Chinese universities “hungry” for international partnerships

Despite several US universities recently backing out of China, the Chinese government is continuing to push for greater internationalisation of higher education, with institutions “hungry” for partnerships.  

A new white paper by marketing and research firm Sunrise International has highlighted China’s strategic plan to rebuild international student enrolment that dropped during the pandemic, while fostering stronger educational ties abroad.  

It follows a string of US institutions including the University of Michigan, Georgia Tech and public universities across Texas and Florida backing out of Chinese partnerships amid national security concerns.

While the affected Chinese institutions will need time to build back the confidence of students cautious of dual US-China degrees, “the door remains open on the Chinese side to partnering with US schools,” said Sunrise CEO David Weeks.  

“Chinese media has condemned the closures as politically motivated and unfair,” said Weeks: “Tensions like this speak to a need for more people-to-people exchanges, and universities can mitigate the impact by closing programs responsibly and offering proper support to currently enrolled students.” 

Despite increased scrutiny of the US-China relationship under the Trump administration, the white paper argues that – in the absence of any radical adverse policies – interest from Chinese students in the US is unlikely to decline.  

In recent years, the Chinese government has introduced several key policies to revitalise international exchanges that fell during the pandemic, including plans to welcome 50,000 young Americans to study in China.  

The Chinese government claimed that 14,000 Americans came to China in 2024, though many of these were short-term exchange programs, highlighted the report.

Moreover, “Chinese universities are more open to partnerships beyond the ‘Big Four’ and the EU”, said Weeks, driven by a broad government mandate to foster more global ties.  

Currently, 300,000 Chinese students are enrolled in Sino-foreign cooperative programs such as dual degrees within China – with Xi’an Jiaotong Liverpool University the largest provider, accounting for over 8% of the national total.  

Noteworthy partnerships forged in 2024 included Southern University of Science and Technology collaborating with King’s College London School of Medicine, establishing a joint degree program where students earn a double degree after completing their studies in China.  

What’s more, two Chinese institutions opened a campus in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, while Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory announced plans to establish a music program partnership with a large public university in Chongqing.  

Chinese universities are more open to partnerships beyond the ‘Big Four’ and the EU

David Weeks, Sunrise International

“In 2025, new partnerships are less likely to focus on 2+2 programs that once supercharged recruitment of Chinese students overseas, but new partnerships may still support enrolment growth from China,” predicted the report.  

China’s strict Covid border closures caused the number of international students to decline sharply from 2020-2022. As restrictions eased, China reported an international student population of 253,177 last year, with numbers from the West slow to recover.  

Some Chinese universities are yet to rebuild their reputation since the pandemic when various institutions accepted tuition from international students who weren’t able to obtain visas, forcing them to take “low-quality” online courses, said Weeks.

China’s slow post-pandemic economic recovery is further hindering internationalisation goals, with fewer internship opportunities for international students looking to learn Chinese and enhance their careers.

As for outbound mobility, the white paper highlights the continued growth and diversification of Chinese students studying abroad, with global political uncertainty making the UK a particularly attractive destination.  

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