Chongqing—Chongqing has taken a new step forward in international education with the approval of six new China-foreign cooperative education institutions and programs. Announced by China's Ministry of Education in May, these partnerships involve universities from Russia, New Zealand, and Germany, bringing the city's total to 75 such collaborations. 

In recent years, Chongqing has been actively expanding its international education initiatives as part of China's broader strategy to enhance global academic exchanges. The city now hosts nine joint institutions and 66 cooperative programs, covering 101 academic disciplines, with 68.3% of them related to modern technology, engineering, agriculture, and medicine.

At Chongqing City Vocational College, students are observing and learning. (Photo/Yongchuan District)

Among the newly approved institutions are the Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications - Far Eastern Federal University Joint Institute, a collaboration with Russia's Far Eastern Federal University, and a physics undergraduate program between Chongqing University and Russia's Novosibirsk State University. Additionally, four new joint programs have been launched, including the Chongqing Tchaikovsky Conservatory of Music, a partnership between Chongqing Normal University and Russia's renowned Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory, and a physics undergraduate program between Chongqing University and Russia's Novosibirsk State University, a pharmacy undergraduate program with Southwest University and New Zealand's University of Otago, a digital media arts undergraduate program with Chongqing College of Mobile Communication and Germany's Berlin University of Applied Sciences for Media, Communication, and Economics, and a vocational diploma program in IoT application technology between Chongqing Intelligent Engineering Vocational College and Russia's Ulyanovsk State Technical University.

These newly added programs and institutions strongly emphasize STEM fields, which is no coincidence. Chongqing has been aggressively investing in high-tech industries, including smart manufacturing, new energy vehicles (NEVs), artificial intelligence (AI), and IoT. For example, Chongqing is a major hub for China's NEV industry, with companies like Chang'an Automobile and Seres Group leading innovation in electric and intelligent vehicles. Introducing more international education collaboration in STEM helps cultivate future talents in NEV for Chongqing.

The upgraded production line of Chang'an Automobile Yubei Factory. (Photo/Changan Auto)

The Ministry of Education encourages students and parents interested in these programs to carefully evaluate joint programs by checking their official approval status on government websites. Important factors to consider include faculty qualifications, curriculum quality, and graduate employment outcomes.

With these new programs, Chongqing continues to strengthen its position in China's international education sector, fostering cross-border academic partnerships and cultivating high-tech talent.