The University of Otago, Victoria University of Wellington and Auckland University of Technology (AUT) have teamed up for the first time to launch a pilot programme called Uni Exchange Aotearoa.
It will allow second-year undergraduates to swap universities for a semester and experience life in a different New Zealand city.
For the pilot, each university will offer up to 10 places for students to swap cities and they can choose courses from a wide range of subjects that fit their major.
Subjects available under the exchange are anthropology, classics, communication, computer science, criminology, economics, education (not teacher education), global studies, Greek, history, human resource management, information systems, Latin, linguistics or language sciences, management, marketing, mathematics and statistics, media studies, politics, psychology, social sciences and sociology.
The three universities will be offering successful applicants $1200 towards their travel and/or course costs and accommodation scholarships would be available for students needing a place to stay in their new host city.
The exchanges are expected to begin in semester two this year.
University of Otago vice-chancellor Grant Robertson said the initiative showed the ability of universities to innovate for students’ benefit.
"We are lucky to have high-quality universities in Aotearoa, with world-class teachers.
"Uni Exchange Aotearoa gives our students an opportunity to experience this breadth of excellence."
Dunedin’s student culture was unlike that in any other city in New Zealand, he said.
"Students from AUT and Victoria will experience a genuinely student-focused city which shapes everything from flatting culture to volunteering to academic support.
"I believe this will sit well with students who are drawn to a ‘half-year adventure’ that doesn’t disrupt progress towards graduation."
There might be opportunities for scaling the programme if the pilot performed well, he said.
AUT vice-chancellor Prof Damon Salesa said the programme would broaden students’ horizons.
"These exchanges will be lived experiences, where students will not only learn about new people and places, but about themselves and their own ways of living, thinking, and learning."
Victoria University of Wellington vice-chancellor Nic Smith said it was imperative for universities to collaborate like this for the greater good.
"In a turbulent world, this kind of collaboration is about ensuring we can all thrive."
"It goes to the heart of a university’s role to foster constructive debate that advances society."
