On October 30, CUZ President Wei Lu was invited to attend the 26th China Annual Conference for International Education (CACIE) held in Beijing. This year’s conference, themed “Building a Global Community of Education,” brought together experts and scholars from around the world to discuss international cooperation and innovative development in education.
During the event, President Wei participated in the 2nd China–New Zealand Education Development Forum, where—witnessed by Ren Youqun, Vice Minister of China’s Ministry of Education, and Shane Reti, New Zealand’s Minister of Education as well as Minister for Science, Innovation and Technology—Communication University of Zhejiang (CUZ) and Victoria University of Wellington (VUW) signed a cooperation agreement on a master’s program in Electronic Information.
At the invitation of Minister Shane Reti, President Wei also attended the New Zealand Reception in Beijing, where he held productive discussions with Minister Reti, Jonathan Austin, New Zealand Ambassador to China, and Nic Smith, Vice-Chancellor of VUW.
The two universities explored future cooperation in depth, including the joint establishment of a Sino–foreign cooperative education institution. Both sides agreed to leverage their disciplinary strengths, especially in art–technology integration and emerging interdisciplinary fields, to promote innovative talent cultivation models that break disciplinary boundaries. The goal is to nurture high-level interdisciplinary professionals capable of driving global intelligent media development and cultural industry transformation.
Minister Shane Reti highly commended the cooperation blueprint between CUZ and VUW. He noted that the partnership aligns closely with the strategic direction of enhanced exchanges between China and New Zealand in science, technology, and education. He emphasized that such forward-looking interdisciplinary and intercultural collaborations will provide essential talent and intellectual support for innovation in both countries and around the world.
During the conference, President Wei also met with Zhao Lei, Deputy Director-General of the Department of International Cooperation and Exchanges of China’s Ministry of Education; Ambassador Jonathan Austin; Andy Jackson, Deputy Secretary of New Zealand’s Ministry of Education; and Ron Xavier, Education Counsellor at the New Zealand Embassy in China.
The 2nd China–New Zealand Education Development Forum, themed “Unlocking New Opportunities: Connecting the Future of China–New Zealand Education,” was co-hosted by the Ministries of Education of both countries, and jointly organized by the China Education Association for International Exchange, the China Center for International People-to-People Exchange, Education New Zealand (ENZ), and Universities New Zealand.
Vice Minister Ren Youqun and Minister Shane Reti delivered keynote speeches at the plenary session and jointly witnessed the release of bilateral education achievements and signing ceremonies.
President Wei stated that the upgraded collaboration with Victoria University of Wellington—one of the world’s leading universities—marks a significant step in advancing CUZ’s internationalization strategy and its development of “New Engineering” and “New Humanities” disciplines. The university will fully support the implementation of the cooperation agreement, actively prepare for the establishment of the joint institution, and strive to develop a distinctive talent cultivation brand in the field of art–technology integration.
Leaders from the Office of International Exchange and Cooperation accompanied President Wei to the related events.
