Ara International

Ara Institute of Canterbury is a public Institute of Technology/Polytechnic in the Canterbury region of the South Island of New Zealand. We are based in Christchurch with campuses in Timaru, Ashburton and Oamaru.

Ara was formed in 2016 by a merger of CPIT (Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology, founded 1906 in Christchurch) and Aoraki Polytechnic (founded 1904 in Timaru). We offer a range of qualifications from English Language and foundation studies programmes to Bachelors Degrees and selected Postgraduate and Masters programmes. Our programmes are industry-focused and relevant for the workplace, often including industry work experience or internships as part of studies.

The word 'Ara' is from the New Zealand Māori language and means 'Pathway'. Our motto, 'Ara Rau, Taumata Rau' means 'Many pathways, many opportunities'.

Ara offers weekly activities for our enrolled international students. This is an excellent opportunity for international students who study at Ara to meet people from other cultures. Through these activities they can experience many of the wonderful sports, recreational and cultural opportunities that New Zealand has to offer while making new friends.