Port-Vila, Vanuatu – Monday 1 December 2025: The National University of Vanuatu (NUV) signed two significant Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) in November 2025, reaffirming the University’s commitment to academic and professional excellence and strengthening strategic international partnerships in line with the NUV Strategic Plan 2021–2030.
As part of this ongoing commitment, NUV has entered into formal agreements with Guangdong University of Foreign Studies and Wuyi University in the People’s Republic of China, two institutions that have developed dedicated research programs and institutes centred on the Pacific region. These partnerships mark the expansion of NUV’s global reach, enriching its academic offerings and enhancing opportunities for research, innovation, and cultural exchange.
The MoU signed with Guangdong University of Foreign Studies by the Vice-Chancellor of NUV, Mr Jean-Pierre Nirua, in the People’s Republic of China, establishes a collaborative framework aimed at promoting cultural and educational exchange, academic cooperation, and technical interchange. Collaboration will focus on promoting joint initiatives in business, international affairs, law, languages and linguistics, including through research and curriculum development; establishing a joint research program dedicated to South Pacific Island nations; conducting studies on cultural heritage and development; and creating customised academic and vocational training programs for faculty and students.
Similarly, the MoU with Wuyi University will promote educational and academic exchange between the two institutions. Faculty, staff, and students from both parties will have opportunities for reciprocal exchanges through lectures, visits, and professional experience-sharing, and they will also take part in conferences, symposia, and seminars. The universities will organise academic meetings, conduct joint research projects, and facilitate the reciprocal exchange of academic materials, publications, educational resources, and the latest research findings in their respective disciplines.
Vice-Chancellor Mr Jean-Pierre Nirua highlighted the importance of these partnerships. He said, “Through these new partnerships, the National University of Vanuatu continues to realise its vision of establishing NUV as the premier multi-lingual institution of higher education and training in Vanuatu and the Pacific region. These collaborations also reinforce our commitment to actively contributing to Vanuatu becoming, in the words of the People’s Plan, a ‘just, healthy, wealthy and educated nation.’”
These agreements strongly align with the priorities set out in the NUV Strategic Plan 2021–2030, which emphasises excellence in teaching and research, the strengthening of regional and international partnerships, and the advancement of multilingual and culturally grounded higher education. By expanding its academic networks and promoting collaborative research and capacity building, NUV continues to position itself as a dynamic hub of knowledge creation and professional development in the Pacific.
