Massey participates in China Business Summit

A balancing act between trade and 'heightened geo-strategic sensitivities' was the theme at the China Business Summit in Tāmaki Makaurau recently, with topics including the challenges and opportunities that exist for international education now that border restrictions have been lifted.

Vice-Chancellor Professor Jan Thomas participated in a panel discussion at the Summit, which talked about how education and tourism sectors can resuscitate and reinvent themselves as the border opens Aotearoa New Zealand to the world.

Professor Thomas says it's an amazing feeling knowing that Massey’s international engagement is fully open again, connecting New Zealanders to the rest of the world.

“Through these past two and half years, we established some really significant initiatives in China, including joint education programmes with prestigious universities which also augmented our footprint in China. It’s difficult to predict how fast numbers will grow, but we are confident that international students still want to travel here to study and experience a country that is friendly, inclusive and safe, with a stunning natural environment.”

It is the eighth time that the China Business Summit has taken place. The event this year presented a unique business and political perspective on the landscape for New Zealand businesses in China, and put forward strategies for navigating through disruptive times.

Speakers included Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, Trade Minister Damien O’Connor and Chinese Ambassador to New Zealand Wang Xiaolong, as well as economists, tourism operators and business leaders. Professor Nicola Shadbolt from the School of Agriculture and Environment also presented on a panel discussing the current economic environment and what potentially lies ahead.