03 December 2024 New Zealand-China Water Research Centre strengthens scientific collaborations between the two countries

Te Whare Wānaka o Aoraki Lincoln University hosted the New Zealand-China Water Research Centre Workshop on campus with over 50 delegates attending from China and New Zealand across a range of scientific institutions and universities.

The New Zealand-China Water Research Centre was formed in 2016 to coordinate and facilitate long-term collaborations between New Zealand and Chinese scientists. These collaborations, which involve a range of organisations, support the development of coherent research in water quality and related areas.

Hosted by Lincoln University, the New Zealand-China Water Research Centre partners with AgResearch, Landcare Research, Plant and Food Research, Lincoln Agritech Ltd, and the University of Otago. It is one of three centres funded by New Zealand’s Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment (MBIE) to strengthen research collaborations between New Zealand and China.

Director of the New Zealand-China Water Research Centre, Lincoln University’s Professor Hong Di says, “The centre conducts workshops and joint research programmes, while hosting visiting scientists and students. We aim to enhance Māori engagement with China and bring greater awareness of New Zealand as a centre of excellence in research and development.”

The workshop was attended by representatives from MBIE, the Chinese Embassy to New Zealand, the Chinese Consulate General and agricultural universities and research institutes including the Chinese Academy of Sciences. This event forms part of the MBIE and Chinese Academy of Science symposium series.

“Delegates openly spoke of the high-quality presentations covering water quality and quantity, mitigating water contamination, nitrate leaching, nutrient recycling and waste management. We also visited local research facilities to see research first-hand,” says Professor Hong Di.

“Through the research being conducted at the centre, we are trying to solve global issues such as water contamination, efficient use of water resources, greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. By working together to develop solutions, our applications can be adapted further than New Zealand and China. To date, we have established a network of collaborators in China, conducting more than 20 workshops and producing more than 100 joint publications.”

Lincoln University’s Vice-Chancellor Professor Grant Edwards attended the New Zealand-China Water Research Centre Workshop.

“We are excited to welcome workshop delegates to the Lincoln campus,” says Professor Edwards. “With our research and demonstration farms providing an important platform for the New Zealand-China Water Research Centre, we are supportive of its scientific activities and pleased with the achievements to date. As a specialist land-based university, we are focused on producing food sustainably with a low environmental impact.”

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