Delegation of professors from eight New Zealand universities seeks academic cooperation in sustainability
On Thursday, 18 September 2025, the State University of Maringá (UEM) welcomed a delegation of representatives from eight New Zealand universities. The group is visiting state universities in Paraná in search of opportunities for academic and scientific cooperation on sustainability. Ten professors are part of the international mission “Paraná – New Zealand: Cooperation for a Sustainable Future,” which began in Curitiba on 12 September 2025 and will conclude Friday (19) in Foz do Iguaçu.
The delegation was welcomed at an event in the Council Room, in the Rector's Office building. The head table was composed of the Rector of UEM, Leandro Vanalli; the Vice-Rector, Gisele Mendes; the Coordinator of the International Cooperation Office (ECI), Renato Leão; the Associate Provost for Research and Graduate Affairs (PPG), Mauro Ravagnani; the Vice-Rector of the University of Auckland and leader of the delegation, Frank Bloomfield; as well as representatives from the Secretariat of Science, Technology, and Higher Education of Paraná (Seti), including the Advisor for Institutional Relations and International Cooperation, Paulo Afonso Schmidt, and the Coordinator of Higher Education, Gisele Onuki.
Vanalli thanked the New Zealand professors for their visit and highlighted the possibilities for exchange. "We have many similarities and, therefore, opportunities for joint work in research and other areas of knowledge. We are experiencing an important moment of internationalization of universities in Paraná, led by Paulo Schmidt and Secretary Aldo Bona. In this context, UEM is also following this path with the ECI team, under the leadership of Professor Renato Leão," said the Rector of UEM.
With no agreements yet signed with institutions in New Zealand, the Rector announced plans to send two UEM students to the country next year, funded by the University and with support from Seti. “The kiwi bird, symbol of your country, represents strength and the ability to fly and seek new paths. That is also UEM’s wish: to fly toward you,” he concluded.
The Vice-Rector also expressed expectations for cooperation. “We hope this visit will lead to partnerships with institutions in New Zealand. Symbolically, the kiwi and the capybara (one of Curitiba’s symbols) will be together from now on,” Mendes said.
Bloomfield emphasized the importance of personal relationships for successful partnerships. “As the Māori (indigenous people of New Zealand) say with the phrase He tangata, he tangata, he tangata (‘it's the people, it's the people, it's the people’), we have focused on building personal connections, which we hope will serve as the basis for lasting cooperation. I thank the teams at UEM and Seti for their warm welcome and hospitality. We look forward to building on these initial foundations.”
On that occasion, the Coordinator of the ECI presented UEM's performance in national and international rankings, as well as its academic and scientific structure. “UEM is one of the most sustainable universities in Brazil, the leading institution in Latin America in terms of participation of women scientists, and the university in Paraná with the greatest scientific impact. Our main destinations for international mobility are Canada, European countries, as well as China and Japan. New Zealand therefore represents yet another opportunity," Leão said. In turn, the Associate Provost for Research and Graduate Affairs detailed the University's 95 graduate courses (58 master's and 37 doctoral programs).
The Seti Advisor noted that the partnerships will bring mutual benefits. “I hope the results of this work will come soon. From the first contact, I realized this would be a major opportunity for everyone. We are deeply involved in the social and economic aspects of both regions, as well as in their development. I am sure that working together will be very positive,” Schmidt summarized.
In June, while in New Zealand, the government of Paraná signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to establish an international cooperation network aimed at integrating the seven state universities of Paraná and the eight universities in New Zealand. The partnership will run for ten years and includes the exchange of students and researchers, as well as the development of studies in agricultural technologies, art and culture, economics, Indigenous education, genomics, educational innovation, and sustainability and climate change.
According to the delegation, the main areas of research at New Zealand universities are: climate resilience; oceans and marine sciences; sustainability; virtual reality, artificial intelligence, robotics, and space; health, biology, and medical technology; Indigenous and traditional knowledge; in addition to agriculture and the environment.
Attendance – Also in the event were the Head of Staff to the Rector's Office, Wilson Wesley Wutzow; the Dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences (CCA), Carlos Alberto de Bastos Andrade; the Dean of the Center of Exact Sciences (CCE) Diogo Francisco Rossoni; the Director of International Cooperation, Marcio Pascoal Cassandre; as well as coordinators of graduate courses in various areas.
Delegation – The New Zealand delegation included Frank Bloomfield, Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research and Innovation at the University of Auckland and mission leader; Bronwen Kelly, Deputy Chief Executive for Funding and Research at Universities New Zealand (UZN); Lucy Johnston, Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research at the University of Canterbury; Martin Gagnon, Acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research and Entrepreneurship; Merata Kawharu, Vice-Chancellor Māori at Lincoln University; Matthew O'Meagher, Senior Advisor for International Reputation at Victoria University of Wellington – Te Herenga Waka; Kerry Taylor, Associate Vice-Chancellor of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at Massery University; Nigel Harris, Dean of the Graduate Research School at Auckland University of Technology; Iain White, Professor at the University of Waikato and National Contact Point for the Horizon Europe program; and Brent Young, Professor of Food Systems and Process Engineering at the University of Auckland.
Universities New Zealand (UNZ) – Universities New Zealand (UNZ/Te Pōkai Tara) represents the country's eight public universities, working to ensure academic quality, develop policies for the higher education sector, and promote internationalization. According to the organization, pursuing a doctoral degree in New Zealand provides access to universities highly ranked in the QS rankings, tuition fees equivalent to those paid by domestic students, global recognition of the degree, permission to work while studying, a three-year post-study visa, and benefits for spouses and children.
Translation team:
Felipe Amorim Piva
Julia Pedriali Rosa