The National Party has announced it would, if elected, fund $50,000 scholarships to encourage 200 PhD candidates to spend at least six months in New Zealand.
National Party leader Judith Collins at Tait Electronics in Christchurch. Photo: RNZ / Jane Patterson
The scheme would be open to science, maths, technology and engineering (STEM) and other technology-related fields, and would aim to establish and boost connections with leading global tertiary educators.
Announcing the plan in Christchurch, party leader Judith Collins said it was part of the party's plan to double the size of New Zealand's tech sector within 10 years.
"As part of this programme we are encouraging global talent to engage and connect with our business community. We hope to establish strong cultural and professional ties with the world's best and brightest," Collins says.
"Our tech sector has amazing potential. If we attract the right talent and create an environment for growth then our tech sector will fuel our economy for years to come.
"New Zealand needs to grow its way out of this economic crisis, which will only be possible with the hard work, ingenuity and determination of the private sector."
Judith Collins in Christchurch. Photo: RNZ / Jane Patterson
Collins says the scholarships will target pupils from low decile schools.
"So that they will be able to access higher education but also to really encourage them to stick with tech and those sorts of subjects ... we also have the funding for three graduate schools to improve our postgraduate tech education ... to allow young people to learn more around artificial intelligence and robotics.
Collins also says a tech visa will be available for "high value" tech workers to come to New Zealand to help grow the sector.
Government investment in the sector is important, she says.
"Through our infrastructure bank we think this is a real opportunity for us to target the tech sector and put together private and government funds to invest in the capital."
The party's tech plan would diversify exports, increase economic productivity and generate thousands of high-paying future proofed jobs, Collins says.
It was not immediately clear from the party's policy statement whether the new scholarships - which were not included in the initial policy release - would be a one-off or ongoing programme, nor whether the funding for them was already included in planned spending.
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