Cooperation of the USSR and New Zealand in the field of education in the late 1940-1950s

The article discusses the issues of cooperation of the URSS and New Zealand in the field of education with the involvement of the unique archival material. The key problems of the main programs of interaction are reflected; it is noted that for many years, due to the lack of official agreements between the USSR and New Zealand, contacts in the field of humanitarian exchanges were sporadic and were carried out mainly through Friendship Societies, on the basis of one-time agreements with individual scientists, relevant institutions, public organizations, universities in both countries, as well as through private commercial channels. A wide range of mutually beneficial bilateral contacts related to exchange of students and teachers' delegations, organization of traveling exhibitions, exchange of modern scientific literature and study trips abroad were analyzed. The evolution of relations is shown, it is concluded that, despite the difficult situation of the Cold War in the 1950s, the Soviet All-Union Society for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries (VOKS) was actively functioning, contributing to the effective development of bilateral relations with New Zealand.