Universities

New Zealand's 8 universities play a prominent role in the New Zealand research environment.

The 8 universities

Their research role 

Universities are a vital part of modern society and are important not just for teaching but also for research and the development of society as a whole. As centres of research excellence they play an important role in economic transformation and development.

The universities play a prominent part in the New Zealand research environment, a role in keeping with their statutory obligations.  Under the Education Act (section 162) the research and teaching functions of universities are required to be closely interdependent and they are expected to meet international standards of research.

The universities:

  • account for one-third of all research and development produced in this country
  • are the home to many of the country’s researchers
  • are the main providers of fundamental research in New Zealand, putting them in a pivotal position to contribute to innovation. 

All of the universities have set up commercialisation entities to capitalise on their fast-growing research outputs and connect research expertise to business users.  These activities are worth $350 million a year.

More information

For more information on universities of New Zealand, check out the Universities New Zealand website(external link)