On April 28, Gao Wei, Honorary Chairman of the New Zealand–Australia Science & Innovation Alliance, Fellow of the Royal Academy of Sciences New Zealand, Fellow of the Engineering New Zealand, and Professor at the University of Auckland, Hu Aiguo, Chairman of the New Zealand–Australia Science & Innovation Alliance, Fellow of the Royal Academy of Sciences New Zealand, and Professor at the University of Auckland, and Professor Zhang Jun, Council Member of the New Zealand–Australia Science & Innovation Alliance and Associate Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Education at the University of Auckland, led a delegation to visit Henan University (HENU). Vice President Zhang Ligang met with the guests at the Longzihu Campus in Zhengzhou. Representatives from the International Affairs Office, the School of Nanoscience and Materials Engineering, the School of Journalism and Communication/School of Publishing, and the School of Artificial Intelligence attended the meeting.

At the outset of the meeting, both sides watched HENU's promotional video, gaining a comprehensive understanding of the university's century-long educational heritage, discipline development, scientific research innovation, and international cooperation achievements.

Zhang Ligang, on behalf of HENU, extended a warm welcome to Gao Wei and his delegation and introduced the university's century-long history and development journey. He noted that as a national "Double First-Class" institution and one of Henan's "Top Two Universities", HENU aims to build itself into a research-oriented, comprehensive, and internationalized world-class university. The university adheres to open education and actively expands high-level international cooperation and exchanges. The New Zealand–Australia Science & Innovation Alliance brings together the wisdom and strength of overseas Chinese scientists and serves as a bridge in promoting multilateral scientific and technological collaboration and deepening people-to-people and cultural exchanges. He hoped that both sides could establish a regular exchange platform to deepen practical cooperation in nanomaterials, artificial intelligence, and humanistic education, specifically in recruiting high-level talents, facilitating young scholar exchanges, and conducting joint research, to advance the university's high-quality development.

Gao Wei expressed his gratitude for HENU's warm hospitality and introduced the discipline strengths of the University of Auckland and the current state of the New Zealand–Australia Science & Innovation Alliance. He stated that the Alliance is eager to build bridges for cooperation, promote deep interaction between Chinese and New Zealand universities, conduct cutting-edge scientific research and key technology development, and create more opportunities in research project cooperation and academic resource sharing. The goal is to achieve win-win outcomes based on respective strengths and inject new momentum into China–New Zealand scientific, technological, and educational cooperation.

Participants from both sides exchanged views on specific collaboration pathways, including joint discipline development, talent cultivation, and research project cooperation. After the meeting, the Alliance's experts visited relevant schools for academic exchanges.

This meeting established an exchange platform for HENU and the Alliance, broadened the university's international cooperation channels, and facilitated international academic exchanges in related disciplines. Moving forward, both sides will continue to deepen collaboration and write a new chapter of China–New Zealand cooperation in science, technology, innovation, and education.