Consul General He Ying Attends the Signing Ceremony Between Hubei University of Education and Southern Institute of Technology, New Zealand

Summary

On July 1, Consul General He Ying and Invercargill Mayor Tom Campbell jointly attended an exchange event between Hubei University of Education and the Southern Institute of Technology of New Zealand, and witnessed the signing of a cooperation agreement between the two institutions. Zhang Wenxue, Party Secretary of Hubei University of Education, Rex Chapman, Chair of the Southern Institute of Technology Council, and others attended. In her remarks, He Ying said that China-New Zealand educational exchanges have continued to deepen, and that the two institutions' 16 years of cooperation have cultivated a large number of outstanding graduates.

Cooperation between the two institutions began in 2010, and they have successively launched a hotel management diploma program and a cooperative undergraduate program in Computer Science and Technology. This agreement adds a regular student exchange program and establishes an overseas internship and employment base. The Consulate General will, as always, provide active support.

Commentary

New Zealand's international education sector is an important services export industry, generating about NZ$5 billion in annual revenue before the pandemic, and China is one of its largest source countries. Invercargill, where the Southern Institute of Technology is located, has a population of only about 50,000. This cooperation with Hubei University of Education, which adds student exchanges and an overseas internship base, means real business opportunities for local SMEs.

The arrival of Chinese exchange students and interns will directly boost accommodation, food and beverage, and retail spending, especially providing a steady flow of customers during the tourism off-season. At the same time, if the internship base is aligned with hotel management and computer science programs, it can help ease skills shortages in Southland's service and technology sectors, and local businesses can acquire bilingual talent at lower cost, building up human resources for expanding into the Chinese market. On the other hand, education cooperation faces fierce competition from Australia, Canada, and other countries, and student visa policy and the internship and employment environment are key variables affecting actual arrivals.

If internship positions cannot match the real needs of local businesses, the cooperation may remain on paper. From an industry perspective, New Zealand's polytechnics are at a disadvantage in competing with comprehensive universities for international students; by leveraging a stable pipeline from Chinese regional institutions, the Southern Institute of Technology can consolidate its applied education positioning in the South Island. Invercargill SMEs should proactively engage with the internship program and turn short-term talent inflow into long-term business connections.

Keywords: Consul General He Ying, Hubei University of Education, Southern Institute of Technology, New Zealand, Signing of cooperation agreement, China-New Zealand educational exchange, Student exchange program, Overseas internship and employment base, Cooperative education, Invercargill Mayor Tom Campbell, 2010

Summary in Chinese | 摘要

7月1日，何颖总领事与因弗卡吉尔市长汤姆·坎贝尔共同出席湖北第二师范学院与新西兰南方理工学院交流活动，并见证两校签署合作协议，湖北第二师范学院书记张文学、南方理工理事会主席雷克斯·查普曼等参加。何颖致辞称，中新教育交流持续深化，两校合作16年来培养大批优秀毕业生。两校合作始于2010年，先后开设酒店管理专科、计算机科学与技术本科合作办学项目，此次协议新增常态化学生交换项目并建立海外实习就业基地，总领馆将一如既往提供积极支持。

Commentary in Chinese | 评论

新西兰国际教育是重要的服务出口产业，疫情前年收入约50亿纽币，中国是最大生源国之一。南方理工学院所在的因弗卡吉尔人口仅5万左右，此次与湖北第二师范学院的合作新增学生交换和海外实习基地，对本地中小企业意味着现实商机。中国交换生和实习生的到来将直接带动住宿、餐饮、零售消费，尤其在旅游淡季提供稳定客流。

同时，实习基地若对接酒店管理、计算机专业，可缓解南地大区服务业和科技业的技能短缺，本地企业能以较低成本获得双语人才，为拓展中国市场储备人力资源。另一方面，教育合作面临澳大利亚、加拿大等国的激烈竞争，且学生签证政策和实习就业环境是影响实际到访人数的关键变量。若实习岗位无法与本地企业真实需求匹配，合作可能停留在纸面。

从行业格局看，新西兰理工院校在与综合性大学的国际生源竞争中处于劣势，借助中国地方院校的稳定输送渠道，南方理工可巩固其在南岛的应用型教育定位。因弗卡吉尔中小企业应主动对接实习项目，将短期人才流入转化为长期商业联系。

关键词: 何颖总领事, 湖北第二师范学院, 新西兰南方理工学院, 合作协议签署, 中新教育交流, 学生交换项目, 海外实习就业基地, 合作办学, 因弗卡吉尔市长汤姆·坎贝尔, 2010年

Source: Chinese Consulate-General in Christchurch – Consulate-General News