A Unitec delegation travelled to China for the inaugural cohort orientation in September.

Dr Simon Nash, DCE - Learner Experience and Success spoke on behalf of Unitec at the orientation event and he says the response in China was enthusiastic.
“It was lovely to see a room full of very eager young students, decked out in their Unitec t-shirts, who will be here studying with us in three years' time,” he says.
“I am very confident that the joint programme is going to be successful and that our kaimahi (both from Hebei and Tāmaki) will provide an excellent learning environment, and that our Chinese ākonga are going to have a fantastic experience.”

Presentations were also made by our School of Computing, Electrical and Applied Technology and International Teams.

The joint programme is the result of two years of cultural and people-to-people exchange between our two institutions.

HUE learners spent a week at Unitec in September 2024 as part of a cultural exchange.

Development of the joint programme began in 2023 and was approved by the China Ministry of Education in April.

The response has been overwhelming with places in the programme quickly filling up.

Partnerships Manager, Jialu Ding, says the programme has proven popular with students and parents.

She says the students asked a lot of questions about living in New Zealand, the visa application process, entry criteria into Unitec programmes, and student life at Unitec compared to China.

HUE learners were presented with Unitec-branded orientation gifts which were well received.

“We were particularly impressed by the students’ English proficiency,” says Jialu.
“They all spoke confidently and clearly. The students were very excited to meet us. They actively engaged in the Q&A and even queued to take selfies with us after the event!”

According to Jialu, the first cohort are of high calibre with an average gaokao score of 524/750 (around 70%). They are also a diverse cohort with students coming from a range of provinces across China.

Students enrolled in the programme will spend the first three years in China. Eligible students can do the final year at Unitec. If they complete the programme, they will receive degrees from both institutions.

Unitec kaimahi will teach across twelve courses in the degree programme (spread over three years per cohort). The first group will be sent in May 2026 followed by another in November 2026. A new cohort of students will be welcomed each year.

"I am very pleased to see this joint programme with HUE now underway as it reflects the hard work of our School team in bringing this partnership to life,” says Academic Programme Manager, Professor Hamid Sharifzadeh.
“The student orientation was a real highlight, and it was inspiring to meet such an enthusiastic first cohort of students. We were also humbled by the very warm and generous hospitality of HUE.”

The Unitec delegation also held a joint academic management committee meeting, to discuss details around programme delivery in China.

“I look forward to our delivery at HUE and to welcoming their students to Unitec in the near future as part of this collaborative journey,” say Prof. Sharifzadeh.

Dr Nash says the China trip was very worthwhile.
“Our International team is focused on building productive, long-term partnerships with Chinese institutions that will lead to great collaboration,” he explains.
“Because these partnerships are based in sound relationships and understanding and trust, we can be confident that we have great foundations in place. It is rewarding work.”