An Educational Ambassador Across Continents: Dr. Michael Webster’s Journey of Cultural Connection

On the vast academic landscape spanning thousands of miles, Dr. Michael Webster, a scholar from New Zealand, is weaving bonds of friendship between Lanzhou University and the University of Auckland with passion and wisdom, fostering the concept of "coexistence in cultural pluralism" in academic soil.

In spring 2018, Dr. Michael first set foot on the campus of Lanzhou University. Along the banks of the Yellow River, he engaged in lively discussions with faculty and students from the Center for Studies of Ethnic Groups in Northwest China (CSEGNC), where ideas from different cultural backgrounds collided like the river’s surging waves. In community workshops, through themes like "Leadership in Social Work: Values and Action," he blended New Zealand's multicultural governance experience with the practical wisdom of Northwest China's multi-ethnic communities. This transhemispheric dialogue not only allowed participants to appreciate the academic charm of Maori culture, but also planted a seed for institutional collaboration.

Dr. Michael Webster Delivering an Academic Lecture for Faculty and Students at CSEGNC of Lanzhou University

Photo Courtesy of Lanzhou University

In May 2019, the international academic conference "Multiculturalism and Social Work: Dialogue and Exchange in the Globalization Era" was held at Lanzhou University. Dr. Michael Webster invited then University of Auckland Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Cindy Kiro, with both parties agreeing to establish an academic community for cross-cultural research. In 2021, Dr. Michael Webster collaborated with Lanzhou University scholars to publish in the China Journal of Social Work, transforming field research into international theoretical contributions.

Group Photo of University of Auckland Scholars Visiting Lanzhou University

Photo Courtesy of Lanzhou University

When the conference reconvened in Lanzhou in 2024, Dr. Michael Webster served as a cultural ambassador, inviting experts from Massey University, with New Zealand Governor-General Dame Cindy Kiro sending congratulations. That same year, through Dr. Michael Webster's efforts and supported by Lanzhou University’s "Pioneering Discipline Partnership Project," a delegation visited Auckland and reached preliminary agreements on anthropology and social work collaboration.

On April 18, 2025, a University of Auckland Faculty of Arts and Education delegation reciprocated the visit. Dean Professor Nuala Gregory and CSEGNC Director Professor Zhao Lisheng signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) outlining student exchanges, joint training programs, faculty exchanges, and collaborative publications — a testament to both institutions’ shared vision and Dr. Michael Webster’s years of effort.

Signing Ceremony of the MoU between University of Auckland’s Faculty of Arts and Education and the CSEGNC of Lanzhou University

Photo Courtesy of Lanzhou University

From initial riverside exchanges to the formal MoU signing, every effort made by Dr. Michael Webster has enhanced this collaboration between the two universities. His disciplinary partnerships represent not just academic exploration but a vibrant practice in social integration and coexistence in cultural pluralism, infusing new vitality into global social work and anthropology.(By CSEGNC and Office of Global Engagement of Lanzhou University)