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Noothan Mathew

When Noothan Mathew was considering where to study for a post graduate qualification, New Zealand was high on her list.

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"New Zealand offers high quality education and affordable fees, and I thought it would be a great place to try new things, sharpen my soft skills, explore my potential and broaden my horizons," she says. "It's also one of the safest places to live, work and enjoy."

Having decided on New Zealand, Noothan's next step was to choose a tertiary institute to enrol at. She chose CPIT (now Ara Institute of Canterbury) because of its internationally recognised qualifications and strong partnerships with leading institutions, businesses and associations. "They were significant factors in my decision."

Noothan studied the Graduate Diploma in Information and Communications Technology, a 10-month programme which included a collaborative industry project in the last semester.

"In India, the academic style is completely based on theoretical information, but here it is concentrated on practical knowledge. Through the industry project I learned to design, implement and evaluate an appropriate piece of work. It was good to develop something which is useful for someone, rather than preparing reports like an assignment."

Her advice to anyone thinking of studying at Ara? "You don't have to think twice – it's worth studying here."

Noothan's career has gotten off to a great start; she's currently working as a programme developer for Modlar in Christchurch, a city which she describes as "calm, quiet and almost like my home".