Mayoral Welcome for International Students

More than 200 international students commencing their studies in Tauranga were officially welcomed to the city this week by Tauranga Mayor, Mahe Drysdale, at a ceremony hosted by Education Tauranga.

The welcome event, held on Wednesday 18 February at Holy Trinity Church, included 40 new Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology students who are enrolled in tertiary and vocational programmes across a wide range of subject areas, from accounting, IT, and business management, to engineering, nursing, early childhood education and adult teaching.

They hail from China, Europe, the United States, India, Japan and beyond, and are settling into life in the Bay of Plenty ahead of the tertiary year beginning on Monday, 23 February.  

Among them is Ty McBroon (pictured above right) from Utah, United States. He arrived in New Zealand just six days ago and is enrolled in a Diploma in Business at the Toi Ohomai Tauranga campus.

Ty says New Zealand’s climate and natural environment were major drawcards.

“I like the environment here. It’s like the tropics. There’s so much greenery, it’s cleaner and feels safer than back home. Those were big drivers when I was deciding where to study abroad. We went on a bus tour to the beach this morning, and it was pretty nice,” Ty says.  

Another student, Hannah Carbagning (pictured above left) from the Philippines, is studying a New Zealand Certificate in Health and Wellbeing. She says she’s been amazed by how close Tauranga city centre is to the beaches at Mount Maunganui and Pāpāmoa, as well as the lakes, walking tracks and forests in Rotorua.

At the ceremony, students were welcomed with a traditional pōwhiri before hearing from local business leaders and representatives of the international student community. Cultural performances and refreshments followed, giving students the chance to connect with one another and with the wider community.

During his speech, Tauranga Mayor Mahe Drysdale (pictured right) highlighted the importance of international education to the local economy, noting that in 2025 around 2,500 international students contributed approximately $170 million to the regional economy.

Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology welcomed its Rotorua-based international students at a similar event hosted at Rotorua Lakes Council yesterday, 19 February, where they were formally greeted by several Rotorua Lakes Councillors.

As Semester, 2026 1 begins, Toi Ohomai Head of International, Peter Richardson, warmly welcomes all international ākonga to the institute and the Bay of Plenty.

“International students bring a valuable global perspective to Toi Ohomai, enriching the learning environment for all ākonga and contributing to a vibrant on-campus experience. We hope you enjoy your time learning with us and exploring all the Bay of Plenty and New Zealand has to offer.”