, built through consistent execution and a strong connection with Vietnamese consumers. Since opening its first store in Ho Chi Minh City in 2005, Jollibee Vietnam has expanded to over 250 stores across more than 50 provinces and cities, establishing a broad national presence.

The expansion has been supported by a range of store formats—including mall-based, street-front, and delivery-oriented locations—allowing the brand to serve different consumer occasions across the country.

“Vietnam is a highly dynamic and competitive market, and our progress reflects our focus on understanding local consumers and executing well on the fundamentals,” said Ernesto Tanmantiong, Global President and CEO of Jollibee Group. “It also underscores the strength of combining a well-loved brand with deep local understanding and consistent execution, reinforcing our belief that long-term growth in international markets comes from staying relevant to consumers while building strong operating foundations.”

Strong local relevance

Jollibee Vietnam’s growth has been anchored on a clear understanding of local tastes and behaviors. Core products such as Chickenjoy fried chicken, Chili Chicken, and Jolly spaghetti continue to resonate with consumers, supported by a passion for superior taste and warm, joyful service that encourages repeat visits.

The brand has also maintained strong engagement with younger consumers through school and community-based activations, as well as digital platforms. In 2025, Jollibee Vietnam’s high school and university programs reached 676 schools and approximately 1.5 million students, while awarding more than 500 scholarships. Its 20^th-anniversary concert, attended by over 15,000 people, further underscores the brand’s connection with the youth segment.

“We’re grateful to the Vietnamese consumers who continue to choose Jollibee and make us part of their everyday moments,” said Dennis Flores, EMEAA Region President. “This recognition belongs equally to our Jollibee Vietnam team, whose care for the customer and commitment to getting the fundamentals right have made this possible. As we move forward, we remain focused on delivering superior-tasting food and a consistently positive customer experience.”

Jollibee Vietnam’s performance has also been recognized by independent organizations. The brand was named the No. 1 most reputable F&B company in Vietnam by Vietnam Report and was awarded Restaurant Partner/Merchant of the Year 2025 by Grab Vietnam, reflecting its strong brand equity and market execution.

For the Jollibee Group, Vietnam reflects how its brands can grow in international markets through a consistent approach to local adaptation and disciplined execution. And as Jollibee Vietnam continues to grow, the milestone underscores how sustained performance is built over time through relevance, consistency, and trust.

*Euromonitor International Limited; Consumer Foodservice 2026 edition, Foodservice Value sales in RSP, data for 2025. Fast food restaurants as per Limited-Service Restaurants category definition.

https://www.jollibeegroup.com

Hashtag: #Jollibee #QSR

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.

The Finance Minister has confirmed claims by Winston Peters that the fees-free university scheme, which covers the final year of tertiary education study for students, will be scrapped in the upcoming Budget.

The New Zealand First Leader made the comments to Newstalk ZB Friday evening.

In a statement this evening Nicola Willis confirmed the comments.

“Ongoing coalition negotiations have led to good Budget policy decisions that further the immediate and long-term interests of New Zealanders.”

“We will have more to say about this in due course,” she said.

Willis also confirmed that students completing their tertiary studies this year remained eligible for fees-free.

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

MIL OSI

University students across New Zealand cannot submit assignments or communicate with tutors after their online learning system was hit by a global data hack.

Names, email addresses, student ID numbers and messages between users could all be affected by the breach.

Do you know more? Email luka.forman@rnz.co.nz

Learning platform Canvas was offline, and the university said it was working urgently on workarounds to minimise the impact on teaching and learning on Friday.

The Canvas data was held by third party platform Instructure, which had its data hacked.

Impacted universities included the University of Auckland, AUT and the Victoria University of Wellington.

The University of Auckland said in a statement the university’s own systems had not been breached and no other systems were at risk.

It said there was no suggestion that any student assessment data, passwords or sign-on credentials had been affected.

An email sent to staff at AUT, confirmed it had been impacted by the hack also.

It said the university’s ICT team were working with Instructure and would advise when more was known.

It asked all staff to log out of Canvas.

RNZ understands the hackers posted a message in the Canvas system and asked schools to contact them to reach a settlement.

An AUT staffer told RNZ the platform was used to submit assignments, post readings and communicate with students.

They said students often wrote messages to tutors on the platform with private information in them.

In a statement AUT said while the platform was down, students wouldn’t have to submit assessments, and extensions would be given based on how long it was down for.

Auckland University said some accommodations might be necessary where assessments were concerned.

Canvas was used in 9000 education systems around the world.

AFP was reporting, the hack had also hit US universities including Harvard, Stanford.

According to the Harvard Crimson student newspaper and posts on social media, students attempting to access the system on Thursday saw a message from the hacking group saying servers belonging to Canvas’s parent company Instructure had “again” been breached.

“Instead of contacting us to resolve it they ignored us and did some ‘security patches,’” the hackers said.

“If any of the schools in the affected list are interested in preventing the release of their data, please consult with a cyber advisory firm and contact us privately…to negotiate a settlement.”

The group warned it would release all stolen data if schools did not make contact by May 12.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Led by Te Herenga Waka Centre for Justice Innovation, this research project will examine when and how remote participation should be used in criminal court proceedings, with the goal of supporting fairer and more effective justice processes.

The use of remote participation in courts refers to where one or more participants take part in court proceedings using audio-visual link (AVL) or audio technology, rather than appearing in person. Since the Covid-19 pandemic, remote appearances have become more common in courts around the world, but there is a need for more evidence about the impact on vulnerable defendants, victims, and the integrity of court processes.

“There are many barriers to participation in the court and those who are neurodivergent or have disabilities often require special accommodations. We need to know whether remote participation is a help or a hindrance for these people and determine how we know who is who, and who needs what to enable effective participation,” says retired judge John Walker, a co-director of the Centre, and project co-lead.

“There are many benefits of remote participation by AVL but we hope our research will enable decisions to be made which balance these benefits against the right to fully participate in court” he said.

The project, which is supported through a Michael and Suzanne Borrin Foundation grant with additional Ministry of Justice funding, will build an evidence base through empirical research with court users and stakeholders, along with a review of international experiences.

Research from this project aims to ensure that technology enhances people’s experiences of court systems and proceedings. “We will focus initially on the effects of remote participation on defendants, especially those who are neurodivergent, have mental health needs, or have intellectual disabilities. We will also examine the experiences of victims, impacts on Māori and Pasifika court participants, and consider the impact on those in custody, including the management of transitions from custodial settings to courtrooms via AV link,” explains John Walker.

“We anticipate that the project findings will contribute to government and judicial decision-making regarding the scope of remote participation, such as the types of proceedings, rights protections, and procedures necessary now and in future,” says project co-lead, Professor Yvette Tinsley.

As an independent voice on justice issues, Te Herenga Waka’s Centre for Justice Innovation is well placed to lead this work. The Centre, based at Te Kauhanganui Tātai Ture—Faculty of Law at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington, brings together multidisciplinary expertise to support change in the way that justice is delivered in Aotearoa New Zealand.

The project will be led by the Centre’s co-directors, Professor Yvette Tinsley, John Walker, and conflict resolution practitioner, Everard Halbert (Rongowhakaata, Ngāti Tama, Ngāti Whiti), with support from colleagues across the Faculty of Law and wider university.

The Centre held a valuable forum in March, bringing together representatives from the disability and neurodivergence spaces, justice sector agencies, and the judiciary, for a conversation about the challenges and benefits of utilising remote participation for defendants facing barriers to participation.

“The forum raised issues that will guide us in the areas we need to concentrate on in our research”, says John Walker.

A summary report of this forum is now available on the Te Herenga Waka Centre for Justice Innovation website and is the first of a series of publications from the project.

“We are grateful for our funders’ support of this project, and for the Michael and Suzanne Borrin Foundation’s ongoing support of the Te Herenga Waka Centre for Justice Innovation’s work in addressing cross-cutting justice issues,” says Professor Tinsley.

Website: https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/cjinz

Direct Link to Remote Participation Project: https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/cjinz/research/remote-participation-criminal-proceedings

MIL OSI

An online learning system used by the University of Auckland and the Auckland University of Auckland (AUT), has been hit by a global data hacking incident.

Names, email addresses, student ID numbers and messages between users could all be affected by the breach.

Learning platform Canvas was offline, and the university said it was working urgently on workarounds to minimise the impact on teaching and learning on Friday.

The Canvas data was held by third party platform Instructure, which had its data hacked.

The University of Auckland said in a statement the university’s own systems had not been breached and no other systems were at risk.

It said there was no suggestion that any student assessment data, passwords or sign-on credentials had been affected.

An email sent to staff at AUT, confirmed it had been impacted by the hack also.

It said the university’s ICT team were working with Instructure and would advise when more was known.

It asked all staff to log out of Canvas.

Canvas was used in 9000 education systems around the world.

AFP was reporting, the hack had also hit US universities including Harvard, Stanford.

According to the Harvard Crimson student newspaper and posts on social media, students attempting to access the system on Thursday saw a message from the hacking group saying servers belonging to Canvas’s parent company Instructure had “again” been breached.

“Instead of contacting us to resolve it they ignored us and did some ‘security patches,’” the hackers said.

“If any of the schools in the affected list are interested in preventing the release of their data, please consult with a cyber advisory firm and contact us privately…to negotiate a settlement.”

The group warned it would release all stolen data if schools did not make contact by May 12.

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

An online learning system used by the University of Auckland and the Auckland University of Auckland (AUT), has been hit by a global data hacking incident.

Names, email addresses, student ID numbers and messages between users could all be affected by the breach.

Learning platform Canvas was offline, and the university said it was working urgently on workarounds to minimise the impact on teaching and learning on Friday.

The Canvas data was held by third party platform Instructure, which had its data hacked.

The University of Auckland said in a statement the university’s own systems had not been breached and no other systems were at risk.

It said there was no suggestion that any student assessment data, passwords or sign-on credentials had been affected.

An email sent to staff at AUT, confirmed it had been impacted by the hack also.

It said the university’s ICT team were working with Instructure and would advise when more was known.

It asked all staff to log out of Canvas.

Canvas was used in 9000 education systems around the world.

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

The University of Auckland’s online learning system has been hit by a global data hacking incident.

Names, email addresses, student ID numbers and messages between users could all be affected by the breach.

Learning platform Canvas was offline, and the university said it was working urgently on workarounds to minimise the impact on teaching and learning on Friday.

The Canvas data was held by third party platform Instructure, which had its data hacked.

The University of Auckland said in a statement the university’s own systems had not been breached and no other systems were at risk.

It said there was no suggestion that any student assessment data, passwords or sign-on credentials had been affected.

Canvas was used in 9000 education systems around the world.

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

A new white paper released today by Skills Group is urging secondary schools, tertiary providers, and employers to work more closely together to build and deliver pathways from school to employment and further education.

Titled Multiple Pathways to Success, the white paper argues that while university remains a clear and well-supported route, too many young people are not being provided with clear or structured pathways to other post-school destinations.

“Despite every student needing to make a successful transition to further education and employment, the system is still overly focused on university entrance as a goal. At the same time, structured tertiary-based opportunities or work experience programmes are only offered to a small minority,” says Skills Group Chief Executive Officer Rosanne Graham.

“Work experience programmes like Gateway, and tertiary experience programmes like Trades Academies are proven to work. Evidence shows that they improve employment outcomes and earnings. However, they have limited student places and are treated as add-ons, rather than as a normal part of senior secondary education. As a result, most students never gain access to them.” Rosanne says.

Each year, more than 60,000 young people leave school. While around 30 percent move directly into degree-level study, the majority take other directions including employment and vocational training, often without a clear or structured transition.

The white paper highlights the scale of the challenge:

• 69 percent of school leavers do not pursue degree level study and have no equivalently structured pathway.
• 84 percent of senior students have no access to structured vocational pathway programmes such as Gateway and Trades Academies
• New Zealand produces twice as many young people not in employment, education or training (NEET) as it does apprentices directly from school.

At the same time, evidence shows that students who participate in Gateway or Trades Academies are more likely to be employed after leaving school, highlighting the impact of early exposure to real-world and tertiary learning opportunities.

The white paper highlights that:

• Work-integrated and vocational learning opportunities are fragmented across multiple schemes, each with different rules and limited capacity.
• Schools face financial and operational barriers to expanding these options.
• There are pockets of strong practice, but they are not consistent or well-supported by existing funding and operational policy.

“At the moment, funding is largely tied to the time young people are inside the school gate. This can lead to too many disengaged students making it harder for schools to support real-world or tertiary learning at scale,” Rosanne says.

“Supporting young people on a productive and successful pathway to their next step beyond school is the core purpose of the final years of schooling. However, schools cannot do that alone and we shouldn’t expect them to. Tertiary providers, and employers need to join with secondary educators at the curriculum design table, working in partnership to build and deliver the multiple pathways system that our young people and our economy need.”

The white paper also highlights broader economic and social impacts of the current system, including high levels of skills mismatch, inefficient pathways and transitions into work, and persistent inequities in outcomes for Māori and Pasifika learners.

It calls for a fundamental shift in how senior secondary education operates, including:

Moving from the ‘scheme-based’ model of alternative pathways to a universal dual enrolment entitlement, allowing any student over the age of 16 to combine their school learning with tertiary or workplace-based education and training.
Ensuring funding enables learners to achieve across school, tertiary, and employment settings, without penalising schools for achievement occurring outside the school.
Embedding partnerships between schools, employers, and tertiary providers into both the design and delivery of senior secondary education.

The release of Multiple Pathways to Success comes as the Government progresses reforms to the secondary school curriculum and replaces the NCEA qualifications. Recent sector work, including the Working Knowledge research report by the New Zealand Initiative, highlights the opportunity to strengthen how curriculum and qualifications support a wider range of post-school options.

“The introduction of new industry-led subjects could be a key vehicle for more proactively delivering vocational options and pathways through partnerships between secondary schools, tertiary providers and employers.”

Skills Group believes this is a critical opportunity but only if system design is addressed alongside those changes.

“These are young people on the cusp of the rest of their lives,” Rosanne says. “That means achieving University Entrance cannot be the only goal of 13 years of school – the new senior curriculum needs to genuinely recognise and deliver multiple pathways.

“If we focus only on changing subjects and qualifications, without fixing how the system supports students to access real-world learning and experience, we risk repeating the mistakes of the past,” Rosanne says.

“This is about making all post-school options visible, accessible, and achievable for every student.”

Link to white paper: https://skills-group.org/news/multiple-pathways-to-success/

About Skills Group
Skills Group is New Zealand’s largest private training provider and a charitable trust, delivering hands-on, real-world education to over 23,000 learners across New Zealand and internationally. From school leavers to CEOs, we support lifelong learning through practical, industry-aligned programmes that grow careers, businesses, and communities.

Our purpose is rooted in our charitable mission: advancing vocational education for the benefit of Aotearoa New Zealand. We exist to grow people, not profits. Surpluses are reinvested in teaching quality, campus facilities, learner and employer support, and the capability of the industries we serve. We deliver high-quality, future-ready training that equips New Zealanders to thrive in their careers and contribute meaningfully to their communities.

As a trusted partner to government, employers, and educators, Skills Group shapes New Zealand’s workforce and drives economic growth. Our programmes are built with industry, for industry ensuring learners gain skills that are relevant, future-focused, and immediately applicable. Whether training the next generation of electricians, upskilling healthcare workers, or supporting leadership development, we are committed to maximising human potential through lifelong learning.

MIL OSI

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 7 May 2026 – The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) has achieved outstanding results in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026, released on 25 March, further cementing its position as a global leader in research and academic excellence. Ten CUHK subjects have secured the top position in Hong Kong, and 21 subjects rank among the top 50 worldwide. These outstanding results reflect CUHK’s sustained commitment to research impact and the calibre of its scholars, whose work continues to advance the collective understanding of the world’s most pressing challenges.

CUHK’s Academic Excellence and Global Research Impact

Ranked among the world’s top 50 universities, CUHK ascended to 32nd place globally in the QS World University Rankings 2026, marking a four-place rise that reinforces its role as a hub for rigorous inquiry, and a dynamic environment where students are empowered to pursue meaningful research and knowledge exchange. This trajectory is supported by 17 CUHK researchers recognised on the Highly Cited Researchers 2025 list by Clarivate Analytics, and 431 academics listed among the world’s top 2% scientists by Stanford University. Among them, 47 scholars were ranked within the global top 100 in their respective fields. Notably, three scholars, including Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Dennis Lo Yuk-ming, have earned positions within the global top 10, a distinction that highlights the remarkable depth and excellence of CUHK’s research community.

CUHK’s The Nethersole School of Nursing: Nurturing Research Innovation and Global Talent in Nursing

Among CUHK’s strongest performers in this year’s rankings, the Nethersole School of Nursing has been ranked #1 in Hong Kong and Asia, and #6 worldwide. Reflecting on the academic environment, Pham Nhat Vi DO, a Vietnamese PhD student in Nursing, shared: “My PhD journey at CUHK has transformed my research abilities, critical thinking, and leadership skills. Through CUHK’s outstanding faculty support, I have accessed diverse academic resources and gained invaluable hands-on experience, building a strong foundation for my future career.”

Vi’s research focuses on colorectal cancer survivorship using cutting-edge technology. As the first Vietnamese researcher adopting this approach, her work reflects CUHK’s strength in empowering students to break new ground.

CUHK’s Geography and Resource Management: Advancing Student Research on Pressing Climate Challenges

CUHK’s Department of Geography and Resource Management has also earned notable recognition in this year’s ranking, placing #4 in Asia and #21 worldwide. Arati POUDEL, a Nepali PhD student, highlighted the University’s research ecosystem as a key defining aspect of her experience. “CUHK exceeds expectations through outstanding research facilities, supportive faculty, and comprehensive professional development opportunities. The prestigious Belt and Road Scholarship has also enriched my research journey in this beautiful campus environment.”

Supported by CUHK, Arati’s research investigates how adaptation to climate extremes—particularly water scarcity and excess—are being addressed, and the pivotal role played by communities and civil society in leading these responses.

Through the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026, CUHK continues to demonstrate the impact of its research and scholarship. These achievements underscore the University’s growing influence on the global academic stage and its steadfast commitment to addressing complex global challenges through innovation, insight, and collaboration.

Hashtag: #CUHK

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.

Kia hiwa rā, kia hiwa rā
Kia hiwa rā ki tēnei tuku
Kia hiwa rā ki tērā tuku
Kia tū, kia oho,
kia mataara!

Privacy is precious – help protect it
The Office of the Privacy Commissioner is Aotearoa New Zealand’s privacy regulator, protecting the taonga that is personal information. Our mahi addresses systemic and population-scale privacy issues, increases good privacy practice, and champions the privacy rights of all New Zealanders. We work in partnership with Māori to take a te ao Māori perspective on privacy, engaging and empowering people and communities who are more vulnerable to serious privacy harm.

Assistant Compliance Officer

• High impact work programme
• Professional challenge and growth
• Inclusive work culture
• Indicative base salary range $58,000 – $80,000 pa
• Read the job description (opens to PDF, 190KB)
• Apply on Seek

Ko tā mātou mahi – The role

This is an early career professional role with great development and progression opportunities.

Our team is on the frontline spearheading OPC’s regulatory response both at an agency and at system-wide level. The work is complex and challenging, with no two cases the same.

You will be assessing and responding to privacy breach notifications, providing advice and support to agencies on how to manage and respond to privacy breaches and supporting investigations and our audit and assurance workstreams.

Indicative base salary range is $58,000 – $75,000, with actual pay based on relevant experience and qualifications.

Ngā pūmanawatanga ōu – What you bring

• Relevant tertiary qualification (preferred)
• Interest in working in a regulatory environment
• Enjoys navigating complexity and ambiguity 
• Really solid written and verbal communication skills
• Effective time management, a methodical approach to work and great attention to detail
• Able to take and respond positively to feedback and coaching
• Privacy experience is not a pre-requisite but an interest in privacy is. 

Te painga o te mahi tahi me mātou – what this role offers

• Engaging, interesting work
• Friendly and inclusive culture
• Three days paid Commissioner leave between Christmas and New Year
• Work-life balance with flexible working options
• 15 days sick leave per year and fifth week of annual leave after 3 year’s service
• At work support for learning te reo Māori and tikanga practices

We are committed to providing a workplace where people feel valued and respected. Diversity makes us stronger and we seek to attract and foster diversity of background, thought and experience.

Me pēhea te tono – how to apply

Applications must come through on Seek.

In addition to your CV, your application must be accompanied by a covering letter which sets out your suitability for this role specifically. We want to hear your voice, unmediated by AI.

Applications close 9am 27 May unless filled prior. Apply now if you are interested as we may interview and appoint prior to the closing date.

Contact us at vacancies@privacy.org.nz if you have any questions or want to chat about the role.

You must have the legal right to work in New Zealand to be considered.

Investigator | Kaihōpara
Investigation and Dispute Resolution Team

Ko te tūranga – the role

We have a fantastic opportunity for an Investigator to join our team. 

Our Investigation and Dispute Resolution team is our front-line, investigating a wide range of complaints from individuals who allege an agency has interfered with their privacy.

You will likely have a law degree and/or relevant work experience and have a strong interest in case management and dispute resolution.

In this role you will investigate, resolve, and manage your own complaint files, and will be supported with mentoring from senior staff, working in a team which is mutually supportive and genuinely collaborative.

You will be comfortable dealing with cases of complexity and challenge requiring sound technical knowledge, advanced people skills and good judgement. There will be occasions where you will be responding to challenging issues, so resilience, strong communication (written & oral) and relationship skills are key to thriving in this role.

Ngā pūmanawatanga ōu – what you will bring 

• An interest in the Privacy Act and other human rights legislation. Working knowledge of the Act would be an advantage, but not essential.
• A legal qualification and/or experience in interpreting and applying legislation.
• Excellent communication skills, both oral and in writing.
• Strong relationship management skills and the emotional intelligence to effectively deal with complex behaviours and people from all walks of life.
• An understanding of and ability to recognise and understand key Māori, disability, and other cultural and human rights concepts in a practical setting.
• Ability to manage competing priorities with a results-oriented approach.

Te painga o te mahi tahi me mātou – what this role offers

• Intellectually stimulating, working with compelling privacy issues and cases
• Inclusive, friendly work culture
• Three days paid Commissioner leave between Christmas and New Year
• 15 days sick leave per year and fifth week of annual leave after 3 years’ service
• Work-life balance with flexible working options
• At work support for learning te reo Māori and tikanga practices
• EAP and professional supervision.

Me pēhea te tono – how to apply

We are committed to providing an inclusive workplace where people feel valued and respected.  Diversity makes us stronger and we seek to attract and foster diversity of background, thought and experience.

Applications will only be accepted on Seek. All applications are reviewed by a human.

In addition to your CV, include a covering letter clearly setting out your suitability for this role.  Please do not use AI assistance for your application as we want to see your individual communication style and approach. 

Applications close 27 May, unless filled prior. Apply now if you are interested as we may interview and appoint prior to the closing date.  

For further information about this role email vacancies@privacy.org.nz

You must have the right to work in NZ to be considered for this role.

MIL OSI

A new law that is intended to simplify New Zealand’s rules around leave has the potential to add complexity – and create difficulties particularly for people being paid commission, some legal experts say.

Submissions have been received on the Employment Leave Bill, which is to replace the Holidays Act.

It introduces changes such as annual and sick leave being accrued according to time worked, and a new “otherwise working day” test for public holidays.

But it also says that all leave taken will be paid at an hourly rate – and for those who are not on a set salary, the leave will be taken at the “lowest hourly rate payable for the day on which leave is taken”. Fixed allowances are included, but not things like commission.

Jim Roberts, a partner at Hesketh Henry, said this was potentially a big problem. “In its simplest form, holiday payments are going from being calculated on everything earned to being calculated on the lowest possible rate.”

Roberts said it would not affect people who did not usually get overtime or commission but could be very significant for those who did.

“There are salespeople who are set up on close to, or the minimum wage, as a retainer, and everything else is commission. Their annual holidays will be at minimum wage. There is no incentive whatsoever for those employees to ever take annual holidays. For example, an employee who earns 80 percent by commissions now gets holidays at paid 20 percent. Under the current [Act] they are 100 percent.

“The same applies to salaried and wage earners who work a lot of overtime. These are usually trades, other non-university based qualifications, and unqualified people working in large industry, manufacturing and labouring roles. The latter category, which is the largest, tend to be the lowest paid. They also tend to include people employed in 24/7 occupations, i.e. shift workers, for example at ports, hospitals, airports and any other operations that operate 24 hours a day every day of the year.

“It is the employees with low base rates supplemented with overtime or commissions who are set to lose the most. The overtime group was heavily unionised, which is how overtime payments were achieved in the first place. There is no impact whatsoever on an office-based worker working Monday to Friday on solely a salary.

“The workforce in the centre of towns and cities will be largely unaffected. There is a significant and disproportionate difference between these two groups. The former (overtime and commission employees) would take annual holidays with a significant loss of pay for that period. The latter (salary only employees) would take holidays with no loss of pay at all.”

Matt Harrop, special counsel at Duncan Cotterill, said it was an area that could still be tweaked.

People who were paid bonuses would also be affected, he said.

“For employees who have a large component of their pay that’s dealt with in bonuses, that’s going to be a big change.

“And that is actually for well-paid members of society more often than not. Those who work in the banking space, for example… there will be tweaks, I think, as to those very small aspects of it.”

He said the bill was trying to come up with the most simple system possible without undermining groups of people.

“There are arguments from certain employee groups and unions saying the setting is not right and it has a disproportionate effect on the most vulnerable groups in society because they tend to work the more variable patterns.

“But equally, you have some employers saying that doesn’t work for us as well. For example, when the horticulture and retail sector is saying the costs of having casual employment are going to go up and that doesn’t work.”

He said the calculation would have to change somehow to create a simpler system and that would have flow-on effects.

“It’s a question of do we want a simpler system with the associated effects or do we leave things in the broken state that they are? That’s the ultimate question, I think.

“The way modern work patterns are, there are a lot of inputs and there is a lot of variability. And that’s what the issue is when you lay this out into practical reality, is that people work complicated patterns.

“They have different amounts of pay they earn for different things. And systematising that in a way that can be rolled out at scale is not straightforward.”

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Young people are worried about mental health, bullying and job prospects, while feeling pressure to “have it all figured out”, according to new research by Youthline.

But where social media and vaping were near the top of their concerns in 2023, this year’s cohort are worried about job opportunities – or a lack of them.

Youthline, a not-for-profit offering support to young people for the past five decades, releases a “State of the Generation” report every two years, intended to gauge what issues are affecting young New Zealanders.

Data was gathered by way of a 10-minute survey of 1041 people, aged 12 to 24, across the country.

The biggest issues, according to this year’s survey group, were social pressure (25 percent), cost of living (18 percent), and the job market (17 percent).

According to one respondent: “It feels like we’re under constant pressure – from adults, from social media – to have everything figured out.”

When asked to name their three biggest issues, the results were mental health (59 percent), lack of job opportunities (52 percent), bullying (40 percent), money issues (38 percent) and climate change (35 percent).

The results varied between specific demographics – the younger cohort, specifically those aged 12 to 17, were more concerned about bullying, phone addiction/screen time and social media than the wider survey group.

Among the older demographic – those aged 18 to 24 – the biggest concerns were the cost of living and the job market.

For Māori, violence and abuse ranked higher as a concern, as did homelessness.

And among Asian communities, exam stress ranked substantially higher than the wider cohort.

In 2021, mental health (including anxiety, depression and stress) and social media topped the list of important issues for those surveyed – and those four things were on-top again in 2023.

Vaping, a new category in 2023, was sixth on the list. This year, that had dropped to 13th.

Research by Dot Loves Data, previously published by RNZ, showed younger people are spending less on vapes in 2025 than in previous years, perhaps as a result of stricter regulations.

Job opportunities a key area of concern

This year’s second biggest concern, a lack of job opportunities, had also seen a big jump – up from 18th, or third-to-bottom, in 2023. Now, 52 percent said it was one of the three most important issues they faced.

Many agreed experience requirements for jobs were a barrier to entry.

According to one: “Young people apply to millions of jobs and barely get a response. How are we supposed to move forward in life?”

And another: “Without job opportunities, young people will struggle to gain independence, build experience, and feel secure about their future.”

Money worries also featured highly on the list – 38 percent of respondents said it was one of their three most important issues.

According to the latest data from Stats NZ, the number of people aged between 15 and 24 years who were unemployed, and not in education or training, increased to 14.4 percent from 13.3 percent in the past year.

Women were the most affected, with one-in-five aged between 20 and 24 falling into that category.

“The job market is increasingly becoming a real problem area for that older cohort,” Youthline’s chief executive Shae Ronald told Nine to Noon. “And that has definitely come out through this survey.”

“We’re seeing it with young people who are reaching out to us for support, and parents and families who are reaching out to us for support. A lot of young people are graduating, for example, from university, and just have no opportunities.”

She said since the survey period ended, that pressure had been exacerbated by the fuel crisis, with families having less money to support young people.

Mental health support lacking, long wait-times

RNZ reported earlier this year there has been a spike in children under 12 needing mental health support.

Alongside problems like jobs and income, the report highlights a feeling of being let down by mental health services.

One respondent is quoted: “The wait times to see someone is ridiculous.”

And another: “It seems that the more it’s talked about, the more people realise they have mental health issues, putting strain on the system.”

When asked “How many children and young people’s mental health organisations can you think of?”, 41 percent of respondents couldn’t name any.

Twenty-three percent named Youthline unprompted, and then, in a follow-up question asking if they had heard of Youthline, 60 percent said they had.

Ronald said it was reassuring to see they were still well-known as a source of support, but the overall lack of awareness of sources of support was “highly concerning given the rising rates of youth mental health distress”.

“Barriers such as location, cost, transport, stigma and a lack of clarity about how to access services, further compound the challenge,” she said.

While bullying had long been an issue for young people, according to the report social media had increased bullies’ reach.

Twenty-seven percent of respondents agreed that bullying felt inescapable, and 22 percent said there had been an increase in cyber bullying.

“It’s worse now, because it doesn’t just stop at the end of the school day; the bullies can bully you online when you’re at home,” said one.

More young people talking to AI for support than to therapists or doctors

Despite the potential negative effects of social media, many young people went there for support, with 67 percent of those saying they turned to TikTok, 51 percent to Instagram, 44 percent to YouTube and 29 percent to Facebook. Other answers were Snapchat, Reddit, Discord, Pinterest, X, Twitch and WeChat.

Alternative sources of support were speaking to friends or parents – and 20 percent said they chatted to AI (for example, ChatGPT) for support. Of those, more than half (54 percent) said they used it weekly.

Sixteen percent said they spoken to a therapist, another 16 to a GP, and another 16 said they saw a school counsellor.

What needs to change?

According to the report, young people want to be able to access more support through online chat and text (19 percent of respondents), and at school (15 percent).

Only five percent said they wanted more counsellors and shorter wait times, and seven percent wanted free or affordable services. Helplines came out middle of the pack, at 8 percent.

“To remain relevant, mental health support must continue to meet them in these spaces,” the report says.

Ronald agreed. “The projections are that the global youth mental health crisis will continue to increase.”

“I do have hope that here in Aotearoa New Zealand, we can really pay attention and listen to what young people are saying, and we can work together in a really coordinated, collaborative way to ensure that we are, you know, strengthening and developing a system that works better for young people.”

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Date:  06 May 2026

The Department of Conservation is surveying a range of habitats both inside and outside the new marine protected areas as a monitoring baseline of the marine environment. It is working with mana moana, universities and research institutes.

The monitoring is an essential part of ensuring the purpose of the Hauraki Gulf/Tīkapa Moana Marine Protection Act – to restore the health and mauri of the area – is being met. The monitoring aims to understand the ecological condition and trends, the effectiveness of protection measures, and the impacts of any permitted activities.

Emma Kearney, a marine scientist at DOC, says the surveys provide an environmental snapshot of 2026.

“We need to know what the marine habitats and species look like now, so that we can track trends and changes in the future.

“The 12 new high protection areas are different from marine reserves, because they are legally set up to encourage restoration, such as reseeding shellfish beds or reducing sea urchin numbers.

“This monitoring will help us understand the impacts of the protection as well as the outcomes of marine restoration work.”

Data will be collated and reported on in 2026/2027 – the new legislation requires DOC to report on changes in the marine environment publicly every five years.

The surveys focus on various species including deep and shallow reef fish, spiny and packhorse lobster, scallops and key seafloor species such as horse mussel, rhodoliths, and dog cockle.

A range of methods are used from diving and potting for lobster, to underwater cameras mounted on frames that sit on the seafloor and observe the fish communities.

Emma says the process of marine science takes place both in and out of the water.

“One day I’m out measuring lobster with marine rangers in the Coromandel. Another day I’m behind the computer screen reviewing video footage to see what species are showing up around reefs, and what sizes they are.”

“Many fish and underwater species use the reefs and shellfish beds of Tīkapa Moana to breed and shelter. New areas of protection are crucial as they support these highly productive marine ecosystems.

“In recent months, fishers have been great at respecting the rules when out on the water. Removing fishing pressure helps sea life to grow larger and reproduce. It’s an easy way for people to contribute to the health of Tīkapa Moana,” adds Emma.

Anyone heading out naturing in the Gulf can learn more about these marine protections on the DOC website.

Hauraki Gulf/Tīkapa Moana marine protected areas

Contact

MIL OSI

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 6 May 2026 – As global education systems evolve to meet rapidly changing workforce demands, micro credentials are gaining traction as a flexible complement to traditional degrees rather than a replacement, according to international policy bodies and education experts. Micro credentials, defined by the European Union as certifications of “learning outcomes of short-term learning experiences,” are designed to provide targeted, skills-based learning in a shorter timeframe.

Meanwhile, UNESCO notes that micro credentials typically focus on “a specific set of learning outcomes in a narrow field” and are achieved over a shorter period compared to traditional qualifications such as degrees. The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development OECD further highlight their growing role in supporting lifelong learning and employability, particularly as individuals seek to upskill and reskill in response to labour market changes.

Complementary, Not Competing Pathways

While micro credentials are often positioned as an alternative to degrees, global evidence suggests that the two serve different but complementary purposes. Traditional degrees remain the primary pathway for developing broad based knowledge, critical thinking, and foundational expertise, often required for entry into professional fields. In contrast, micro credentials offer targeted, flexible learning that can address specific skills gaps at different career stages.

International frameworks increasingly emphasise this complementary role. European policy discussions describe micro credentials as part of flexible learning pathways that can be stacked or combined with larger qualifications, enabling more personalised education journeys.

Relevance to Singapore’s Lifelong Learning Agenda

In Singapore, the emphasis on lifelong learning driven by national initiatives such as SkillsFuture aligns with global developments in modular and flexible education pathways. This approach reflects a growing recognition that learning does not end with a degree, and that individuals increasingly require ongoing access to short form, skills-based education throughout their careers.

Institutions such as the Singapore Institute of Management (SIM) illustrate how this shift is being operationalised in practice. With a stated commitment to lifelong learning embedded in its education model, SIM supports learners across different life stages, from pre-employment education to professional and continuing education.

SIM offers more than 140 academic programmes in partnership with international universities, alongside a wide range of professional short courses and micro credentials. This enables learners to combine foundational degree education with targeted skills development, reflecting the growing adoption of stackable and modular learning pathways.

The institution supports approximately 17,000 students annually and has a network of close to 200,000 graduates, positioning it as a significant player in Singapore’s education and lifelong learning ecosystem. Learning is delivered through a mix of in person, online and blended formats, providing flexibility for both full time students and working professionals to upskill and reskill in response to changing industry demands.

Implications for Students and Employer

For students, micro credentials offer greater flexibility across different stages of learning and career development. Undergraduates can explore areas of interest beyond their primary discipline through short form learning, while fresh graduates can supplement academic knowledge with job relevant skills to improve employability. Mid-career professionals are also able to reskill or pivot into new roles without committing to full time study.

For employers, this shift highlights the need to evaluate both foundational and applied capabilities. Degrees continue to signal broad based knowledge, critical thinking and discipline, while micro credentials provide evidence of current, job specific skills. Taken together, these credentials offer a more complete view of an individual’s readiness and adaptability in a rapidly changing workforce.

A Shift Toward Stackable Learning

The future of education is increasingly defined by a stackable and modular approach, where degrees and micro credentials are combined to support continuous learning. Degrees provide the foundational knowledge and academic grounding, while micro credentials enable targeted skills development that can be applied in real time. This approach underscores a broader transition from one time qualification attainment to lifelong capability building, where learning is continuous, adaptable and aligned with changing workforce needs.

References:

1. European Commission European Education Area A European approach to micro credentials – https://education.ec.europa.eu/education-levels/higher-education/micro-credentials
2. UNESCO Towards a common definition of micro credentials – https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000381668
3. OECD Micro credentials for lifelong learning and employability – https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/micro-credentials-for-lifelong-learning-and-employability_9c4b7b68-en.html
4. Skillsfuture Singapore – https://www.skillsfuture.gov.sg/
5. Singapore Institute of Management – https://www.sim.edu.sg

https://www.sim.edu.sg/

Hashtag: #SIMGlobalEducation #SIMGE #GlobalEducation #InternationalDegree #CareerReady #FutureSkills

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.

Tertiary Education Minister Penny Simmonds has announced the appointment of Michelle Findlater to the Board of the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC). 

Michelle began her career as an auto-electrician and now manages a large car dealership. She has been a member of advisory and governance groups in the automotive industry at regional and national levels, and has been a member of the Southland Chamber of Commerce since 2016. MITO recognised her work and potential in 2025 by awarding her its Janet Lane Scholarship to undertake studies with Harvard University.

“Michelle brings extensive knowledge of the work-based training system, particularly in the automotive industry,” says Ms Simmonds. “She has already made important contributions to our work-based learning system. I am confident she will continue to do so as a member of the TEC’s Board and make important contributions to its steering of the broader tertiary education system.

“The Government’s Tertiary Education Strategy, which the TEC gives effect to, has a strong focus on access, participation and achievement, to ensure all learners gain the skills needed to achieve strong careers. Michelle’s knowledge and commitment will help the TEC deliver the workforces New Zealand needs to succeed. I am pleased to confirm her appointment to this role.”

Ms Findlater’s appointment is for a three-year term from 1 May 2026. Ms Findlater’s appointment follows the resignation of Bharat Guha at the end of 2025 due to work commitments. 

MIL OSI

MIL OSI

Young thespians are proving that Shakespeare still has the power to resonate with youth culture, because the first world problems of love, jealousy, and identity didn’t disappear with corsets and quills—they just changed platforms.

This King’s Birthday Weekend, a new generation of rangatahi will take to the stage at the National Shakespeare Festival in Wellington, hosted by Shakespeare Globe Centre New Zealand (SGCNZ) with support and sponsorship from Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington.

From Romeo’s crush on Juliet and his attempts to slide into her DMs through her nurse; to Richard III’s sleepless nights thinking of those he cancelled—or the guy who gets caught in a custody battle between Titania and Oberon—the actors will give attendees a taste of how tuned-in Shakespeare was to the concerns of young people.

Dawn Sanders, founder and CEO of SGCNZ, says the kaupapa of the festival runs deep.

“This festival is about giving young people the tools to think critically, collaborate, take risks, and speak with confidence. Shakespeare holds something new for every generation, so he’s a great vehicle for these life lessons. In this, our thirty-fifth year of festivals, we are delighted to see the gifts of Shakespeare continue to be given to our teens,” says Dawn.

“Tragedy, comedy, protest, satire and joy collide across the festival programme, which showcases teams selected from 23 regional festivals held across the country. Around 4,000 students have taken part nationwide this year—making the festival one of Aotearoa’s largest youth-led cultural events!

“For the national festival, students from schools, homeschool clusters, and community youth drama groups will perform bold, contemporary takes on Shakespeare’s work, filtered through today’s language, politics, humour, and social realities.”

Professor Sarah Ross from Te Herenga Waka, one of Aotearoa’s leading Shakespeare scholars, is currently researching the role that the Bard played in Māori and Pākehā education in the late 1800s—connecting his global legacy to our local histories.

“Four centuries on, Shakespeare isn’t being preserved behind glass. He’s being remixed, re‑spoken, and re‑owned—by teenagers who recognise themselves in his characters and aren’t afraid to make the stories their own,” she says.

Two alumni of the programme and current students at Vic, Hune Edwards and Jimmy Muir, will return to emcee performances at the St James Theatre from 30 May—31 May, underscoring the festival’s long‑term impact. Many SGCNZ alumni go on to study at Te Herenga Waka.

The festival is a launchpad for young actors, Dawn says.

“Talent is actively scouted throughout the programme, with 46 students from the National and Regional Festivals selected to attend the SGCNZ National Shakespeare Schools Production intensive course later in the year. Students from this group—plus a winner from the Costume Design and Music Composition Competitions—are then selected to travel to London for further artistic development at the Globe Theatre, placing Aotearoa’s next generation of storytellers on one of the world’s most iconic stages.”

Festival details:
9.30 am – 5.30 pm, Saturday 30 May, 9.00 am – 5 pm, Sunday 31 May
Prizegiving, 7 pm – 9.30 pm, Sunday 31 May
St James Theatre, Courtenay Place, Wellington

Tickets are now available here: https://www.universe.com/events/sgcnz-victoria-university-of-wellington-national-shakespeare-festival-tickets-24RDNP?ref=universe-discover

And the National Festival performance schedule can be found here: https://www.sgcnz.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/35NPerfsPublicAll-1.pdf

MIL OSI

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 4 May 2026 – As students increasingly evaluate higher education options through the lens of employability, internships have emerged as a critical factor influencing decision-making, reflecting a broader shift towards experience-based learning. Recent findings from Singapore’s Graduate Employment Survey show that employment outcomes for graduates from autonomous universities and the private education sector are closely tracked, with data generally collected approximately six months after graduation to capture early career transitions.

While overall employment rates remain relatively resilient, education and labour market observers note that graduates are increasingly expected to demonstrate practical experience in addition to academic qualifications. Industry commentary linked to the survey highlights that internships and prior work exposure can play a key role in improving employability, particularly in a tighter job market.

Internships as a Bridge Between Education and Employment

Internships are widely regarded as a critical bridge between academic learning and professional employment. They provide students with opportunities to develop workplace competencies, understand organisational environments and build networks that can support job placement after graduation. With Graduate Employment Survey data indicating increased competition for full-time roles, early exposure to industry has become an important differentiator for students entering the workforce.

Embedding Internships into the Student Experience

The Singapore Institute of Management (SIM) has incorporated internships as a core component of its employability strategy through its Career Connect department. Internships are positioned as a key pathway that “bridge students and graduates into the realities of the working world,” allowing them to apply academic knowledge in real business environments.

SIM works with a network of companies ranging from small and medium enterprises to multinational organisations, providing students with access to internship opportunities across sectors.

Students may source internships independently or tap into structured opportunities within SIM’s ecosystem, including in-house placements through initiatives such as the Talent Development Programme.

Technology Enabled Access to Internship Opportunities

To support access at scale, SIM has introduced CareerSense, a digital platform that aggregates internship listings, job opportunities and career events into a single interface. Through this platform, students can connect with employers, explore opportunities and participate in career development activities, reflecting a broader shift towards digital career services in higher education.

Recognising the Value of Internship Participation

SIM has also introduced initiatives to recognise student participation in internships and experiential learning. The SIM60 Work-Integrated Learning for Life WILL Award highlights the role of internships in developing both technical and transferable skills such as communication, adaptability and problem solving. Such initiatives reflect a wider industry view that structured work experience is an increasingly important component of graduate readiness.

A Growing Expectation Among Students

The emphasis on internships reflects a broader shift in student priorities. As employment outcomes become more closely tied to educational choices, students are seeking clearer pathways from classroom learning to career opportunities.

With Graduate Employment Survey data pointing to a more competitive hiring environment, institutions that provide strong access to internships and industry engagement are likely to play a more significant role in shaping graduate success.

References

1. Ministry of Education Singapore Graduate Employment Survey – https://data.gov.sg/datasets?resultId=d_3c55210de27fcccda2ed0c63fdd2b352&topics=education
2. Private Education Employment Survey – https://www.ssg.gov.sg/resources/pei/pei-ges/private-education-institution-graduate-employment-survey-2024-2025
3. Full-time employment opportunity falls to 79.5% for fresh graduates in S’pore – https://hrsea.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/industry/full-time-employment-opportunity-falls-to-79-5-for-fresh-graduates-in-spore-survey-finds/118531408?
4. SIM Career Service – https://www.sim.edu.sg/degrees-diplomas/life-at-sim/career-services
5. SIM Internship & Employment Opportunities – https://www.sim.edu.sg/alumni/internship-and-employment-opportunities

https://www.sim.edu.sg/

Hashtag: #SIMGlobalEducation #SIMGE #GlobalEducation #InternationalDegree #CareerReady #FutureSkills

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.

A juvenile orca found washed ashore on an Auckland beach early Monday morning will undergo a necropsy to determine the cause of its death.

The Department of Conservation’s Auckland biodiversity ranger Nikki Grist says the female orca was found dead at Orewa Beach.

Ngāti Manuhiri performed a karakia and the orca was taken to Massey University in Auckland.

The university’s Cetacean Pathology Unit will carry out a necropsy to try to determine the cause of the orca’s death

It is two-metres long and estimated to be 3 to 6 months old.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

A sociologist and university professor says ACT’s new [://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/594074/act-s-plan-to-toughen-immigration-rules proposed immigration policies] is vague, creates more bureaucracy and risks alienating a large portion of the population.

On Sunday, ACT leader David Seymour announced a six-point plan shake-up of immigration policy.

It would also include a $6 per day infrastructure surcharge on temporary work visas and a five-year welfare stand-down for all residence class visa holders.

Seymour said it would make the system work better for New Zealand, and rebuild confidence in immigration by restoring fairness and accountability.

Massey University emeritus professor Paul Spoonley told Morning Report Seymour had clearly put a stake in the ground.

“He’s not prepared to concede the strict controls on immigration space to New Zealand First,” he said.

“I was surprised at the new tax appearing. I was surprised at the fact that there’s more bureaucracy and I’m really puzzled about some of the comments about shared values.”

In the announcement, Seymour said the country needed new migrants to grow and develop, but his proposed system would only welcome people if they share values of tolerance, freedom and democracy.

“Success requires a common set of expectations; respect our freedoms, uphold our democratic values, contribute to infrastructure, speak English, obey the law, and fill genuine gaps in the economy,” he said.

But Spoonley said what that meant was unclear.

“He does talk there about freedom, democracy, tolerance, but that’s a bit abstract,” he said.

“My questions would be what values? Who decides? I mean, is there the Treaty of Waitangi in there? I suspect not.

“How do immigrants demonstrate agreement with those values? And of course, what happens if you breach those values? So, it’s all a bit vague for me.”

Spoonley said a survey found that around 12 to 15 percent people were anxious about immigration, which could sometimes be a bit higher, but was still quite modest.

He questioned whether the policies would alienate the immigration population – of which 43 percent of residents in Auckland were immigrants and 60 percent children of immigrations – to appeal to a “much smaller, anxious community”.

ACT’s six-point plan included changes to work visas – including charging more – and an expiry every year.

Spoonley said employers would be worried.

“You’re talking about the Accredited Employer Work Visa, which is you get it for three to five years and what they’re suggesting is that you’ve got to reapply every year,” he said

“There must be employers out there sitting out there this morning wondering what the hell’s going on, that they’ve got to go through this exercise each year.”

But the other side of the equation was that Immigration NZ would have to assess and approve those applications and when you looked at their capability and capacity at the moment, it was quite limited, he said.

“Some of the wait times are extending out. So, this is an added complication requirement on Immigration New Zealand as well. I just don’t see why it’s necessary,” he said.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Penny Taylor was in an induced coma, “frying from the inside”.

The 36-year-old mother-of-two had been rushed to hospital after being discovered unconscious.

There, she was given 30 minutes to live and a two percent chance of survival.

As her organs failed, her three and seven-year-old children were told to say goodbye.

It was November 2009 and prior to her collapse, Taylor only knew she had a vomiting bug. In reality, it was meningococcal septicaemia.

Meningitis covers a range of serious and life-threatening diseases involving inflammation of the meninges – the membrane lining the brain and spinal cord.

In Taylor, the meningococcal bacterial infection led to blood poisoning, which can escalate rapidly, damaging blood vessels and organs – and ultimately left her a double-amputee.

Now, the Health Minister wants to know what services are available to survivors like Taylor, who on Wednesday last week told a Health Select Committee that after she was discharged from hospital, she had to fend for herself.

Survival against the odds

Taylor survived, but only just. She said it was a “harrowing experience,” particularly for her family, but told RNZ she was willing to revisit it in the hope that others could avoid her fate.

Before she became ill, she knew very little about the dangers of the meningococcal bacteria.

“I knew it was around, but I didn’t know that I could get it at my age. I didn’t realise that everyone is open to it and that we all carry it in the back of our throats and it’s kind of a bit like potluck as to whether it takes hold or not.”

Meningitis presents with flu-like symptoms, including vomiting, and as a mother to a toddler, Taylor naturally blamed a daycare bug. “I just thought, ‘Oh, it’ll be a 24-hour bug, I’ll be fine.’”

Fortunately, Taylor’s mother – who’d been given a heads up that her daughter was unwell – popped in on her way home from work and upon finding her daughter unresponsive, called an ambulance.

She later told Taylor that by the time it arrived, a little dot had appeared on her leg. A rash can be a tell-tale sign but doesn’t occur with every infection.

“By the time I got to hospital that had rapidly grown right across my body, and I was turning black before her eyes,” Taylor said.

In Palmerston North’s intensive care unit – her body about twice the size from the swelling and looking like she’d been “eaten from frostbite” – Taylor was put in a coma.

“All my organs had failed … I had a 42-degree temperature … I was essentially frying from the inside.” In that state, “completely unrecognisable,” Taylor’s children said goodbye.

Left to fight for myself – survivor

According to Public Health and Forensic Science there were 40 cases of meningitis in 2024 and 2025 (down from 52 in 2023 and 69 in 2022). There have been six cases so far this year.

Principal medical advisor to the Immunisation Advisory Centre, Nikki Turner said while it’s common to carry meningococcal, it’s rare to catch it.

“But when you catch it, it moves fast and sudden … if you treat it in time, you can manage it, but if you don’t get it in time, it can be lethal.”

Taylor defied the doctors’ expectations and after a month in ICU woke from her coma – but she said that was only the beginning.

On Wednesday, the Health Select Committee heard the details of the long and arduous journey that’s characterised the past 15 years of her life.

Unable to be transferred to Waikato Hospital, Taylor was sent to Lower Hutt’s plastics ward, where she underwent multiple surgeries – debriding, skin-grafting, and amputations of fingers and both legs below the knee.

“The next month was probably the most torturous part of the whole journey … that didn’t really need to happen had I gone to Waikato,” she said.

“Morning and night I was having surgeries and in-between they were transporting me to Wellington Hospital for dialysis. So, every single bump, touch, I would feel … that was excruciating.”

Back in Palmerston North, rehabilitation wasn’t smooth either.

“As soon as I was out of hospital, everything stopped. I had no aftercare, I had no physiotherapy, I was there to fight for myself.”

It was tough going, she said, in a wheelchair and with a young family, she had no choice but to go back to work.

Taylor said the funded prosthetics didn’t work for her – the sockets hurt her damaged skin – and ultimately, she raised “a deposit on a house” to get innovative osteo-integration surgery in Australia.

She said such surgery wouldn’t be right for everyone, but for her – after two years of rehabilitation – she was able to go back to fulltime work, hit the gym, and walk over 10,000 steps a day.

“So that was worth it for me, I actually got my life back.”

Taylor said the past decade-and-a-half had been a rollercoaster that she had navigated on her own and didn’t know where she would be without her children – her driving force.

She suspected it was a different story for those at high risk of contracting the disease.

“A 16, 17-year-old youth trying to navigate life again without kids to live for, it would be extremely hard for them.”

‘People are simply not aware of it’

Better aftercare is one of a handful of demands the Meningitis Foundation Aotearoa New Zealand is making.

Alongside Taylor, foundation chairman Gerard Rushton told the Health Select Committee that not enough had been done to raise awareness since he was last before it in 2022.

He said expanding access to free vaccines and increasing awareness of the disease were key to preventing the spread of meningitis – the rapidity of which meant treatment often came too late.

Rushton’s own teenage daughter died after contracting the disease in 2014.

“We were completely unaware of the risk that meningitis posed, and we thought that because Courtenay had a vaccination when she was a baby, that she was actually protected.

“The underlying factor of most cases of meningitis in New Zealand is that people are simply not aware of it.”

Rushton said a school-based vaccination programme could help close that gap and protect young people before they entered university or the workforce.

He feared the current programme – free vaccines for 13-25-year-olds in their first year of close living situations – was inequitable and those most at risk were missing out.

“Presently, Māori and Pasifika are four to five times more likely to get meningitis and they are under-represented at halls of residence or boarding schools.”

The foundation said that those who weren’t eligible for free vaccines faced paying $150 per dose. Two doses of meningococcal B and one dose of meningococcal ACWY are recommended for full protection in older children to adults, it said.

In 2022, the foundation submitted an application to Pharmac to fund all 13-25-year-olds, regardless of where they were living.

Pharmac director advice and assessment, David Hughes said its Immunisation Advisory Committee recommended the application be declined, considering a universal vaccine was not proportionate to the risk.

“This recommendation to decline was made on the basis of evidence that people in close living situations and other high-risk groups within the 13-to-25-year age group were most important to target as the evidence supported reducing the vaccination risk for individuals.”

Hughes said feedback was sought on that decision and is currently being reviewed – no further funding decisions have been made.

He noted two applications to widen access to the meningococcal B and A,C,W, Y vaccines would be reviewed by the committee later this month.

Meningococcal A,C,W,Y vaccines for 5-21 years and 13-21 years had been recommended for funding when the budget allows, he said.

“When assessing which vaccines to fund, Pharmac takes into consideration a number of factors, including clinical advice from our advisors, cost of the vaccine, its effectiveness and the benefit on the wider health sector from funding this vaccine.”

Rushton told the Health Select Committee that at the very least, there should be free vaccines for all community services card-holders and urged bipartisan support.

Turner said if the country had the resources, she’d back expanding the programme, but that wasn’t the case, which meant vaccination had to be targeted.

She said the meningococcal vaccines were highly effective (around 80 percent), but that protection waned after three to five years.

Associate Minister of Health (Pharmac), David Seymour said vaccines were important and good value if they stopped people from getting sick.

However, he said funding decisions must be made by independent experts at Pharmac, not politicians.

“If politicians get to decide what medicines get bought, we will end up buying the things that have the best political campaigns behind them, and we will miss out on the things that give the most healthcare value for money, ” he said.

Committee member and Labour Party health spokesperson, Ayesha Verrall said as a doctor, she’d seen the “harrowing consequences” of meningitis first-hand.

“Wherever possible we should prevent illness rather than intervene too late with costly treatment – vaccination is one of the tools we have to do that.”

She said she hoped to further explore the funding of vaccines at future committee hearings.

Questions about aftercare

In response to questions from RNZ, Health Minister Simeon Brown said meningitis survivors should have access to appropriate support and ongoing care.

“I have asked Health New Zealand for information on this issue, including what services are currently available and how these are being delivered.”

Verrall also urged the agency to address “reports of inconsistent care and support” as a priority.

Health New Zealand [Health NZ] national clinical director protection, Christine McIntosh did not directly address questions about support for survivors.

She said like other infectious diseases, treatment for meningococcal disease is publicly available, including disease surveillance, diagnosis, treatment, follow up and contact tracing to identify other potential cases.

McIntosh says steps have also been taken since to raise awareness since a report from the Health Select Committee in 2023.

Such measures included providing advice through the Immunisation Advisory Centre to around 32,000 vaccinators (mostly general practitioners), talking to boarding schools at the beginning and end of the school year about vaccines, and informing tertiary institutes about eligibility for students and providing material to promote vaccination.

McIntosh said Health NZ’s annual ‘Meningitis week’ campaign encouraging vaccine uptake, coincided with one from the Meningitis Foundation.

She also noted that the most common strain, meningococcal B, was included in the National Immunisation Schedule (making vaccines free) for babies at three, five, and 12 months old.

“We have made significant improvement in childhood immunisations, with 82.9 percent of children fully immunised at 24 months of age in the quarter to December 2025, compared to 77.0 percent in the quarter to December 2024.”

Turner said vaccinations were only part of the answer and that among adolescents and young adults, lifestyle also played a part in spreading the disease.

“It’s close contact with each other. It’s sharing mucus, body secretions, it’s sharing water bottles.

“Obviously, it’s not possible to stop doing all of that. So, it’s also good healthy living, sleeping well, eating well, and getting access to healthcare services as soon as you’re unwell. Being aware of the disease … being aware of rashes.”

For Taylor, reducing the prevalence and spread of meningitis was the goal – and said it could be achieved through vaccination.

“I have teenagers myself now and they’re right in the prime age for it. If we can raise the prevention … then people won’t end up travelling the road that I have.”

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

NEW DELHI, INDIA – Media OutReach Newswire – 3 May 2026 – The Indo-Pacific region continues to be the focal point of global growth dynamics and strategic competition, and relations between Vietnam and India are facing new opportunities to develop in a deeper, more substantive, and more sustainable manner. Building on the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership established in 2016, cooperation in the fields of economy, science and technology, and environment has increasingly been identified by both sides as key pillars.

In 2024, the two sides adopted an Action Plan to implement the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for the 2024-2028 period. This document not only consolidates traditional areas of cooperation but also expands into new domains such as science and technology, innovation, digital transformation, energy and sustainable development.

Economy continues to be a bright spot in bilateral cooperation

Over the past decade, Vietnam-India economic cooperation has recorded significant positive developments. Bilateral trade turnover has maintained steady growth, increasing from over USD 14 billion in 2023 to nearly USD 16.5 billion in 2025, reflecting the increasingly close integration between the two dynamic Asian economies.

The structure of two-way trade has increasingly demonstrated complementarity. Vietnam has strengthened its exports of electronics, machinery, processed agricultural products, wood, and seafood, while India serves as an important supplier of steel, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, and textiles to Vietnam.

Amid the ongoing restructuring of global supply chains, both Vietnam and India are intensifying efforts to diversify their partners and reduce dependency risks. This creates significant room for the two countries to promote supply chain linkages in areas such as processing and manufacturing industries, supporting industries, logistics, and high-tech agriculture. Vietnam, with its strategic location in Southeast Asia, can serve as a gateway for Indian enterprises to expand their presence deeper into ASEAN, while India represents a vast market with rapidly increasing consumer demand.

Science and technology: a new driver for deeper cooperation

Scientific and technological cooperation has seen remarkable development recently, gradually shifting from exchanges to more substantive collaboration, tied to specific products and developmental needs. Priority areas of cooperation include information technology, biotechnology, clean energy, and digital transformation.

Several representative projects, such as the Satellite Data Receiving Station and Satellite Image Processing Center, the Vietnam-India Nuclear Science Center (Da Lat), the Army Software Park (Nha Trang), and the Center of Excellence in Software Development and Training (CESDT), have been contributing to enhancing Vietnam’s technological capacity. Notably, the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) program continues to be an effective channel for human resource training, helping Vietnamese officials and experts access modern management knowledge and experience.

Against the backdrop of the vigorous Fourth Industrial Revolution, the potential for cooperation between the two countries remains vast. The two sides can expand their cooperation into emerging areas such as Artificial Intelligence, semiconductors, cybersecurity, fintech, and biotechnology, aiming for the goals of co-development and co-innovation. ­

Environmental cooperation and sustainable development are gradually expanding

In the context of increasingly complex climate change, environmental cooperation between Vietnam and India is becoming an important component of the bilateral agenda. Areas such as renewable energy, water resource management, circular economy, and disaster-resilient infrastructure are receiving growing attention and promotion from both sides.

Cooperation agreements in marine science, along with Quick Impact Projects (QIPs) supporting communities, such as clean water supply, drought mitigation, and saline intrusion prevention in the Mekong Delta, have delivered practical results. Vietnam’s participation in the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), initiated by India, also opens up opportunities to strengthen cooperation in sustainable infrastructure and climate change adaptation.

In the coming period, areas encompassing solar energy, energy storage, waste management, marine pollution monitoring, and early warning systems for natural disasters are considered promising directions for cooperation.

Prospects for cooperation

The prospects for cooperation in the coming period are assessed as positive. With the economic and scientific-technological complementarity, along with strong political will from both sides, Vietnam-India relations have many favorable conditions to grow more strongly, particularly in areas such as the digital economy, green economy, innovation.

Orientations for promoting cooperation in the coming period

With a foundation of excellent relations and significant room for cooperation, the two countries have the basis to elevate the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership to a new height, making it increasingly substantive and effective in the new phase, particularly in the context of the two countries heading towards new high-level engagements with the state visit of General Secretary and President To Lam to India in May 2026.

To effectively capitalize on opportunities, both sides need to continue maintaining high-level exchanges, intergovernmental mechanisms and specialized dialogues, and further translate strategic commitments into cooperation programs and projects with clear roadmaps and resources.

In the economic field, efforts should be intensified to remove trade barriers, improve logistics connectivity, and promote the review and upgrading of the ASEAN – India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA); strengthen the development of large-scale investment projects in priority areas such as pharmaceuticals, the marine economy, renewable energy, and supporting industries.

In the field of science and technology, establishing joint research cooperation mechanisms, strengthening linkages between research institutes, universities, enterprises, as well as promoting expert exchanges, technology transfer, and human resource training will play an important role.

In the environmental field, efforts should be directed toward building a comprehensive green cooperation framework, focusing on water management, marine science, plastic pollution reduction, clean energy, and disaster-resilient infrastructure, while also effectively leveraging regional initiatives such as the CDRI.

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– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.

NEGERI SEMBILAN, MALAYSIA – Media OutReach Newswire – 1 May 2026 – Methodist College Kuala Lumpur (MCKL) has formalised a strategic collaboration with MILA University through the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA), marking a significant step in enhancing academic progression pathways for students.

This partnership reflects a shared commitment to supporting diploma graduates in continuing their studies at degree level, while ensuring a smoother and more structured transition into higher education.

A Strategic Collaboration for Student Progression

The agreement was formalised by Dr. Chua Ping Yong, Chief Executive Officer of MCKL, and Mr. Cao Qi, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of MILA University, in the presence of representatives from both institutions.

Through this collaboration, a clear articulation pathway is established for MCKL students to continue their academic journey at MILA University, enabling a smoother transition into undergraduate studies with greater confidence and direction.

Expanding Opportunities Through Articulation Pathways

As part of this collaboration, students from selected MCKL diploma programmes have the opportunity to progress into MILA University’s bachelor’s degree programmes in Computer Science and Business Management.

The pathway covers diploma fields such as Computer Science, Information Technology, Digital Business, Digital Marketing, and Financial Technology, ensuring that students from diverse academic backgrounds have access to relevant progression pathways.

Strengthening Industry-Relevant Education Through Collaboration

Beyond academic progression, this collaboration underscores a mutual commitment to delivering industry-relevant education that equips students with practical skills and real-world competencies. By aligning curriculum pathways and fostering closer engagement between both institutions, MCKL and MILA University aim to ensure that graduates are not only academically prepared but also adaptable to evolving industry demands. This partnership creates opportunities for enhanced learning experiences, bridging the gap between classroom knowledge and professional application, and ultimately empowering students to thrive in a competitive global workforce.

For over four decades, MCKL has built a strong reputation for nurturing students who not only excel academically but also develop the values, character, and critical thinking skills needed to thrive in an ever-changing world. With a student-centred approach, the college emphasises holistic education, balancing academic rigour with personal growth, leadership development, and community engagement, so that graduates are well-prepared for both university and life beyond the classroom.

Original Source: MILA University
Original Article: MILA University Strengthens Academic Pathways Through Collaboration with MCKL
Website: https://www.mila.edu.my

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