On the afternoon of October 23, a delegation led by Sophie Barker, Mayor of Dunedin, New Zealand, and Andrew McSweeney, Chief Executive of Otago Polytechnic, visited SUES. Vice President Xia Chunming met with the delegation, joined by representatives from the International Office, School of Textiles and Fashion, and the Institute for Fashioning Innovation.
Xia Chunming extended a warm welcome to Mayor Sophie Barker, Chief Executive Andrew McSweeney and their delegation. He reviewed the progress made in fashion design, faculty and student exchanges, and other areas since SUES and Otago Polytechnic established their partnership in 2006, and expressed appreciation for Dunedin’s longstanding support for the collaboration. Looking ahead, he proposed four areas for further cooperation: strengthening cooperation on joint fashion shows to showcase the work of faculty and students from both institutions on the international stage; expanding interdisciplinary collaboration in technology, artificial intelligence and fashion to connect design innovation with industrial development; enhancing faculty and student exchanges and talent development; and promoting joint research to achieve more practical outcomes.
Sophie Barker expressed her appreciation for SUES’ warm hospitality and spoke highly of the longstanding sister-city relationship between Shanghai and Dunedin. She noted that 32 years of friendly exchanges between the two cities had laid a solid foundation for educational and cultural cooperation. Youth development, cultural exchange and sustainable development are shared priorities, she said, expressing hope that universities in both cities would strengthen their ties, encourage young people from different cultural backgrounds to learn from one another, and deepen the friendship between Shanghai and Dunedin through educational cooperation.
Andrew McSweeney introduced Otago Polytechnic’s educational approach, which emphasizes applied research and strong industry connections. He noted that higher education should help students apply their academic knowledge to develop practical skills and enhance their employability. Building on their existing partnership, the two institutions could expand cooperation in engineering and technology, business and design, drawing on their respective academic strengths and industry resources to create more opportunities for students to learn and innovate through practical projects and interdisciplinary collaboration that address real-world industry needs.
During the meeting, representatives from both sides held in-depth discussions on joint research, design innovation, and faculty and student exchanges. They explored the possibility of developing new materials by combining New Zealand’s natural textile resources, including wool, with market demand in China, and discussed potential joint research in functional fibers and waterless, environmentally friendly dyeing technologies. Both sides also expressed interest in strengthening cooperation on design projects and exhibitions, while exploring new models of university-industry collaboration to deliver more tangible results.
During the visit, the delegation toured the Institute for Fashioning Innovation to learn about SUES’ distinctive strengths and achievements in fashion design, textiles and apparel. Through exhibitions of faculty and student designs and achievements in the textile and apparel industry, the participating schools and institute showcased their efforts to integrate artistic design with industrial practice. The delegation also exchanged views with SUES faculty, students and industry representatives, gaining further insights into the university’s development in fashion innovation, textile materials research and university-industry collaboration.
The visit marked a continuation of the 20-year partnership between SUES and Otago Polytechnic and an important opportunity to expand cooperation in the years ahead. Building on their established ties, the two institutions will strengthen faculty and student exchanges and research collaboration, extending their traditional partnership in fashion design into new materials, green technologies and intelligent innovation. They will also explore closer cooperation with enterprises and industry organizations in both cities. Supported by the sister-city relationship between Shanghai and Dunedin, the two institutions will continue deepening exchanges and broadening cooperation to advance the integration of education, innovation and industry.
