Professor Dawn Freshwater, the Vice-Chancellor, welcomed a delegation headed by Dr. Huai Jinpeng, the Minister of Education of China, to the University. During their visit, the delegation toured the Confucius Institute, which specializes in Chinese language and culture, as well as the Maurice Wilkins Centre, a Research Excellence Centre dedicated to molecular biodiscovery.
Minister Huai said that Chinese students chose to come to New Zealand for quality higher education but also the country’s ‘humanitarian’ culture. Professor Freshwater spoke of the range of joint research collaborations between University researchers and Chinese counterparts at a broad range of institutions. She said it was rewarding to reconnect with Minister Huai who she had met several times.
The University and members of the delegation finalized several agreements, including a Memorandum of Understanding between Tui Tuia Learning Circle at the University of Auckland and the Centre for Language Education and Cooperation. This initiative aims to enhance Chinese language education in New Zealand schools.
As part of the high-level New Zealand-China Education Forum on Education, hosted by Minister Huai and Minister for Tertiary Education Penny Simmonds, the visit featured presentations by Vice-Chancellors from New Zealand universities and their counterparts in the delegation. The forum took place at the Pullman Hotel.
The forum concluded with the attendance of Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, and Education Minister Erica Stanford. Premier Li announced the provision of 100 scholarships for international Chinese language teachers over the upcoming five years, while Prime Minister Luxon introduced a tripartite fund and recipients of the PM scholarship.
