Meet our regional representatives
University of Auckland representatives based in strategic regional markets off-shore provide vital connections between the University and its international students, past, present and future.
As well as supporting student recruitment, they regularly engage with agents, stakeholders and relevant organisations to build and nurture strategic relationships within their region.
Meet the family!
Ashley Monaghan
Regional Manager, North America
Based in Great Lakes Region, USA
Ashley focuses on supporting the recruitment of study-abroad and full-degree students and travels throughout North America for the role. She meets with students, engages with alumni and develops relationships with study-abroad and college counselling departments to increase awareness of the unique opportunities the University of Auckland offers.
Before her current role, Ashley worked in full-degree recruitment for international universities in the United Kingdom and the United States.
“I look forward to team building in person and learning more about Auckland first-hand. This opportunity will allow me to best represent the University, the city of Auckland, and New Zealand to future students and families. I’m excited to experience Māori culture.”
Rayna Zhang
China Recruitment Specialist
Based in Guangzhou, China
Rayna is responsible for looking after the China market and student recruitment, together with her colleagues Vivi and Katherine, who are based in Beijing.
Before joining the University of Auckland, Rayna worked for the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade at the New Zealand Consulate-General in Guangzhou for five years, an experience which made her “deeply love the country of New Zealand and its people.” Rayna also worked for an Australian university as Marketing and Student Recruitment Officer.
“I hope to have a deeper understanding of each faculty and its programmes during this visit. I’m also looking forward to having some real University of Auckland campus life and work experience to share with Chinese students and agents in the future. I also look forward to meeting with faculty colleagues and fellow international managers in person.”
Vivi Peng
Senior China Regional Manager
Based in Beijing, China
Vivi is responsible for recruitment and business partnerships for the University in China. She has been working in this role for five years.
Vivi has 15 years of experience in the education industry and previously worked as International Admissions Manager for several Australian universities.
“After three years of the epidemic that blocked travel between our borders, I’m excited we could return to the University in person, see our campus and discuss future plans with our colleagues.”
Katherine Li
China Manager
Based in Beijing, China
Katherine has worked in the international education sector for over 15 years. Prior to joining the University of Auckland, she worked with an education agency, a pathway provider and Australian tertiary institutions, where she developed her professional career and passion for helping students achieve their dream of studying overseas.
“In 2023, I hope to recruit more quality Chinese students through our team effort. I am confident and look forward to a fruitful year as China reopens. I am excited about this opportunity to visit the University of Auckland and finally meet my lovely International Office colleagues in person. I also look forward to receiving more university information and experiences to share with agents and potential students!”
Nisha Arora
Regional Recruitment Adviser, South Asia
Based in New Delhi, India
Nisha's responsibilities encompass managing our student recruitment initiatives and stakeholder engagement in the South Asia region.
She has extensive industry experience and served as Country Representative for a premium global institute and prior to that, has also been successfully organising, and executing large scale student promotional events for a prestigious overseas education consultancy in India.
Throughout her career, Nisha has successfully connected with a diverse community of students, parents and educational institutions across the region. Her utmost joy stems from being surrounded by inquisitive and dynamic young minds!
“I am proud to be a part of New Zealand's educational heritage. I am grateful for the opportunity to serve as one of the University of Auckland's brand ambassadors in South Asia and I eagerly anticipate contributing to the growth and advancement of the University of Auckland's presence in the region.”
Vasudha Hanumanthappa
Recruitment Adviser, South Asia
Based in Bangalore, India
Vasudha has over eight years of experience in education and overseas admissions, including working with well-known overseas education consultants in India, such as The Chopras (now TC Global), IDP Education Pvt Ltd and aecc Global.
Vasudha’s previous roles include Admissions Consultant and Senior Admissions Officer for Australia and New Zealand and US destination Counsellor and Senior Counsellor. She has also worked with Meru Academy of Education, an Indian secondary school.
“I’m super excited and extremely grateful for this opportunity. I’m very keen to explore all the campuses of the University, including the classrooms, laboratories, libraries and other facilities. I’d like to have a better understanding of the faculties, programmes, research centres and student services -- and how they work. I hope to be able to talk to some international students and find out how their journey has been so far.”
Yoke Yau Wong
Regional Manager, South East Asia
Based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Yau’s role focuses on building engagement and networking with our regional stakeholders to aid student recruitment further. He supports agents and activities to build more interest within the region in studying at the University of Auckland. Yau has been fascinated with international education and meeting people across the world with different cultures and educational backgrounds.
Yau has over nine years of experience in international education and has recruited for universities in Malaysia, the United Kingdom and Singapore.
"I hope to get even more connected with colleagues from different departments at the University of Auckland. I hope we can learn from each other to better help each other meet the demands and expectations of our stakeholders within the region. I also look forward to meeting more of our students and alumni.”