Ara deepens ties across Nepal, India and Sri Lanka

_{A candid photo of a girl taken by Dee Gath, Ara Global Recruitment Manager, while out and about in Colombo.}

Ara Institute of Canterbury has strengthened its international relationships through a three-week tour across Nepal, India and Sri Lanka, advancing transnational education opportunities and engaging directly with prospective students.

Ara Institute of Canterbury’s Global Recruitment Manager, Dee Gath, undertook the tour to connect with partner institutions, meet with future learners and share Ara’s distinctive approach to education – real-world learning rooted in the resilient city of Christchurch.

Over 24 days, Gath visited three countries, attended six major education fairs and engaged with more than a dozen partner institutions and agents. From Kathmandu to Coimbatore and Colombo, the trip highlighted strong demand throughout South Asia for New Zealand’s applied, industry-connected education.

Ara’s Head of Marketing and Recruitment, Deanna Anderson, joined parts of the tour to advance Ara’s strategic partnerships.

“Building strong, meaningful partnerships like these creates opportunities for our students and staff to share knowledge, explore innovative delivery models and grow together,” said Anderson.

“Whether it’s with Asiri Academy in Colombo or Easwari and SRM TRP in India, there’s huge potential for academic exchange, collaborative research and joint pathways that prepare learners to thrive globally.”

A central focus of the tour was strengthening Ara’s relationships with existing partners and exploring new opportunities. Anderson and Gath met with:

• Access Education and Dolphin Education in Nepal
• IDP Education, Kumaraguru College of Technology (KCT), Easwari Engineering College and SRM TRP Engineering College in India
• SIST, Asiri Academy of Health Sciences and Thames International in Sri Lanka.

_{Deanna Anderson and Dee Gath with the team at Asiri Academy of Health}

_{Deanna Anderson and Dee Gath exchanging gifts with the team at Easwari Engineering College, including Dr. P. Deiva Sundari (Principal), Ms. Indu Sailaja KA (Head of Department – International Relations) and Dr. S. Lavanya Prabha (Professor and Head of Department – Civil Engineering).}

_{Thank you to Solai Mani and Akilan Devadasan from PlaceMe Consultants for their support and collaboration.}

These discussions progressed transnational education (TNE) initiatives designed to bring Ara’s applied learning model to learners in their home countries, creating pathways for collaboration and growth.

Alongside these partnership conversations, Gath also represented Ara at major recruitment events, including the Gantabya New Zealand Roadshow in Nepal, the IDP Education Fair and NZ Gateway Fair in India and the Thames New Zealand Education Fair in Colombo. At each, she shared what makes Ara unique: programmes co-designed with industry, internships and collaborative projects embedded into study and a strong bicultural foundation that reflects Aotearoa New Zealand’s values.

She also highlighted Ara’s home city, Christchurch, which, after the 2011 earthquakes, has become a global model of resilience, sustainable design and community-led regeneration. Ara’s Resilient Cities programme exemplifies this, inviting students to learn in a living laboratory where innovation and tradition meet to shape a more sustainable future.

These stories resonated strongly with learners across South Asia, many of whom are seeking pathways that combine academic depth with real-world skills, global opportunities and inclusive values.

From lively education fairs to in-depth conversations with partners, Gath’s journey was as much about building long-term relationships as it was about immediate recruitment.

“Ara’s international strategy is about more than recruitment,” Gath said.

“It’s about co-creating pathways with our partners that are globally relevant, locally grounded and transformative for learners and faculty alike. The enthusiasm we’ve seen in South Asia shows just how much potential there is to grow together.”

_{Thames International greeting David Pine, New Zealand's High Commissioner to Sri Lanka and Gabrielle Isaak, New Zealand Deputy High Commissioner to Sri Lanka.}

_{Deanna Anderson with two Kumaraguru College of Technology students, who will join Ara’s Master of Applied Management programme in New Zealand in 2026.}