On the afternoon of November 21, 2023, Ian McDonald, Dean of the International School at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand, along with Zhao Fang, Chairman of the Shaanxi New Zealand General Chamber of Commerce, visited Northwest University. A meeting was held in the conference room on the fifth floor of the Western Learning Building to discuss topics such as educational cooperation and research on international friends. This event was organized by the Shaanxi People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, coordinated by the International Cooperation Department of Northwest University, with Song Ming, Senior Inspector of the Department of American Studies at the Provincial Friendship Association, Ren Huilian, Director of the International Cooperation Department of Northwest University, and Cao Ruonan, Dean of our school, attending the meeting.
During the meeting, Dean Cao Ruonan briefed the guests on the academic disciplines of our School and the existing international exchange programs. She also introduced the research and teaching activities on Rewi Alley conducted by our school's international research team in recent years, and proposed to actively promote exchanges and cooperation between our school and the education and business sectors in New Zealand. Dean Ian McDonald expressed strong interest in deepening cooperation. Both parties agreed that education cooperation can further strengthen the ties between the two universities, promote cultural exchange, and share knowledge.
Ren Huilian, Director of the International Cooperation Department of Northwest University, made suggestions for future directions of cooperation and discussed specific cooperation areas such as cooperation models, curriculum exchanges and student visits. Chairman Zhao Fang stated that the Shaanxi New Zealand General Chamber of Commerce is actively committed to promoting educational exchanges between China and New Zealand and hopes to establish closer cooperation with Northwest University. This meeting laid a solid foundation for further cooperation between the two universities in the field of education and provided direction for future cooperation and exchanges.
Early before the meeting, the guests visited the Rewi Alley’s photo exhibition in the lobby of the first floor of the Western Learning Building. The University of Canterbury in New Zealand is located in the hometown of Rewi Alley, one of the founders of the China-France Industrial Cooperation. And in 2022, our school set up the Rewi Alley’s photo exhibition under the commission of the Shaanxi Province People's Government Foreign Affairs Office to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and New Zealand. The students from our "Red Memory" explanation team introduced the contributions of Rewi Alley in China to the visiting delegation, sparking lively discussions on international research among the participants. The students' wonderful English presentations also won praise from the visiting guests from New Zealand.
Photo: Qu Yuanjun
Text：Chen Juan
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