China-NZ Joint Programme Holds Student Meeting to Support Student Growth

Summary

On 14 October 2026, the School of Mathematics and Big Data at Chongqing University of Education held a student meeting for its Sino-NZ joint programme in Room 209, Yangchu Building, Nanshan Campus, attended by a delegation from Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology. Lu Chengwu, Standing Committee Member of the University Party Committee, Vice President and Dean of the School, Dan Songjian, Deputy Party Secretary and Vice Dean, Zou Yang, Party Committee Member and Vice Dean, and Luo Lamei, Deputy Director of the Office of International Cooperation, joined all students of the 2026 cohort in Data Science and Big Data Technology (Sino-Foreign Cooperative Education). Yao Fuguang chaired the meeting.

Kaveeta Dutt, the New Zealand programme lead, outlined the training model, coursework and graduation requirements. Dan Songjian reported on enrolment, registration and student demographics for the 2026 intake. During the interactive session, students raised questions on academic study and planning, which the New Zealand delegation answered one by one.

Students also presented calligraphy works as gifts. The meeting provided a platform for face-to-face communication between Chinese and New Zealand faculty and students, helping new students understand the curriculum, graduation standards and future directions, strengthening connections, and laying a foundation for joint teaching, practical training and student management.

Commentary

The data science joint programme between Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology and Chongqing University of Education is a microcosm of China-New Zealand education services trade. Education is New Zealand's fifth-largest services export sector, worth about NZ$5 billion a year, with Chinese students making up about 30 percent. Such joint programmes typically adopt '3+1' or '2+2' models, allowing students to earn dual degrees while New Zealand institutions gain a stable student pipeline and tuition revenue.

For NZ SMEs, education cooperation is not direct trade, but it cultivates tech talent familiar with both countries, laying groundwork for future collaboration in digital services and cross-border e-commerce. From another perspective, Chinese universities seek overseas resources to improve applied talent training, and New Zealand's polytechnic system is known for its practice-oriented approach, making the two sides a strong fit. However, such programmes also face challenges such as remote teaching effectiveness and curriculum alignment, requiring sustained quality assurance investment from NZ institutions.

Chongqing, a big data hub in western China, may see local firms access New Zealand technology resources through the programme, and NZ tech SMEs could watch for follow-on industry-university cooperation opportunities.

Keywords: Sino-NZ joint programme, Chongqing University of Education, Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology, student meeting, Data Science and Big Data Technology, Sino-foreign cooperative education, Kaveeta Dutt, Lu Chengwu, 2026 intake

Source: Chongqing University of Education