Ara strengthens partnership with Chinese university
20 October, 2026
Building on six years of successful partnership with Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine
Ara Institute of Canterbury has strengthened its long-standing partnership with Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (LNUTCM) during a recent visit to China, supporting future opportunities for students, academic collaboration and international education.
Chief Executive Darren Mitchell led the Ara delegation, alongside Deborah Young, Director of Ako Excellence, and Andy Ge, Global Recruitment Manager. The group met with LNUTCM senior leaders to discuss the continued success of existing programmes and explore new opportunities for collaboration.
A focus of the visit was the Nursing Joint Education Programme, which has been operating successfully for six years and remains a cornerstone of the partnership between the two institutions. During the visit, representatives from Ara and LNUTCM convened the Ninth Joint Management Committee Meeting to review progress and discuss future development of the programme.
Speaking at the meeting, Mitchell expressed appreciation for the ongoing support provided by LNUTCM's leadership and project teams. He also acknowledged the LNUTCM academic delegation's visit to Ara earlier this year for academic exchanges and cultural activities, highlighting the value of continued collaboration and mutual learning.
"Our partnership with LNUTCM continues to create valuable opportunities for students and staff from both institutions. This visit was an opportunity to celebrate what we've achieved together and explore how we can build on that success in the future," he said.
The two institutions reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining high academic standards and delivering high-quality educational experiences for students. Discussions also explored opportunities to expand collaboration beyond nursing, including potential academic partnerships and exchanges in areas such as computer science and traditional Chinese medicine education.
As part of the visit, the Ara delegation attended a welcome event for the 2026 intake of students enrolled in the joint nursing programme. Mitchell encouraged students to make the most of the internationally focused learning environment created through the partnership and to develop the professional, language and intercultural skills that will support their future careers.
The delegation also toured teaching, research and healthcare facilities, gaining insight into LNUTCM's approaches to nursing education, healthcare training and emerging technologies. Visits included the university's Artificial Intelligence and Information Engineering College, Nursing College simulation and aged-care training facilities, and its affiliated hospital and rehabilitation centre.
The visit reinforced a partnership that has provided international education opportunities for students and strengthened academic links between New Zealand and China. Both institutions agreed to continue exploring new areas of collaboration while building on the success of the Nursing Joint Education Programme.
