Summary
The Tourism and Broad Service Industries Sub-Committee of the China-New Zealand Vocational Education Development Alliance held its second annual meeting in Qingdao on 12 October, drawing more than 70 attendees. Among those present were Zhang Xueren, deputy director of the Ministry of Education's Centre for People-to-People Exchange; Dr Pim Borren, chief executive of Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology; university party secretary Qin Qingsong; and president Xing Guanglu, with vice-president Qiao Lu chairing. Qin said the university, as the Chinese lead institution of the sub-committee, would continue to deepen practical cooperation with Toi Ohomai.
Borren reviewed achievements in joint tourism management programme development, staff and student exchanges, and curriculum development. Sun Lei, director of the international exchange and cooperation division at the Qingdao Education Bureau, said the bureau would support the development of China-New Zealand vocational education cooperation projects. Zhang called on the sub-committee to improve its operating mechanisms, expand cooperation areas and build flagship programmes.
At the meeting, Xing and Borren signed a memorandum of understanding on jointly advancing the Tourism Management and Broad Service Industries Sub-Committee of the China-New Zealand Vocational Education Development Alliance, marking a key step towards institutionalised and substantive operation of the platform. Zhang announced the second batch of Chinese member institutions, with six institutions including Guangzhou Vocational University of Technology joining, bringing total membership to 12 and strengthening a diversified collaborative structure of institutions, research organisations and enterprises. The university delivered a work report reviewing 2026 progress and outlining 2027 priorities including deepening project development, enriching exchange formats and building distinctive brands.
The annual meeting also featured a keynote lecture by Tania Berryman, dean of design, innovation and industry at Toi Ohomai, and thematic discussions.
Commentary
The annual meeting of the Tourism and Broad Service Industries Sub-Committee of the China-New Zealand Vocational Education Development Alliance signals that cooperation between the two countries in tourism and hospitality talent development has entered an institutionalised phase. Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology, as the New Zealand lead institution, signed an implementation memorandum with Chinese institutions including Qingdao Vocational and Technical College, which will advance mutual recognition of courses, faculty exchanges and alignment of practical training standards. For New Zealand small and medium-sized business owners, this cooperation means more graduates will enter the industry familiar with both the Chinese and New Zealand tourism markets, with bilingual capabilities and cross-cultural service skills, easing labour shortages as tourism recovers.
New Zealand's tourism sector has rebounded strongly post-pandemic, but labour gaps remain significant. According to Tourism New Zealand data, international visitor spending in 2024 had recovered to pre-pandemic levels, while the number of tourism workers remains below 2019 levels. Graduates trained through China-New Zealand vocational education cooperation understand both Chinese tourists' spending preferences and local New Zealand operating norms, positioning them as a bridge between the two tourism markets.
Meanwhile, China is New Zealand's second-largest source of visitors, and its outbound travel market continues to grow, meaning New Zealand businesses need more staff with Chinese-language service capabilities to improve reception quality. More broadly, the alliance has expanded to 12 member institutions spanning educational institutions, research organisations and enterprises. This diversified collaborative model helps embed industry needs directly into curriculum design and shorten graduates' adjustment period.
New Zealand SMEs could monitor the alliance's future school-enterprise cooperation projects, securing potential talent early by offering internships or participating in curriculum development. The memorandum also provides a more stable framework for New Zealand educational institutions entering China's vocational education market, though attention must be paid to local variations in China's vocational education policy and compliance requirements for cooperative education.
Keywords: China-New Zealand vocational education, tourism and broad service industries, sub-committee annual meeting, cooperation memorandum, tourism management cooperative education, Pim Borren, Zhang Xueren, Qingdao, vocational education international cooperation, people-to-people exchange
Summary in Chinese | 摘要
10月12日，中国-新西兰职业教育发展联盟旅游与泛服务业专业分委会第二届年会在青岛举行，70余人出席。教育部中外人文交流中心副主任张学仁、新西兰国立中部理工学院校长品·博仁博士、校党委书记秦青松、校长邢广陆等参加，副校长乔璐主持。秦青松表示学校作为分委会中方牵头单位，将持续深化与新西兰国立中部理工学院务实合作。
品·博仁回顾两校在旅游管理专业共建、师生交流、课程开发等方面成果。青岛市教育局国际交流与合作处处长孙蕾表示将支持中新职业教育合作项目发展。张学仁希望分委会健全运行机制、拓展合作领域、打造品牌项目。
会上，邢广陆与品·博仁共同签署《关于共同推进中国—新西兰职业教育发展联盟旅游管理与泛服务业专业分委会实施备忘录》，标志分委会平台向制度化、实体化运行迈出关键一步。张学仁宣布第二批中方院校成员单位名单，广州职业技术大学等6所院校加入，分委会成员单位已达12家，健全了“院校+科研机构+企业”多元协同格局。学校作专题工作汇报，回顾2026年度建设成效，明确2027年深化项目建设、丰富交流载体、打造特色品牌等重点工作方向。
年会同步开展专题讲座与主题研讨，新西兰国立中部理工学院设计与创新及产业院长塔尼亚·贝里曼作专题讲座。
Commentary in Chinese | 评论
中国-新西兰职业教育发展联盟旅游与泛服务业分委会年会的举行，标志着两国在文旅人才培养领域的合作进入制度化阶段。新西兰国立中部理工学院作为新方牵头单位，与青岛职业技术学院等中方院校共同签署实施备忘录，将推动课程互认、师资交流和实训标准对接。对于新西兰中小企业主而言，这一合作意味着未来将有更多熟悉中新两国旅游市场、具备双语能力和跨文化服务技能的毕业生进入行业，缓解旅游业复苏后面临的人才短缺问题。
新西兰旅游业在疫情后强劲反弹，但劳动力缺口显著，据新西兰旅游局数据，2024年国际游客消费已恢复至疫情前水平，而旅游从业者数量仍低于2019年。中新职教合作培养的毕业生，既了解中国游客的消费偏好，又熟悉新西兰本地运营规范，可成为连接两国旅游市场的桥梁。同时，中国作为新西兰第二大游客来源国，其出境游市场持续增长，新西兰企业需要更多具备中文服务能力的员工来提升接待质量。
从更广视角看，该联盟成员单位已扩展至12家，涵盖院校、科研机构和企业，这种多元协同模式有助于将行业需求直接融入课程设计，缩短毕业生适应期。新西兰中小企业可关注该联盟后续的校企合作项目，通过提供实习岗位或参与课程开发，提前锁定潜在人才。此外，备忘录的签署也为新西兰教育机构进入中国职业教育市场提供了更稳定的框架，但需注意中国职业教育政策的地方差异和合作办学的合规要求。
关键词: 中新职业教育, 旅游与泛服务业, 分委会年会, 合作备忘录, 旅游管理合作办学, 品·博仁, 张学仁, 青岛, 职业教育国际合作, 人文交流
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