She is a professional agent for the study abroad market in New Zealand. She has been sending and looking after her students in NZ. She has been mainly working with international boarding schools in NZ but also would like to expand her market to other countries such as USA, UK, Canada, and more. 

Country: S. Korea

Main Programme: secondary education, boarding, and homestay program

Main Country: New Zealand 
 
 

Stuvisor.com: Hi Sue, Thank you for your time during this interview. How are you?

Sue: Very good.  Life is quite busy but that is okay. I am enjoying my work. Thanks.

Stuvisor.com: Can we start a little bit of your agency story. How did you start your agency and develop it, Prime Edu?

Sue: I have lived in New Zealand for a while for studying. I studied at some institutes and my children studied at local NZ schools. It was such a wonderful opportunity to learn and understand NZ schools, and I was very impressed by their educational system. I have confidence in recommending NZ schools to Korean students. Fortunately, I met a person who was working at NZ high school as an international student coordinator, and her husband had a company which was an international student guardianship care LTD. They suggested me to set up my agency in Korea and be a business partner with them. I happily accepted their suggestion, returned to Korea, and started my business. At first, I started at a small office and worked with only one employee. I was even not sure that I could do well in my business because I had no experience in this field. However, I have successfully sent my first group of students to NZ, and 4 months later, I opened my office. Since Prime Edu was established in 2008, we have been continually exploring our programs, not only in New Zealand but also worldwide high schools and boarding schools.“ highly successful and rapidly growing undertaking.

Stuvisor.com: There have been many concerns for the NZ market since the earthquake in Christchurch. How is the NZ study abroad market nowadays?

Sue: Actually, Christchurch was my main place, so my business was hugely damaged by the earthquake which occurred in Feb.2011. (Fortunately, none of my students, colleagues, and friends in Christchurch were damaged. However, parents in Korea worried a lot so they made their kids return to Korea. Some of my students moved to other cities or other countries as well. As a result,) I lost most of my students in Christchurch after the earthquake, and the International student market in Christchurch started to decrease. It was a very hard time for the educators and agencies who are based in Christchurch for the past couple of years. However, Christchurch Educated and Education New Zealand have been trying hard to renew interest in studying in Christchurch and Canterbury, and it brings some changes these days. People still worry about earthquakes in Christchurch, but I feel it is not very serious compared to the past two years. I sent 10 new students to Christchurch in January, which was a big change. I am happy to say that I feel more comfortable with the earthquake and expect to grow the Christchurch business again.

Stuvisor.com: It has been also quite difficult years for the study abroad industry since the Global Finance Crisis in 2008 but you are doing well so far. What is your secret to recruiting students to NZ well from South Korea?

Stuvisor.com: No secret at all. However, I always try my best to take care of my students, and they are all satisfied with my service. Also, my wonderful colleagues in NZ are doing their best. Keeping business small might be a tip.   

Stuvisor.com: Your Agency locates in Bundang in Korea which has lots of prospectus students and families. What about the trend of the people in Bundang in terms of studying abroad?

Sue: It has been really famous to study abroad early ages from primary students to high school students. First, primary school students have interests in English immersion programs such as summer camp or schooling (1~2year). Furthermore, it is really hard to get into good universities in Korea, so lots of students between middle school and high school choose to study abroad for their secondary education. Most of the students plan to continue studying in foreign universities in the USA, Canada, and the UK.

 
Stuvisor.com: Regarding Studying abroad in NZ, what are good points for students?

Sue: In my opinion, most of the schools in NZ are equally evaluated. The systems for international students are well developed and they are in under management, so students may experience safe environments. Also, the NZ currency is cheaper than in other English countries such as the USA, Canada, the UK, and Australia.

Stuvisor.com: What is your plan and vision for the study abroad market in the future?

Sue: I am planning to expand my business areas so that I can give better opportunities to my students. Also, I have a plan to accept foreign students who want to study abroad in Korea. I expect to promote cultural exchanges between countries.

Stuvisor.com: Thank you for your time and the valuable interview.

Sue: Thank you.