26 June 2025 at 10:30 am

PM mission advances New Zealand and China education relationship

Education partnerships between New Zealand and China continue to grow with the recent Prime Minister’s trade mission to China seeing 10 memorandums of understanding signed between education institutions in New Zealand and China. 

Amanda and PM at Education Connect event
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon alongside ENZ Chief Executive Amanda Malu at the New Zealand Education Connect.

The New Zealand Education Connect event on 20 June at the New Zealand Embassy in Beijing brought together leading Chinese government representatives, institutional partners, education agents, and alumni to strengthen people-to-people links and celebrate collaboration.  

The event programme was packed, with nine Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) signed between New Zealand and Chinese counterparts, and another MoU signed between Victoria University of Wellington and Fudan University on 19 June. 

Providers from across the tertiary education sector signed the MoUs – with Victoria University of Wellington, Unitec, NMIT and UP Education’s University of Auckland International College and New Zealand Tertiary College formalising partnerships. 

These agreements cover a mix of in-market delivery, joint programmes, and initiatives to grow student mobility between New Zealand and China.  

This builds on the now over 60 approved joint education programmes and institutes recognised by the China Ministry of Education between New Zealand and Chinese institutions, and other education partnerships across early childhood education, vocational training, higher education, and research areas.  

The New Zealand Education Connect event had senior leaders officially launching New Zealand’s Country of Honour campaign for the upcoming China Annual Conference and Expo for International Education (CACIE), China's largest platform for international education, due to take place in October this year.  

ENZ’s Chief Executive, Amanda Malu, launches the Country of Honour campaign for New Zealand at CACIE alongside Prime Minister Luxon and CEAIE’s Secretary General Jun Yang.

ENZ Chief Executive, Amanda Malu, said it’s exciting to see advancement of the partnerships New Zealand providers have built with their Chinese counterparts. 

We’re eager to see the outcomes of the new agreements formalised at New Zealand Education Connect and look forward to deepening our bilateral ties by leading a delegation to CACIE later this year, she said. 

Information on the registration process for New Zealand education providers to join the New Zealand Country of Honour events in October will be shared next month on ENZ’s event page.  

The Country of Honour promotional video is available with Chinese subtitles on The Brand Lab.  

 

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