Strengthening agricultural research and teaching collaboration with University College Dublin

Building on a growing partnership between the two agricultural schools of Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa Massey University and University College Dublin (UCD), Head of School of Agriculture and Environment Professor Paul Kenyon recently spent three weeks in Ireland as part of a staff and postgraduate exchange programme. The visit focused on strengthening existing collaborations and exploring new opportunities for joint research and teaching initiatives.

During his time in Ireland, Professor Kenyon was based at UCD and Teagasc, Ireland’s leading agriculture and food development authority and research organisation. He also visited Teagasc’s sheep research facility in Athenry, near Galway, where he reviewed ongoing sheep and beef research projects, explored new collaborative opportunities and further developed partnerships with UCD academics.

“Teaching students, and talking to and working with postgraduates at UCD, was a highlight of the visit, alongside productive conversations with academic staff about deepening our research collaboration and creating stronger recruitment pathways for future students,” Professor Kenyon says.

Although located in opposite hemispheres, Ireland and New Zealand face remarkably similar agricultural challenges. Both countries operate pasture-based farming systems and contend with comparable environmental pressures and animal production issues.

“Our systems are similar enough to compare meaningfully, but different enough to generate new insights. For example, operating in opposite hemispheres effectively gives us two springs in a single year, which allows us to move seasonal research forward much quicker,” Professor Kenyon says.

A formal student exchange programme between Massey and UCD is currently being finalised. The agreement will see one Irish PhD student spend three to four months at Massey, while a New Zealand doctoral candidate will undertake research at UCD and Lyons Research Farm. Further exchanges are planned, with two students having previously participated.

This initiative represents the next phase of collaboration between the two universities and forms part of a broader strategy to address shared agricultural and environmental challenges. Previous exchanges have already demonstrated the value of the partnership, including visits by PhD candidates Bia Oliveria and Sarah Woodmartin, whose research reflects the strengths and similarities of pasture-based systems in both countries.

Bia, originally from Brazil and completing her PhD in pasture science at Massey, focuses on the use of diverse pastures as a climate change mitigation tool. Sarah’s joint PhD with UCD and Teagasc examined how different pasture systems influence sheep performance, methane emissions and overall environmental impacts. While undertaken in different countries, both projects are closely aligned in their research focus.

Their international experiences enabled them to test ideas in new environments, share expertise and gain first-hand insight into how comparable challenges are addressed across hemispheres.

“New Zealand and Ireland are unique in their ability to grow grass and are renowned for their pasture-reared produce. While there are differences between the systems, it was a valuable opportunity to immerse myself in the vast farming systems New Zealand has to offer,” Sarah says.

“The opportunity to network with students and researchers working in a similar area but a different local context meant that we could share ideas and discuss our findings, which was invaluable to my PhD research.”

UCD Professor of Ruminant Nutrition Tommy Boland has worked closely with Massey and has visited New Zealand on multiple occasions. He says the partnership extends beyond institutional collaboration and reflects the importance of New Zealand as a strategic partner for Ireland’s wider agricultural sector.

“Professor Kenyon and I have been working to secure funding to support staff and student exchanges between our universities and agri-sectors. Through two rounds of ERASMUS funding, we have achieved that exchange and helped to strengthen collaborations. We look forward to continuing these partnerships as we embrace the opportunities and challenges facing pasture-based livestock production.”

The long-term ambition of the collaboration is to secure joint international research funding. Professor Kenyon notes that international funding bodies are increasingly prioritising global partnerships, particularly those that bring together researchers from different hemispheres to address shared challenges.

“As leading agricultural universities, Massey and UCD are committed to aligning our strengths to deliver research that supports the agricultural sector in meeting both environmental and production goals,” Professor Kenyon says.

This story was initially reported by Rural News: Massey University and UCD strengthen agricultural research and teaching collaboration.