He was speaking at the international higher education conference here. “New Zealand is a beautiful country and Saudis do not require visas to visit it,” said Joyce, who said students can obtain a three-month visa to test the climate and environment, and should they decide to stay and attend university there, they can then acquire a visa for the length of their study.

Education plays a huge role in every nation’s drive to achieve economic growth and social gain, Joyce remarked, emphasizing the need to redefine teaching into something that focuses on learning facilitation.

“Teaching at higher education levels that focuses on learning facilitation will assist institutions become more effective learning organizations,” said Joyce, adding that curriculums, overall education systems and technological infrastructure are parts of it, but the main part is focusing on the skills of teachers, and teaching.

World class teaching universities, in Joyce’s opinion, are vital if countries are going to encourage students to become critical thinkers and maintain an interest in learning throughout their lives. “Quality teachers are what an education system should aim for, and this is practiced greatly in New Zealand,” he said.

“We in New Zealand value our teachers and therefore we recognized their importance by instituting Tertiary Teaching Excellence Awards.”