New Zealand is looking to strengthen ties with China through international education collaboration, with the aim to enhance the development of a community with shared understanding and prepare students to thrive in an increasingly connected world, said a top university executive from New Zealand and member of the Prime Minister of New Zealand's official delegation to China.

Nic Smith, vice-chancellor of the Victoria University of Wellington, made the remarks on Wednesday in Shanghai, reaffirming the university's longstanding commitment to meaningful partnerships with its Chinese counterparts.

Ranking 244 in the QS World University Rankings 2025 with a rare 5+ star rating in the QS Stars rating system, the university's collaboration with Chinese institutions dates back to the 1980s, when it first signed an agreement with Xiamen University. Its Confucius Institute opened in 2010 and it also hosts the pre-eminent New Zealand Contemporary Chinese Research Centre.

"In the last five years, we have collaborated with 259 Chinese institutions across a range of research topics, including the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Peking University, Sichuan University, Zhengzhou University and Tsinghua University," said Smith.