Online Intercultural Competence Programme Recognised Internationally

Tuesday, 3 March 2020, 10:26 am
Press Release: Open Polytechnic

A foundation level intercultural competence learning programme for the public service commissioned by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) and developed in conjunction with Open Polytechnic, has received international recognition.

‘Mana Aki: Building intercultural competence in New Zealand’s public service’ was selected as one of ten highly innovative global integration projects to be profiled at the recent OECD High-Level Policy Forum on Migration and Integration held in Paris.

Creation of Mana Aki, an online learning programme, was initiated and driven by Immigration New Zealand’s Settlement Unit as part of their leadership of the whole-of-government Migrant Settlement and Integration Strategy.

Open Polytechnic Chief Executive, Dr Caroline Seelig, says the organisation is proud of the global recognition received for the programme, as well as the positive reaction it has gained from government organisations involved in piloting the programme with their staff.

“Open Polytechnic is New Zealand’s specialist provider of online and distance learning and we have a world-class team of learning design and digital experience staff. It’s fantastic to see the talent of our staff acknowledged on the world stage.”

William Hope, a Senior Adviser in MBIE’s Learning and Development team, presented the programme at the OECD conference.

“Many people have contributed to the creation of this engaging programme of learning and it’s a real credit to them to have it acknowledged as a leading innovation,” says Will. “The settlement and integration work of Immigration NZ is highly respected by the OECD and I was extremely proud to share what we are doing in New Zealand with delegates from other countries.”

For more information on the range of learning design and education services offered by Open Polytechnic, visit: http://bit.ly/2VsrpiG

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