Chongqing - Chongqing has made steady strides in advancing education over the past five years, with higher quality, broader access, and stronger links between schools, industry, and the global community, officials said at a press conference on October 20.
On December 6, 2024, international students tasted cuisines from around the world at the “World Culture Fair” held on the Yubei Campus of Southwest University of Political Science and Law. (Photo/Zheng Yu)
At the event, Liu Yanbing, Director of the Chongqing Municipal Education Commission, outlined the city's progress during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025). He noted that all 12 core goals have been met with high quality, marking a major step toward building a modern education system that leads Western China in both scale and excellence.
Deepening Global Cooperation and Mutual Learning
Chongqing has become an emerging hub for international education in inland China. This year, the city launched a new initiative to promote educational openness, mutual learning, and shared benefits, expanding cooperation with more than 70 countries and regions and deepening both inbound and outbound exchanges.
Bringing the world to Chongqing, the city has launched 78 Sino-foreign cooperative institutions and programs in fields such as clinical medicine, robotics, and computer science, enrolling over 8,000 students annually. Among them, the joint college with the University of Leicester (UK) stands out as the only China–UK medical institution in central and western China. The “Study in Chongqing” initiative, now one of the city’s six globally promoted brands, has attracted over 10,000 international students.
Taking Chongqing education abroad, the city is promoting the “teaching follows industry” model to support enterprises expanding overseas. It has established 10 international vocational education platforms and 22 overseas programs, extending vocational training cooperation to more than 50 countries, such as Russia, Spain, and Thailand.
Southwest University took the stage for presentations. (Photo/DENG Nan)
Each year, over 1,000 scholars are sponsored for overseas study, and 200 principals receive advanced training at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. By founding platforms like the Center of Chinese and Greek Ancient Civilizations and the China-South Asian Countries Poverty Alleviation and Cooperative Development Center, Chongqing actively contributes to global educational dialogue and cooperation.
Building a Strong Education System
Currently, Chongqing has 9,177 schools, 6.4 million students, and over 500,000 teachers. Enrollment rates across all levels of education exceed national averages—93.5% for preschool, 98.47% for high school, and 64.25% for higher education.
In line with the “Five Educations in One” philosophy—moral, intellectual, physical, aesthetic, and labor—Chongqing continues to nurture well-rounded talent. Its campus football reform was selected as one of China’s first national pilot programs, and role models such as Olympic champion Shi Tingmao and student heroes like Wu Yingjie have emerged, reflecting the vitality of the city’s youth.
On October 13, Li Xuanhao, the Go world champion, taught children to play at the Huichuan Campus of Experimental Primary School of Dadukou District. (Photo/Liu Li, Visual Chongqing)
Over the past five years, Chongqing has also advanced equitable and high-quality education. Inclusive preschool education now covers 95.2% of kindergartens, and from 2025, one year of free preschool will benefit more than 200,000 children. The proportion of vocational students continuing their studies has surpassed 70%, offering multiple pathways for success.
The city has also established 41 special education schools and achieved a 98.99% enrollment rate for children with disabilities. Meanwhile, higher education enrollment and graduate programs continue to expand, making it increasingly possible for students to attend quality schools close to home.
Integrating Education with Industry and Innovation
Education has become a major driver of Chongqing’s industrial transformation. Over the past five years, Chongqing’s universities and vocational colleges have provided 1.85 million skilled graduates to society.
Notably, more than 70% of new frontline employees in the city’s three major industries have been trained by local vocational institutions, underscoring the growing role of education in powering industrial development. Two universities and five disciplines have entered China’s “Double First-Class Initiative”, while 83 subjects rank in the global top 1% by ESI standards.
This photo shows new energy vehicles at the Changan Digital Intelligence Factory in Yubei District of southwest China's Chongqing, September 18, 2025. (Photo/Wang Quanchao, Xinhua)
Universities now undertake about 90% of Chongqing’s basic research, and their laboratories serve as the backbone of scientific innovation. Through programs such as the “Education Strengthening Chongqing” Action, over 3,300 enterprises have benefited from university–industry collaboration.
Liu Yanbing emphasized that Chongqing will continue to integrate education, technology, and talent cultivation to produce nationally leading and globally recognizable achievements. The city aims to build an open, innovative, and inclusive education ecosystem that contributes “Chongqing wisdom” to the modernization of China and the shared progress of global education.