Moving forward in a time of change

Professor Grant Edwards
Chair of the New Zealand Vice-Chancellors' Committee

At the beginning of 2025, in my first article as Chair of Universities New Zealand – Te Pōkai Tara, I called for the strengthening of partnerships between universities and public research institutions.

As I end my one-year term in the role and reflect on the many changes which have occurred this year, our achievement of formal collaboration between these two critical parts of New Zealand’s science system is particularly pleasing.

New Zealand’s university Vice-Chancellors and Public Research Organisation chief executives recently met for a fourth time this year, which as it happens is literally the fourth time that we’ve formally met in the last two decades.

Together, our institutions have always yielded enormous benefits to science, the economy and the wider community. But while we have proactively worked and researched in partnership in many ways, the move to a formal process and work programme will greatly deepen our impact.

It is critical to the success of the future science, innovation and technology system that the relationships between universities and PROs thrive and prosper within the new science system environment created by reform this year. Our formal statement of collaboration is backed by a steadfast drive to succeed in our joint endeavour and deliver real success for New Zealanders.

In 2026, universities and Public Research Organisations plan to make more progress in the vital areas of research workforce and infrastructure, as well as maximising the impact of the work we do individually, in partnership and collaboratively.

Read more about the collaboration here

While the collaboration was the most prominent initiative driven by our sector, 2025 was also a wider year of change, with the delivery of reports from the University Advisory Group and Science System Advisory Group and resulting decisions by the Government.

Over the next two years, universities will move to new funding systems for research and begin to deliver results under a new Tertiary Education Strategy. Changes to the secondary school curriculum and University Entrance will start to crystalise, and we are also working with the Tertiary Education Commission on success indicators to measure student achievement.

At the same time, we will begin to implement a revised quality assurance programme to ensure our students continue to be taught and supported at an internationally recognised and accredited standard. Universities New Zealand is responsible under law for quality assurance of the programmes taught at our institutions and we take this responsibility seriously.

In 2026, an election year, we will continue to work on these while also providing guidance and advice as the changes to the national research funding system are implemented. There are many challenges ahead, but this year has shown that we can make exciting progress when we join together as universities and as a system and lead the way.

I have enjoyed my year as Chair, particularly working with my Vice-Chancellor colleagues. As I hand over the to the Vice-Chancellor of Waikato University, Neil Quigley, for 2026, I am quietly pleased with the progress we have made in important areas – such as research and quality assurance – and look forward to greater collaboration ahead.