On the morning of June 13, local time, Premier Li Qiang of the State Council embarked on an official visit to New Zealand by invitation. As a significant accompanying event of this visit, China and New Zealand organized the New Zealand-China High Level Education Forum on June 14th. The forum aimed to identify key areas and advancement pathways for bilateral education cooperation in the next phase, comprehensively elevate the level of China-New Zealand education cooperation and people-to-people exchanges, and serve the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries. Premier Li Qiang and Prime Minister Christopher Luxon of New Zealand jointly attended the closing ceremony of the forum and delivered speeches. Over 160 education sector figures, including Minister of Education Huai Jinpeng, Minister of Tertiary Education, Skills, and Employment Penny Simonds, Secretary of the Party Committee of South China University of Technology Zhang Xichun, Chancellor of the University of Canterbury Cheryl de la Rey, and Academician Chen Xiaoqi, Dean of Shien-Ming Wu School of Intelligent Engineering, attended the forum.

Signing Ceremony for International Joint Laboratory

At the forum, under the joint witness of Minister of Education Huai Jinpeng and Minister of Tertiary Education, Skills, and Employment Penny Simonds, Zhang Xichun, on behalf of the university, signed a cooperation agreement with Cheryl de la Rey for the International Joint Laboratory on Smart Medtech Automation Research and Technology (SMART). When introducing the forum's achievements to the premiers of China and New Zealand, Huai Jinpeng gave full affirmation to this cooperation.

Group photo of participants from both sides at the signing ceremony of the International Joint Laboratory

The International Joint Laboratory on Smart Medtech Automation Research and Technology is co-directed by Academician Chen Xiaoqi and Distinguished Professor Geoff Chase from the University of Canterbury. It focuses on research in three areas: Human-centric-intelligence based System and Automation for Personalised Care, Human-centric-intelligence based Prognostics and Diagnostics, and Next-Generation Medical Devices. The laboratory aims to integrate cross-border research efforts in healthcare and artificial intelligence information technology to contribute new forces to scientific and technological innovation for the betterment of humanity. The establishment of this bilateral joint research platform represents a significant breakthrough in the international cooperation efforts of South China University of Technology. It is also an active exploration in response to the national strategy of opening up education to the outside world, combining high-quality bringing in with high-level going out. The two universities will use the joint laboratory as a platform to establish offshore innovation centers in each other's countries, gather high-quality resources from home and abroad, promote bilateral transformation of scientific research results, and achieve two-way flow of talent and technology, striving to create a model for China-New Zealand cooperative research. Shien-Ming Wu School of Intelligent Engineering will also seize this opportunity to further optimize joint teaching and student training models, strengthen bilateral academic exchanges, promote scientific research in the fields of intelligent healthcare systems, automation, and equipment, and establish a new mechanism for mutually beneficial and win-win technology development and achievement transformation. (Text and photos provided by the International Exchange and Cooperation Office, Shien-Ming Wu School of Intelligent Engineering, Xinhua News Agency, and Weiyan Education)