Dmitrii Golyshev was struck by the friendly and relaxed nature of New Zealanders when he made the move here from Moscow.

He and his family had been thinking about moving overseas for a few years before he attended a seminar about overseas educational services in 2017.

He met OPAIC’s marketing manager for Russia there and they spoke about life in New Zealand.

“Despite never being in New Zealand before I felt that this could be a comfortable place for my family,” said Dmitrii.

He and his family decided to first visit New Zealand as tourists. They found they loved the country and they took the opportunity to discuss study options available at OPAIC.  

As soon as they returned home to Russia, they began preparing for the move.

Moving to New Zealand was like coming to another planet but he and his wife loved the country and the relaxed nature of the people.

“People here are really, really open-minded and friendly to other people.”

When they first arrived, their landlord helped them with their grocery shopping until they got a car and helped with other things too.

Dmitrii says another great feature of New Zealand is that you are always near a beach.

He also likes smaller cities outside of Auckland. He’s travelled around the North Island with his family – going to Napier, Tauranga, Rotorua, Wellington and Taupo.

“You have a lot of beautiful places here. A lot of beautiful spots - nature. You feel like you are part of this nature.”

Dmitrii’s family now lives in central Auckland, where he says there are many opportunities to socialise and meet people. They can walk anywhere they need to go in 10 to 15 minutes.

Dmitrii has just finished his Postgraduate Diploma in Applied Management. He says studying was more challenging than he expected, particularly because he was studying in a new language and it had been many years since he’d completed his last qualification.

Educational methods were also different in New Zealand. Students were encouraged to express their points of view and think critically, which he says is important.

On top of study, Dmitrii got involved in extracurricular activities at OPAIC. He was a student ambassador and took part in volunteering activities.

Back home Dmitrii has worked in senior roles in marketing, advertising and media. Now that he’s finished his study, he hopes to find work in one of those industries in New Zealand.