Palmerston North, Guizhou college explore future cooperation

Grant Smith (L), mayor of Palmerston North City in New Zealand, visits Guizhou Vocational College of Agriculture to seek cooperation. [Photo/colorful Guizhou network]

Grant Smith, mayor of Palmerston North City in New Zealand, visited Guizhou Vocational College of Agriculture in Guiyang, capital of Southwest China's Guizhou province, on July 10.

Smith said that it was his third visit to Guiyang and that the tour of the agricultural and animal husbandry cultural center and the introduction of the college taught him about the college's large scale, comprehensive agricultural majors, large student population, and strong faculty team, especially in the fields of agriculture and animal husbandry.

He also introduced that Massey University in New Zealand has a strong faculty team and successful experience in agriculture, animal husbandry, and technology.

He hopes that the two schools can carry out exchanges and cooperation in agriculture, husbandry, and teacher-student communications as soon as possible.

Additionally, he learned that the college is hosting projects during the 2023 China-ASEAN Education Cooperation Week and hopes that government departments, enterprises, and research institutes from New Zealand can participate, expanding the scope of cooperation between the two sides.

Deng Qingsheng, principal of Guizhou Vocational College of Agriculture, said that New Zealand is a beautiful country and the people are very friendly.

He has a special affection for New Zealand, as his good friend Professor Tim Harvey from Massey University has come to the college several times to give academic lectures, carry out exchanges, and promote advanced technology in related professional fields.

Deng said that the college has attached great importance to international exchanges and cooperation, actively promoting international education.

Through the China-ASEAN Education Cooperation Week, the college has carried out extensive international exchanges and cooperation with colleges in Mongolia, Thailand, Belarus, Laos, and other countries.

It has sent teachers to participate in international training programs and attend international conferences, aiming to build a high-level and internationally-oriented faculty team.

He emphasized the significance of Grant Smith's visit in further enhancing the international competence, exchange abilities, and teaching capabilities of the college's teachers, conducting cultural exchanges, promoting the integration of production and education, and enhancing the internationalization of the college.

He hopes that the meeting with Smith will serve as an opportunity to help Guizhou develop modern mountainous agriculture and enhance cooperation with New Zealand in the fields of agriculture and animal husbandry.