Victoria University of Wellington delegation visits Ocean University of China

Summary

A delegation led by Janine Huxford, deputy director of the international office at Victoria University of Wellington, visited the Faculty of Information Science and Engineering at Ocean University of China on 26 October to discuss the two universities' joint double-master's degree programme. Faculty dean Dong Junyu said the partnership had produced steady and effective cooperation in talent development and academic exchange, and called for better use of each side's strengths to expand collaboration and train more high-level international talent in related disciplines. Huxford said Victoria University of Wellington places high importance on its cooperation with Ocean University of China and looks forward to practical work on the joint programme and a joint research centre.

Zhao Yiming, deputy director of the university's international office, outlined Ocean University of China's internationalisation progress and reviewed the partnership's history, urging students heading to Wellington to act as both learners and cultural ambassadors. Chen Lei, senior international admissions manager at Victoria University of Wellington, presented information on campus life, accommodation, living costs and campus activities, as well as the programme's training model and admission requirements, and answered student questions. The two sides discussed student development, faculty and student exchanges and academic cooperation, and exchanged views on improving the joint training mechanism and research collaboration.

Huxford later presented students with university souvenirs and posed for a group photo. Faculty members responsible for the joint programme, staff from the university's international office and Victoria University of Wellington's international office, and master's students enrolled in the 2025 and 2026 cohorts of the programme attended. Victoria University of Wellington was founded in 1897 and ranks among the top 2 percent of universities worldwide.

Commentary

The deepening of the joint double-master's programme between Victoria University of Wellington and Ocean University of China is an education story, but it offers small and medium-sized New Zealand businesses a window into talent flows and technology cooperation between the two countries. Victoria University of Wellington, ranked in the global top 2 percent, has particular strength in computer science, while Ocean University of China has built up expertise in information science. Their cooperation focuses on computer science, and the international graduates it produces may eventually join technology firms in New Zealand or China, indirectly affecting the local supply of technical talent.

For SMEs that depend on technological innovation, such cooperation can help ease skills shortages, and with Wellington as the capital hosting many technology companies, a more diverse talent pool would strengthen regional competitiveness. If the planned joint research centre goes ahead, it could also create opportunities for technology transfer and commercialisation, and SMEs should watch for subsequent research collaboration. On the other hand, Chinese students studying in New Zealand directly support education exports and local consumption, with accommodation and lifestyle services in Wellington among the beneficiaries.

That said, the cooperation remains primarily academic, with limited short-term commercial conversion, and SMEs should assess the long-term talent dividend rationally rather than expect immediate market returns. New Zealand's education export sector has faced competition in recent years, and deeper cooperation of this kind helps consolidate the Chinese student market, while Chinese students acting as cultural ambassadors may also foster bilateral business trust.

Keywords: Victoria University of Wellington, Ocean University of China, joint double-master's degree programme, China-New Zealand cooperation programme, Faculty of Information Science and Engineering, Janine Huxford, Dong Junyu, faculty and student exchanges, international talent, joint research centre

Photo by Matthew Jesús on Pexels

Source: Ocean University of China