Update Jan 25, 2023
Our first post-COVID semester in NZ, which was fall 2022, ran just like it has in the past with all the learning, joy, and NZ experiences that students expect to have on a CCSP semester. Today, Jan. 25, 2023, students arrived in NZ for the spring 2023 semester. There are now new regulations for travel to NZ regarding COVID19. Vaccination is no longer required for entry to NZ. It is still a requirement, however, that if someone tests positive for COVID19 they have to isolate for seven days.
Update Oct. 16, 2022
The fall 2022 semester, the first since the pandemic started, is currently underway in New Zealand. The students are having an amazing time, which you can read for yourself on our Facebook page at this link. CCSP will continue to run as we did prior to the pandemic, namely every fall and spring semester. Register now for spring 2023 and any future semester.
Update Feb. 8, 2022
The New Zealand government recently announced a clear and certain pathway that will reopen the New Zealand border for international travel. This means CCSP will be reopening in New Zealand starting fall 2022. The semester dates are Sept. 8 - Dec. 8th, 2022. Now is the time to apply for the fall 2022 program, and the earlier the better as we anticipate a lot of demand for study abroad in general, but also for CCSP in particular.
There are COVID practices to be worked out, which we will be influenced by the guidance of the NZ government, airlines, etc., but we will be working on those as quickly as possible. They will likely have some impact on the program, especially the entry isolation requirements (i.e., how many days, where it can occur, etc.). We don’t have all the answers to how CCSP will look as we enter the new post-COVID era, but we know the answer to the biggest question, and that is we’ll be running CCSP NZ starting fall 2022.
Regarding Belize, that program will reopen when we have the student demand to reopen. We are working with schools to boost enrollment, thus we hope CCSP Belize will re-boot in the future too.
Update Nov. 18, 2021
The expected news regarding reopening the NZ border for travel has not occurred, thus we have cancelled the spring 2022 semester. While we have cancelled the spring 2022 semester we are beginning to plan for a CCSP summer semester in anticipation that the border will reopen in 2022. The CCSP summer semester will run over the period of late May/early June to late July/early August depending on the final semester start date. Running the proposed CCSP summer semester will be dependent on the NZ border opening in time to run the program, plus having enough students to host the program (which is a minimum of 10 students). We are fully expecting, however, that the NZ border will be open in time to run the fall 2022 semester.
Update May 1, 2021
As the 2020-2012 academic year winds up we are already looking forward to the next academic year. The pandemic has taken many turns over the past year, but given the situation in New Zealand and Belize we are looking to host our first post-pandemic semester next academic year. We are looking forward to starting up again! Knowing that students are just as eager to have a normal college experience once again, and especially to do study abroad, we are expecting a lot of demand for CCSP. For this reason we recommend applying as soon as possible so you can secure your place in the program.
Update June 25, 2020.
Belize and New Zealand acted swiftly and effectively to stop COVID-19. In New Zealand, for example, all physical distancing restrictions have ended and the country is returning to a post-pandemic “new normal.” Given their early effectiveness we had reasonable expectations the New Zealand government would be able to implement safe border measures that would permit air travel to resume in time for the CCSP program to operate there in the fall. This will eventually happen, but as we continue to wait we have made the following decisions:
At this time CCSP programs in the fall are cancelled unless the borders are reopened with sufficient time for us to quickly start up the program. What this means is that CCSP will have a quick reopening plan in place and will do everything it can to run a program in the fall if the borders are reopened in sufficient time for us to pivot. One thing that we have learned during this time is that governments can make quick decisions with little announcement, which is why we are leaving the door open to running the program in the fall. We will continue to monitor the New Zealand government’s communications regarding the border, and especially the strenuous lobbying effort by the educational sector. This critical decision affecting CCSP is out of our control, however, we will be ready to quickly pivot if given the opportunity.
Students should plan on attending their home institutions for the fall, but work on an arrangement with their school to attend CCSP if there is a late opportunity to run the semester.
CCSP accepts applications on a rolling basis, thus we are still accepting applications for CCSP. Given the current situation students who applied and were accepted for the fall are also pre-accepted for the spring semester.
To learn about the latest about NZ’s world leading response to COVID-19 go to this link.
To learn about Belize’s response to COVID-19 go to this link.
April 2020.
New ZeaLAND LEADS THE GLOBAL Response to the COVID-19 CRISIS
New Zealand has some natural defenses to fight a pandemic, namely it is a remote group of islands with no land borders, it has a developed economy, a modern medical system with universal health care (hence there are no barriers to effective health care for the entire population), effective social structures, well organized government, and that famous Kiwi “can do” culture. Most importantly, New Zealand’s leaders acted early and decisively to protect the country by closing its borders early and instituting a mandatory 14-day self-isolation for all incoming travelers, national or foreign.
While NZ was protecting its borders from the virus it was simultaneously and vigorously preparing to respond to a pandemic outbreak if it occurred. New Zealand was several weeks behind Italy’s COVID-19 crisis, and just a few behind the US, so it was able to observe and learn lessons from the experience of other countries. Thus, New Zealand swung into planning and preparation of its medical response, economic response, and other necessary actions to cope with a pandemic. NZ activated its stage 4 response at the first sign of community contraction of COVID-19 (just two cases), and within 48 hours the entire country went into a full lockdown on March 25 for a month (i.e., two full cycles of incubation).
New Zealand has received international praise for its response to “eliminating” the COVID-19 threat, not just “containing” it, which is explained in the following article “NZ Isn’t Just Flattening Its Coronavirus Cure, It’s Squashing It”. To learn more about New Zealand’s response to COVID-19 go to these official links: Unite Against COVID-19 and the NZ Ministry of Health.
We will continue to monitor New Zealand’s response to COVID-19, which will determine whether or not CCSP will run in the fall, but given New Zealand’s proactive actions and positive indications that the risk of contracting COVID-19 in New Zealand is waning, at this time we are anticipating running the program for Fall 2020. (April 7, 2020)