Why New Zealand

Similar to the size of Japan or UK New Zealand is a Southern Hemisphere developed country, located in the South Pacific. New Zealand perhaps enjoys the best education system in the world along with the best rankings in unemployment rates, corruptions and more. The people of New Zealand are very friendly, welcoming and helpful. The New Zealand’s culture is a beautiful mix of the Maori and the Western cultures. The Maori are the New Zealand’s first settlers; they migrated to New Zealand from their ancestral Polynesian homeland of Hawaiki more than one thousand years ago. The Maori influence is evident in today’s society, with Maori and English serving as the official languages of New Zealand.
The climate is temperate with temperatures ranging between 10 to 15 degree Celsius in winter and 20 to 30 degree Celsius in summer.
According to the New Zealand Educated website “International students can be confident that by choosing a New Zealand education, they will study for qualifications that are internationally valued and recognized
New Zealand offers:
- World-class quality education programmes – teaching and resources
- Competitive tuition fees
- Lower cost of living (particularly accommodation)
- A modern and sophisticated lifestyle
- Easy access to one of the world’s most beautiful natural environments”

About

Further, New Zealand offers international students:
- Wide range of courses with a focus on promoting original thinking and innovation (the academic, vocational, professional and language courses are provided by universities, polytechnics, secondary schools and private institutes)
- Internationally recognized qualifications enabling competency at both practical and theoretical levels
- Safest place on earth with a clean and green environment and great style of life
- Thrilling activities and sports and very high standard of living
- One of the most beautiful landscapes on the planet
- Work permits with up to 20 hrs per week and full-time during terms’ breaks
- Very competitive living expenses (The cost of studying in New Zealand compares well against other study overseas destinations as it is estimated that living expenses  would cost around NZ$850 per month broadly speaking)
- Publicly funded universities (there are 8 universities in New Zealand)

Additional information about New Zealand (Rankings)
- Ease Of Doing Business Index, ranked 2nd overall in 2008 out of 181 countries, 1st in the sub-category of Starting A Business.
- Political freedom ratings - Free; political rights and civil liberties both rated 1 (the highest score available)
- Human Development Index- 20th highest, at 0.933
- Income Equality- 54thmost equal, at 36.2 (Gini Index)
- Literacy Rate- 17thequal at 99.0%
- Unemployment rate- 48th lowest, at 4.0%
- Global Peace Index- 1st at 1.202
- Corruption- Least corrupt, at 9.4 on Corruption Perceptions Index
- Economic Freedom 5thfreest, at 82 on Index of Economic Freedom, and 3rd, at 8.28 on Economic Freedom of the World index
- Failed States Index, 171/177, being one of the few "sustainable" states in the world

Information about doctoral degrees in New Zealand 
The main New Zealand universities are Auckland University (AU), Massey University (MU), Victoria University of Wellington (VUW), University of Canterbury (UC), Otago University. AU and MU are ranked as two of the 200 world’s top universities (Times Higher Magazin, October 28, 2005). In order to attract international students to take the doctoral degree in New Zealand, the New Zealand Government offers the doctoral degree programs for international students at local student rates. The university fee is about NZ$4,500 to NZ$5,000 per academic year (approximately US$3,300 per academic year). It is expected that the Ph.D. student is to obtain his/her doctoral degree after 2.5 to 3 Full-Time Years.
The New Zealand PhD is very attractive, due to a number of important benefits to international students:
- No International Tuition Fees. The students will pay the same fees as New Zealanders. Annual supervision fees of approximately NZ$4500 per year (for three years)
- An automatic 20 hours Work Visa
- No school tuition fees for children of PhD student to study at public Primary or High School
- An unrestricted work visa for husband / wife of PhD student
- A 1 year work visa after completion of PhD. Immigration points if students are considering applying for NZ Permanent Residency (PR).

When you compare institutional quality, academic reputation, tuition and living costs, program length, calibre of faculty and degree transferability…New Zealand, especially with its offering of domestic tuition rates for first-time international Ph.D. enrolees, comes out on top!