Prime Minister of New Zealand Christopher Luxon made a visit to Fudan University on June 19 to deliver a speech on China - New Zealand educational and research cooperation and cultural exchanges. He also interacted with students at Fudan.
Luxon stressed that international cooperation in education and research is of great significance and that exchanges between Chinese and New Zealand students have far-reaching impacts. He noted that the two countries’ educational cooperation has been stable and effective, driving progress in the education and research fields. He urged young people to become innovators, business leaders and change-makers to shape the future of China-New Zealand relations.
Luxon announced that the second New Zealand-China High Level Education Forum will be held in Beijing in October as part of the 26th China Annual Conference & Expo for International Education (CACIE) with New Zealand as the country of honor.
He also announced the recipient list of the China-NZ Tripartite Partnership Programme 2025. The landmark initiative was launched in 2005. Under its “1+2”model, one New Zealand university pairs with two Chinese institutions to foster joint academic efforts. In 2025, the programme marks its 20th anniversary, having supported nearly 60 collaborative research and academic exchange projects between the two countries over the years.
In his welcome address, JIN Li, president of Fudan University, highlighted that despite the geographical distance, the bond between Fudan and New Zealand universities has long bridged the physical gap, yielding abundant fruits. Universities in China and New Zealand bear a unique mission—to foster deeper mutual understanding through education, innovation, and cultural exchange.
Fudan University has signed inter-university cooperation agreements with three New Zealand universities—the University of Auckland, the University of Otago, and Victoria University of Wellington—in various fields such as international Chinese language teaching, medicine, physics and astronomy, and public policy. The Confucius Institute in Auckland, jointly built by Fudan University and the University of Auckland, is New Zealand’s first Confucius Institute. Fudan’s collaborations with the Auckland University of Technology and Xinjiang University on drug development, and with the University of Waikato and Yunnan University in computer science, have been funded by the China-NZ Tripartite Partnership Programme.
At the meeting, the two sides exchanged gifts. Luxon received a landscape ornament depicting the Original Site of Fudan University, and 3 English research report from Fudan research teams, while he presented Fudan with a “KeteNgahere”, a gift inspired by New Zealand’s primitive forests and Maori culture.
Luxon also had a dialogue with Fudan students on topics such as renewable energy, social governance, cultural exchange, and medical health, outlining a blueprint for future cooperation between the two countries.
On renewable energy, China and New Zealand have close cooperation. Luxon noted their collaboration, given New Zealand’s natural resources and China’s tech strengths, holds great promise and will benefit both nations and the world. Currently, New Zealand generates about 85% of its electricity from renewable sources and aims to double this to meet AI-related industry demands.
Luxon also highlighted New Zealand’s efforts to ensure technological progress benefits all citizens, promoting equity in education resource distribution. Regarding language learning and cross-cultural communication, he shared his past Chinese-learning experience, termed “Chiwi” for NZ students in China, and encouraged young New Zealanders to learn Chinese to enhance bilateral understanding. He also shared New Zealand's experience in digital medicine, emphasizing the potential of telemedicine and encouraging students to explore AI applications in healthcare.
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Writer: WANG Mengqi
Editor: LI Yijie
