College in New Zealand aims for arts partnerships

New Zealand's Massey University, which conferred an honorary doctorate in literature on China's first lady, Peng Liyuan, is seeking opportunities to cooperate with higher education institutes in China to cultivate talent in the creative arts.

Massey, the first New Zealand university to set up a branch in China, has been assisting development in areas such as agriculture, finance and engineering for many years, according to Vice-Chancellor Steve Maharey.

"But we are very interested in expanding the relationship, particularly in the creative and cultural areas," Maharey said during a trip to Beijing this month.