Recipients of the New Zealand China Tripartite Partnership Fund were announced, representing researchers from the universities of Auckland, Canterbury, and Lincoln.
Education New Zealand Manapou ki Ao (ENZ) congratulated the awardees during the New Zealand-China High Level Education Forum’s closing ceremony in Auckland on June 14. Prime Minister Rt Hon Christopher Luxon unveiled the recipients: Professor Chris Bullen of the University of Auckland, Professor Joce Nuttall of the University of Canterbury, and Professor Wanglin Ma from Lincoln University. They were selected from 30 applicants by an assessment panel including representatives from ENZ and New Zealand’s Ministries of Business, Immigration and Employment, Education, and Foreign Affairs and Trade.
Established in 2005, the New Zealand-China Tripartite Partnership Fund, sponsored by ENZ, aims to foster strategic research alliances between New Zealand and China. This initiative underscores New Zealand’s commitment to global connectivity and promotes the excellence of its educational and research endeavors.
Professor Bullen from the University of Auckland proposes a novel tripartite collaboration in the sciences with Zhejiang University and Dali University. Their joint effort focuses on developing a specialized platform for remote pulmonary rehabilitation services. This innovative approach aims to address global health challenges such as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), benefiting populations in both New Zealand and China.
At the University of Canterbury, Professor Joce Nuttall’s project, ‘Digital transformation in early years education: Establishing a shared platform for collaboration,’ received $25,000. Building on UC’s existing partnerships with Shanghai Normal University and Qufu Normal University, her research aims to enhance digital literacy in early childhood education.
Meanwhile, Lincoln University’s Professor Wanglin Ma secured $30,000 for his project, ‘Leveraging circular bio-economy principles for sustainable agricultural waste management: A New Zealand-China collaboration.’ Partnering with China Agricultural University and Southwest Forestry University, the project aims to explore innovative approaches to repurpose agricultural waste into valuable resources, contributing to sustainability efforts in both countries.
These initiatives mark significant strides in bilateral research collaborations, illustrating New Zealand’s commitment to leveraging international partnerships for impactful scientific advancements.
