Sister cities

Part of the way our city celebrates its global connections is through a proud network of sister-city relationships. These partnerships foster cultural exchange, economic collaboration and shared learning, enriching our community and strengthening international ties.

Palmy has built strong relationships with some fabulous cities over the years, with our first sister city relationship established in 1982, and the most recent in 2019. Learn more about each of these below.

Why sister cities matter

Sister city relationships are more than symbolic. They create tangible benefits for Palmerston North by:

  • Encouraging cultural diversity and awareness
  • Creating opportunities for trade, tourism and economic development
  • Enhancing education through student and academic exchanges
  • Promoting sustainable practices and shared innovation.

How to get involved

There’s lots of ways Palmy residents can enjoy being part of our sister city networks. Whether hosting international visitors, attending cultural events or joining exchange programs, there’s a place for everyone to contribute. Or, for the truly adventurous, there’s always the chance to visit one of our awesome sister cities and become part of people-to-people connections that help to make Palmerston North a truly international city.

Partner cities

Beyond our sister cities, Palmerston North partners with a range of cities around the world to foster connections, promote shared economic growth, inspire innovation and tackle global challenges such as climate change.

Through our focus on building international relations we aim to:

  • Promote Palmerston North’s reputation internationally to attract business interests, investment, visitors and students.
  • Build diplomatic networks and strong partnerships with international cities and organisations to drive economic, educational and cultural collaboration.
  • Manage inbound and outbound international visits to explore mutually beneficial exchanges and opportunities for our local businesses to access international markets.
  • Encourage the exchange of knowledge and collaboration on shared priorities.

Our current partnership arrangements include:

  • Campinas, São Paulo State, Brazil – ongoing conversation on agritech & food innovation research
  • Can Tho City, Viet Nam – ongoing conversation on educational exchanges
  • Fuzhou, Fujian Province, China – Letter of Intent to cooperate in education
  • Hefei, Anhui Province, China – Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on educational collaboration
  • Hillsboro, Oregon, United States of America – ongoing conversation on shared learning and best practices in renewable energy
  • Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam – Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) on educational cooperation
  • Kurihara, Miyagi Prefecture – ongoing conversation on support for international communities
  • Nancy, France – ongoing conversations in agritech and food tech collaboration
  • Penrith, New South Wales, Australia – ongoing conversation on multimodal transportation and infrastructure
  • Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, China – Letter of Intent to cooperate in education
  • Wageningen, The Netherlands – Ongoing support for strategic partnership between Massey University and Wageningen University & Research
  • Yantai, Shandong Province, China – Letter of Intent to cooperate in education

 

Contact us

To learn more about Palmerston North’s sister cities and upcoming events, contact the International Relations Team at Palmerston North City Council:

 

Gabrielle Loga, Manager International Relations
gabrielle.loga@pncc.govt.nz

 

Kate Harridge, International Relations & Education Advisor
kate.harridge@pncc.govt.nz

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