Source: Eastern Institute of Technology
12 minutes ago
EIT Chief Executive Lucy Laitinen has signed a new 10-year extension agreement with Zhejiang Yuexiu University (ZYU) during her first official visit to China, strengthening a partnership that has seen more than 900 Chinese students enrol in an EIT degree delivered at ZYU since 2020.
Established in 2020 following approval from the China Ministry of Education and the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA), the Joint Institute currently delivers EIT programmes in Information Systems, Intelligent Systems and Digital Media.
The agreement will see two additional Bachelor of Creative Practice pathways introduced from 2026 and annual enrolment capacity increase from 240 to 400 students.
“This partnership supports the financial sustainability of our organisation, but it is so much more than that. It creates valuable opportunities for us to learn from ZYU’s scale, practice, use of technology, and industry links while sharing our applied teaching approach.”
The agreement was signed by Laitinen and ZYU President Heming Yong during a visit to ZYU that included EIT Executive Director International Philippa Jones, Executive Dean John West, Head of School of Computing Geoffrey Mather, Head of IDEAschool Sean Coyle, and International Market Development and Partnerships Manager Richard Cao, and other EIT staff who joined online from New Zealand.
The partnership supports collaboration across teaching, academic planning, staff engagement, student activities and strategic programme development.
The Joint Institute currently delivers EIT programmes in Information Systems, Intelligent Systems and Digital Media. Fashion and Screen Production will be added from 2026, increasing the number of programme pathways offered through the College from three to five.
The China Ministry of Education has approved eight annual student intakes covering the period from 2020 to 2037, with the expanded enrolment capacity increasing the College’s total capacity to 1,600 students.
Nine EIT staff currently travel to China to teach at ZYU each year, with additional teaching opportunities expected as the programme continues to grow.
The visit coincides with the graduation ceremony for students of the EIT Data Science and Communication College, celebrating the achievements of learners who have completed EIT qualifications through the Joint Institute.
Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/06/12/eit-extends-china-partnership-with-new-10-year-agreement/