Over 6,500 potential new students and whānau pre-registered to attend Rā Tōmene | Open Day at Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury (UC), an increase of 39% on the 4,684 registered last year.
About half of this year’s registrations were from people living outside the Waitaha Canterbury region, reinforcing Ōtautahi Christchurch’s popularity as a student destination.
Rā Tōmene | Open Day is an annual opportunity for visitors to find out more about the University, which has more than 25,000 currently enrolled students and is ranked among the top 300 universities globally by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS). The action-packed day included over 100 information sessions about the wide variety of courses available, guided tours of the campus and halls of residence, faculty activations and live music.
UC Amokapua | Assistant Vice-Chancellor Engagement Brett Berquist says it was exciting to see a record number of prospective students and whānau enjoying their UC experience.
“The huge number of people attending Rā Tōmene this year speaks to UC’s reputation as a place of opportunity with great student culture and a supportive environment. On top of that, we have a long-standing record of providing a high-quality, research-led education that empowers students to succeed,” he says.
“Christchurch was recently named one of the Top 100 Best Student Cities in the world by QS, in recognition of our city’s unique appeal to students nationally and internationally as a welcoming and vibrant place to live and learn.”
Berquist says the fine spring weather was a bonus and UC staff did a fantastic job of making their thousands of visitors feel welcome.
