ELA Director Paul O’Farrell and Business Development Executive Pat Mao recently completed a visit to several cities in China, working in close collaboration with the University of Auckland’s International Office, Accommodation Office, Business School, and Admissions team. As part of China Open Week, the team travelled to Guangzhou, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Beijing, Xi’an, Wuhan, Chengdu, and Jinan to meet prospective students and their families.

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The visit highlighted the strong alignment between ELA and the University, and the value of working together to support students at every stage of their journey.

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Throughout the trip, Paul and Pat met with agents, prospective and current students, and their parents. One memorable example was Yan Lin, a current EPPS Online pathway student who travelled several hours to Wuhan through peak traffic to meet them and learn more about the University. Yan is working towards meeting the requirements for a Master of Business Analytics in Supply Chain Management. After the meeting, she had to quickly return home to complete her ELA homework!

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Pat also delivered training sessions and met with education agents in multiple cities. These sessions focused on practical topics such as student pathways, visa requirements, and study planning. Partners responded positively and valued the clear, useful guidance. At the same time, Paul and University staff met with senior agency representatives to discuss longer-term strategic opportunities.

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A key highlight of the visit was the meeting with Hangzhou Normal University. With Dr Simon Underwood from the International Office involved, discussions expanded beyond short-term programmes to opportunities for broader, university-level collaboration. ELA and Hangzhou Normal University have worked together for four years, bringing groups of student teachers to Auckland through funding from the Jack Ma Foundation. Pat and Paul were delighted that a former ELA student from Hangzhou Normal University came to visit them (see photo above). This visit helped strengthen the partnership and introduce Dr Underwood to key university contacts.

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Overall, the visit demonstrated the importance of strong collaboration between ELA and the wider University. We thank colleagues across the University for their support in making this series of events such a success.

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