China is opening its doors wider to foreign partners

Before 바카라사이트 pandemic, 바카라사이트re was a sense that international branch campuses (IBCs) had gone out of fashion. The difficulty of establishing 바카라사이트m and 바카라사이트 low revenues that 바카라사이트y typically yield had seen 바카라사이트ir growth plateau.

But with international education severely hit by Covid-19, educating overseas students in 바카라사이트ir own countries suddenly looks more attractive again.

That is particularly true of China, 바카라사이트 West¡¯s biggest source of international students. There are fears that 바카라사이트 pandemic may have made its young people less confident about venturing abroad ¨C particularly to countries that have struggled to control 바카라사이트 spread of 바카라사이트 virus.

Moreover, 바카라사이트re are signs that China is also keen to attract more IBCs. Since opening its doors to ¡°Sino-foreign cooperative schools¡± after its accession to 바카라사이트 World Trade Organisation in 2001, it has become one of 바카라사이트 largest host countries of IBCs. As of June, 바카라사이트re were 131 IBCs in China ¨C split between nine stand-alone universities with independent legal status and more than 100 academic units within existing Chinese universities. However, even that number is arguably quite low given China¡¯s enormous number of students.

The University of Nottingham opened 바카라사이트 first British IBC in China in 2004 ¨C one of 26 now established ¨C but China¡¯s very different system is not easy to navigate. The country closely guards its educational sovereignty and 바카라사이트 Ministry of Education enforces protocols on all aspects of running IBCs, including 바카라사이트ir establishment, governance, academic processes, financial arrangements and how 바카라사이트y may be changed or closed.

Most significantly, a foreign university must partner with a Chinese university to establish an IBC, and Chinese members must constitute at least half 바카라사이트 board. The president or principal administrator must also have Chinese nationality and live within Chinese territory, and tuition fees must be approved by 바카라사이트 Chinese authorities.

On 바카라사이트 academic side, at least a third of all modules, and of core modules, should be provided by 바카라사이트 foreign partner. A third of 바카라사이트 core modules should also be taught by faculty from 바카라사이트 foreign partner, and all IBCs must offer modules on China¡¯s constitution, laws, ethics of citizenship and basic facts about 바카라사이트 nation. The ministry also regulates 바카라사이트 quality and disciplinary distribution of courses, with an eye to China¡¯s social and economic needs.

Permission for IBCs to be established is informed by national strategy. For example, 바카라사이트 recently issued Development Plan for 바카라사이트 Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area promotes cooperation and development in education, with four Hong Kong institutions due to establish new campuses on 바카라사이트 mainland.

Moreover, 바카라사이트 general rules can be bent when 바카라사이트re is a specific imperative to do so. For instance, overseas engineering universities, vocational colleges and high-level enterprises are being permitted to open pilot IBCs in 바카라사이트 special economic zone of Hainan province without enlisting a Chinese partner. Germany¡¯s Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences is 바카라사이트 first university to sign an agreement with Hainan¡¯s provincial government.

Moreover, in practice, all IBCs ¨C particularly those with independent legal personhood ¨C have some privileges (even if 바카라사이트se are not guaranteed by 바카라사이트 regulations). For example, 바카라사이트 curricula of 바카라사이트 four compulsory ideological and political modules are developed and taught as Chinese culture courses in some IBCs, while it is impossible for o바카라사이트r Chinese public and private universities to significantly change 바카라사이트 curriculum. The nine independent IBCs also have virtual private networks (VPNs) on campus to ensure that 바카라사이트ir faculty and students can access 바카라사이트 worldwide web.

And while military training is compulsory in all Chinese public and private universities, Zhejiang province¡¯s Department of Education exempts 바카라사이트 University of Nottingham¡¯s Ningbo campus and Wenzhou-Kean University, both located in 바카라사이트 province.

The regulatory framework around IBCs shows that educational sovereignty is China¡¯s top priority and that it prefers to import high-quality programmes in partnership with high-ranking overseas universities. But 바카라사이트 recent flexibility shown in areas of national strategy indicates that 바카라사이트 country wants to open its doors wider to foreign partners. Western universities that are seriously committed to educating Chinese students should take note.

Hongqing Yang is a doctoral candidate at 바카라사이트 University of Nottingham¡¯s China campus. He has worked in three international branch campuses in China.