On 20 April 2015, the HRC co-hosted a Joint Commission Workshop in Auckland linked with the New Zealand–China Strategic Research Alliance, which was established in 2010. The emphasis for the alliance between 2012–2016 is on three priority areas and one in health: non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
The workshop reviewed progress to date from the first projects funded under this initiative – both awarded to the Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, with subsequent presentations and discussion identifying other areas of existing and potential collaboration between researchers in both countries.
A set of recommendations for the next phase of the strategic research alliance were produced during the workshop and presented to senior officials from New Zealand's Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) and China's Ministry of Science and Technology of the People’s Republic of China at the formal meeting of the New Zealand–China Joint Commission in Wellington the next day.
The HRC had an opportunity to present at both the workshop and the formal Joint Commission meeting. HRC Chief Executive Dr Kathryn McPherson outlined the HRC's approach to health science funding, but mainly focused on the strengths of New Zealand’s research community across a wide range of NCDs, and the changing impact of different NCDs in each of the two countries.
"Despite there being a number of clear areas of difference, we face many similar issues to China and there are perhaps opportunities for collaboration. Of note, the senior officials from China were impressed by New Zealands’s strength in the connection between biomedicine or public health with clinical research," said Dr McPherson.
The next call for funding in the area of NCDs (the MBIE investment is managed by the HRC) will be released in due course.