VIET NAM

NZAID SCHOLARSHIPS | Inquiring minds creating futures

Information for intake commencing 2011

Purpose of the New Zealand Development Scholarships scheme

The New Zealand Development Scholarships (NZDS) scheme offers the opportunity to people from
developing countries, including citizens of Viet Nam, to undertake development-related studies at
tertiary education institutions in New Zealand. The NZDS scheme is funded by NZAID, the New
Zealand Government’s international aid and development programme within the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs and Trade.

By providing people with knowledge and skills to contribute to the sustainable economic development
of key sectors in their home country, the NZDS scheme aims to reduce poverty, promote good
governance, and contribute to the human resource base of targeted countries. NZAID capacity
building addresses government priorities and complements the work done in country by bilateral and
multilateral agencies and non-governmental organisations (NGO).

Type, level and number of scholarships

There are two categories of NZDS:
New Zealand Development Scholarship – Public category (NZDS-Public): This category targets
employees working in key public institutions in Viet Nam to support the sustainable economic
development of Viet Nam. Candidates in this category must be nominated by their own department/
institute and endorsed by the Personnel Department 1 of the relevant ministry/institution for a NZDS
scholarship. Priority will be given to the following key public institutions: Ministry of Agriculture and
Rural Development, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Ministry of Education and
Training, Ministry of Planning and Investment, Ministry of Industry and Trade, Ministry of Science and
Technology and the People’s Committees of Binh Dinh and Gia Lai provinces. We also welcome
application from other public institutions, research institutes as well as mass organisations.
New Zealand Development Scholarship – Open category (NZDS-Open): This category provides
scholarship opportunities for applicants strongly committed to driving Vietnam’s economic
development, who work in the private sector, civil society, tertiary institutions and other institutions not
eligible for the NZDS-Public category. Applicants apply directly to a New Zealand education institution
(see Annex 1).
Within the New Zealand bilateral assistance programme for Viet Nam, the following scholarships will
be offered to eligible candidates from Viet Nam for study beginning in the 2011 academic year:

• seventeen (17) NZDS-Public scholarships for study under the identified priority sectors (below)
• three (3) NZDS-Open scholarships for study under the identified priority sectors (below).
New Zealand Development Scholarships will be awarded for full-time postgraduate level study (i.e.
Postgraduate Diplomas, Masters degrees or Doctorates (PhD) in New Zealand.

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or relevant department in your ministry such as Vietnam International Education Department at Ministry of
Education and Training, etc.

Viet Nam Scholarships Information Sheet March 2010

Priority sectors
The NZDS scholarships 2011 Intake will be awarded to the following priority sectors: Agriculture, Rural
Development, Environment, Education and Economic Development. The postgraduate courses
include, but are not limited to, the following fields of study:
Agriculture and Rural Development:

• Animal health
• Plant health
• Agribusiness and agricultural economics
• Agricultural and horticultural science
• Food safety and food quality

Environment
• Environmental studies
• Environmental planning and management
• Natural resources management
• Climate change
• Land administration
• Renewable energy
• Oceanography
• Seismic/earthquake engineering
• Aquaculture

Education

• Basic and vocational education

• Education administration and management
• Linguistics (including teaching of English as a second language)

Economic Development

• International trade
• Development economics
• Public financial management
• Public administration
• Public policy

While priority will be given to the above fields, applications may also be considered for studies related
to other areas of NZAID’s development cooperation with Viet Nam, such as gender equality and
women’s empowerment, and human rights.

Eligibility criteria
Applicants must meet the following NZDS eligibility criteria before their application will be considered
further against the selection criteria, including any criteria specific to Viet Nam (listed on page 3).
Applicants must:

• be a citizen of Viet Nam ;

• be residing in Viet Nam, preferably for at least two years prior to application;

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Viet Nam Scholarships Information Sheet 2010
• not have citizenship or permanent residence status of New Zealand, Australia or another
developed country 2 ;
• not be married or engaged to be married to a person who holds, or who is eligible to hold,
citizenship or permanent residence status of New Zealand, Australia or another developed
country;
• be applying to commence a new qualification and not be seeking funding for a qualification
already commenced in New Zealand or another country outside Viet Nam;
• not have completed, or nearly completed, a qualification at a similar level (i.e. applicants must
apply for a higher level qualification than any previously attained), unless strong developmental
relevance is demonstrated;
• satisfy the admission requirements of the New Zealand education institution at which the
qualification is to be undertaken, including English language proficiency criteria;
• have been working in their home country for at least 24 months immediately prior to application;
• be able to demonstrate a strong commitment to Viet Nam’s public, private or community sector (as
relevant), and to the development of Viet Nam in general; and
• be able to take up the scholarship in the academic year for which it is offered.

Applicants cannot:

• be studying full-time at post-secondary level;

• be transferring from another tertiary scholarship (either in New Zealand or in another country) to a
NZDS;
• hold, or have held, a New Zealand Government or Australian Government scholarship in the 24
months preceding the application date (excluding previous NZAID English Language Training for
Officials scholarship recipients); or
• have been terminated from a New Zealand or Australian Government scholarship previously.

Applicants are expected to continue residing in Viet Nam during the NZDS application and selection
process. If offered a NZDS, candidates must:

• be able to satisfy Immigration New Zealand requirements for international student entry to New
Zealand (i.e. medical checks and police clearance/character checks);
• not hold another scholarship during the period of the NZDS; and
• agree in writing that they will return to Viet Nam for a minimum period of two years following
completion of their scholarship in order to contribute to their country’s social or economic
development.

Viet Nam specific criteria

In addition to meeting the criteria above, applicants from Viet Nam must:

• be under 45 years of age at the time of application;

• hold a recognised Bachelors degree, of strong academic merit, in general relevant to the proposed
postgraduate qualification (Note: NZAID gives preference to candidates who do not already hold a
degree from an developed country); and;
• NZDS-Public applicants must have a minimum of two years work experience with the Government
of Viet Nam and be currently employed by the Government of Viet Nam;

Officials from government agencies involved in NZAID projects are encouraged to apply.

2
A developed country is defined as a country not included on the OECD’s Development Assistance
Committee’s list of aid recipients.
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Viet Nam Scholarships Information Sheet 2010
English language training requirements
New Zealand tertiary education institutions set their own admission requirements for English language
proficiency. All applicants should check the IELTS 3 or TOEFL 4 score required for admission to the
New Zealand education institution that they have applied to. 5
It is mandatory for applicants to sit an IELTS or TOEFL exam and provide the original copy of their test
result as a pre-condition of the application process. All applicants for NZDS-Public and NZDS-Open
must have passed the IELTS/TOEFL test to the required level for the study and be able to provide an
original copy of their test results. Institutional TOEFL will not be accepted. Results must be from a test
taken within two years of the application date.

NZDS-Public application process

Applicants are encouraged to download the application form at www.nzembassy.com/viet-nam
(Development Cooperation > New Zealand Development Scholarships). Application forms are also
available from the NZAID, New Zealand Embassy in Ha Noi, Foreign Economic Relations Department
of the Ministry of Planning and Investment (FERD/MPI) and the Personnel Department of the
nominating ministries/agencies.
Two original copies of completed NZDS applications must be nominated by the candidate’s own
department/institute and submitted to the Personnel Department of the candidate’s corresponding
Ministry/ Institution for endorsement and are then sent to the New Zealand Embassy, with an
additional copy to FERD/MPI, by 10th May 2010.
All applications must be completed in English, with certified true copies of official English translations
(where the original document is not in English) attached to the application form. Official English
language test results (IELTS or TOEFL) must be submitted with the application form. Applications with
incomplete supporting documentation will not be processed.
In all cases, the application process is based on the principles of transparency and merit.
NZAID in cooperation with FERD/MPI will conduct an assessment of all applications. The nomination
of candidates in the NZDS-Public category is subject to the final approval of NZAID.

NZDS-Open application process

NZDS-Open candidates apply directly to one of the participating New Zealand education
institutions (see Annex 1), after ensuring that they meet the eligibility criteria. The education
institution distributes and receives NZDS-Open application forms.
Applicants must ensure that the institution receives the completed NZDS application form (including all
supporting documentation) before the institution’s closing date (see Annex 1).
The institution will asses the candidate’s application for admission to the institution, and check it
against the NZDS eligibility criteria. The institution will then send complete applications, for candidates
with unconditional offers of place, to NZAID’s Scholarships Unit in Wellington, New Zealand, by 30
June.
NZAID will consider all eligible applications against the selection criteria below and will advise the
institutions of the outcome of the NZDS selection round by late September. NZDS-Open applicants
will be notified by their selected institution regarding the success of their application and what they
should do next.
All applications must be completed in English, with certified true copies of official English translations
(where the original document is not in English) attached to the NZDS application form. Applications
with incomplete supporting documents will not be processed.

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International English Language Testing System – academic stream
4
As a guide, most New Zealand education institutions require TOEFL 575 with a TWE of 5; or 250 on the
computer-based test; or 90 on the internet-based test with a writing score of 20. Some institutions may
require a higher or lower score.
5
As a guide, most New Zealand education institutions require a minimum IELTS5 score of 6.5, with no band
less than 6.0, for postgraduate level study. Some postgraduate qualifications may require a higher score
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Viet Nam Scholarships Information Sheet 2010
NZDS-Public and NZDS-Open Selection criteria
In addition to the mentioned-above eligibility criteria and English language training requirements,
candidates’ applications will be considered against the following selection criteria:

• the proposed study programme links to one of the identified priority sectors for Viet Nam (see
page 1);
• the applicant clearly demonstrates the developmental relevance and applicability of their
proposed study programme to the human resource development training needs of their country;
• consideration of gender equity, including efforts to ensure the scholarships are offered equitably
between male and female candidates;
• the applicant clearly demonstrates their links and commitment to Viet Nam (e.g. services to their
community, ability to influence change in a key development sector, etc), supported by references.
The proposed study programme must be relevant to:

• recent paid and/or unpaid (volunteer) work experiences 6 ;

• the training needs of the employing organisation; and
• identified employment opportunities on completion of their study.
• consideration of other factors which will contribute to the success of their studies (e.g. good
character, positive study attitude and motivation to succeed).

Additional information
The purpose of the NZDS scheme is for scholarship holders to gain knowledge and skills in specific
subject areas that will assist in the development of Viet Nam by contributing to identified human
resource development training needs. It is a pre-condition of accepting a NZDS that scholarship
holders return to their home country to take up a position that utilises their study for a minimum period
of two years.
Female applicants, and applicants from minority and other disadvantaged groups, are strongly
encouraged to apply as the New Zealand Government attempts to ensure equity among scholarship
holders. Candidates from provincial areas are also encouraged to apply.
New Zealand Development Scholarships must be taken in the year for which they are offered and
cannot be transferred to the next academic year.
If offered a NZAID scholarship, travel to New Zealand is subject to a visa being issued by Immigration
New Zealand. Successful applicants should allow a minimum two month period for their visa
application to be processed.
Where a student’s study programme is 18 months or longer, and the student has at least 12 months
remaining of their study programme to complete, the student can be joined by their spouse/partner
and dependant children at a higher rate of stipend. NZAID may fund the airfares to New Zealand for a
student’s spouse/partner and up to two dependant children. Eligibility criteria apply.
Information on NZDS allowances and entitlements, and conditions of the NZDS scholarship, is
provided on the scholarships pages of NZAID’s website:
www.nzaid.govt.nz/scholarships/nzds.html
Applicants must not have applied for New Zealand or Australian permanent residency. Applicants must
not seek or apply for permanent residency or a work permit for New Zealand, Australia or any other
country while on scholarship.
Note: NZAID has the right to make a final decision on NZAID scholarship offers. NZAID has the right
to amend terms and conditions of NZAID scholarships. Amendments will be posted on the NZAID
website (www.nzaid.govt.nz/scholarships).

Contact for further information

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In general, NZAID will not support individuals whose professional experience has mostly been obtained
overseas.
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Viet Nam Scholarships Information Sheet 2010
NZAID
New Zealand Embassy
Level 5, 63 Ly Thai To Street
Hanoi
VIET NAM

Tel: (+84 4) 3824 1481

Fax: (+84 4) 3824 1480
Email: nzembhan@fpt.vn
Website: www.nzembassy.com/viet-nam (Development Cooperation > New Zealand Development
Scholarships)

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Viet Nam Scholarships Information Sheet 2010
Annex 1 Contact details for New Zealand institutions and closing dates
NZDS-Open applicants apply directly to the New Zealand education institution where they wish to
study.
Applicants are advised to send applications well before the closing date as the institution may require
further information or documentation.

Lincoln University
AUT University International Centre
International Student Centre PO Box 94
Private Bag 92006 Canterbury, New Zealand
Auckland 1020, New Zealand Website: www.lincoln.ac.nz
Website: www.aut.ac.nz Email: international@lincoln.ac.nz
Email: international.centre@aut.ac.nz Fax: (+64 3) 325 3879
Fax: (+64 9) 917 9925 Global close-off date: 31 May 2010
Global close-off date: 30 May 2010

Victoria University of Wellington (VUW) Massey University

Victoria International International Office
PO Box 600 Private Bag 11 222
Wellington 6410, New Zealand Palmerston North, New Zealand
Website: www.victoria.ac.nz Website: www.massey.ac.nz
Email: VUW-NZAID@vuw.ac.nz Email: international@massey.ac.nz
Fax: (+64 4) 463 5056 Fax: (+64 6) 350 5698
Global close-off date: 15 May 2010 (1 May for PhD) Global close-off date: 1 May 2010

Unitec University of Auckland

Note: Up to Masters level only Auckland International
International Office PO Box 92019, Auckland Mail Centre
Private Bag 92025 Auckland 1142, New Zealand
Auckland, New Zealand Website: www.auckland.ac.nz
Website: www.unitec.ac.nz Email: international@auckland.ac.nz
Email: international@unitec.ac.nz Fax: (+64 9) 373 7405
Fax: (+64 9) 815 4301 Global close-off date: 1 May 2010
Global close-off date: 18 June 2010

University of Canterbury University of Otago

International Office International Office
Private Bag 4800 PO Box 56
Christchurch 8140, New Zealand Dunedin, New Zealand
Website: www.canterbury.ac.nz Website: www.otago.ac.nz
Email: international@canterbury.ac.nz Email: international.admissions@otago.ac.nz
Fax: (+64 3) 364 2171 Fax: (+64 3) 479 8367
Global close-off date: 1 May 2010 Global close-off date: 30 April 2010

University of Waikato
Waikato International
Private Bag 3105
Hamilton 3240, New Zealand
Website: www.waikato.ac.nz/international/
Email: int.centre@waikato.ac.nz
Fax: (+64 7) 838 4269
Global close-off date: 31 May 2010 (1 May for PhD)
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Viet Nam Scholarships Information Sheet 2010