Associate Professor Mei Peng, based in the Department of Food Science, has been selected for the 2026 Rewi Alley Visiting Professorship, a prestigious exchange programme strengthening New Zealand-China academic partnerships.

Launched in 2023 and hosted by the New Zealand Centre at Peking University in China, the Rewi Alley Professorship is an initiative to deepen academic exchange and collaboration between New Zealand and China.

Impacted by the effects of the pandemic, Mei is just the second academic from Aotearoa New Zealand to be selected for the Professorship that will support the delivery of a two-week summer course at Peking University.

Mei says her selection for the Rewi Alley Professorship is both professionally and personally significant.

“I was born and raised in Shandong, a coastal province in northern China, and came to New Zealand in my teens, so this partnership is particularly meaningful,” Mei says.

“The Professorship represents a unique opportunity to connect the two academic cultures that have shaped my identity and career.”

Mei has already contributed to deepening these connections. She was a recent guest of Peking University, visiting the New Zealand Centre and delivering talks to the School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences.

She says the talks created stimulating discussions with academic staff and graduate students.

“Conversations also opened exciting opportunities for future research, particularly in the areas of food psychology, sensory perception and research student exchange initiatives between New Zealand and China,” Mei says.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (External Engagement), Professor Jessica Palmer, says Mei is a very deserving recipient of the Rewi Alley Professorship.

“Mei has already demonstrated her strong ties and skills in developing partnerships with China and she will be a fantastic ambassador for both Otago and her field of expertise in sensory science.”

Mei is looking forward to delivering her two-week course at Peking University in July 2026 which will draw on her work in sensory science, eating behaviour, and cross-cultural consumer research focus on food psychology in the global context.

“These connections will support my long-standing commitment to fostering international academic exchange and building lasting collaborations that benefit both students and research communities in New Zealand and China,” Mei says.

29 August 2025