Internationalisation and innovation in higher education: China’s success story

During a session at the 2024 THE World Academic Summit, higher education leaders discussed the remarkable rise of Chinese universities, their expanding influence on the global higher education sector and the strategic initiatives that have fuelled their success. 

Government policy has played a significant role in making China a major hub of education following two decades of strategic investment in education and research, which demonstrates the importance of long-term goals in the sector. 

“One of the most extraordinary outcomes of this policy has been the contribution of 700,000 of our alumni to wider society – not just in China but across the globe,” said Jie Chen, director of the Office of International Affairs at Huazhong University of Science and Technology. “We have witnessed strong growth in terms of research outcomes and building industry connections.”

In some countries, universities are being pushed to become increasingly self-sufficient. Whereas in China, government support for capacity building continues to be significant, especially around science and technology. “We are proud to be the only university in China to operate two national science and technology infrastructure facilities on campus,” Chen said. “One of the obvious advantages of this is being able to provide the state-of-the-art facilities needed to produce high-calibre research. These may be supported by the Chinese government but they are open to the world.”

As Chen pointed out, research output, publications and innovation have helped enhance the global reputation of Chinese universities, supported by collaboration between universities and industry. International events provide further opportunities to showcase this burgeoning reputation around the world. 

“In the past few years, we have been hosting an event called China Education Expo with more than 1,000 themed workshops, events and demonstrations involving both domestic and international organisations,” said Zhongshan Li, deputy director of the Office of International Exchange and Cooperation at Beijing Normal University.

“From a policy perspective, the Chinese government has implemented several plans to enhance the research infrastructure in the country,” said Chuanyi Wang, associate professor in the Institute of Education at Tsinghua University. “For instance, there is a drive to build more research centres in the country based on three core principles: interdisciplinarity, openness, and interpretation of teaching and research.”

Since 2000, China’s research and development investment has grown consistently, accompanied by significant capacity building in STEM fields. Despite this technical focus, social responsibility remains central to the output of many Chinese universities.

“Concerning social responsibilities, we try to deliver an inclusive and equitable education for our students,” said Li. “We initiated a project to strengthen education quality in the country and reduce regional disparities. We aim to attract quality trainee teachers, deploy them locally and foster collaboration with local government. The mission is to invest in the future.” 

Industry partnerships present one way of generating the funding required to deliver this investment. In China, these partnerships have increasingly been leveraged by higher education institutions to produce high-impact research, foster innovation and build global reputation. 

“Universities can develop talent to meet various needs,” said Kai Song, deputy director of the Discipline Construction Office at the Harbin Institute of Technology. “You then see alumni going on to become stewards of industry to keep those collaborations going. This demonstrates the importance of alumni networks and developing skills that are relevant to particular industries.”

International collaboration is one of the most important elements of creating high-quality research. This kind of collaboration facilitates better research and provides the right environment for students from different backgrounds and cultures to work closely together. 

“Even during the Covid-19 pandemic, we continued operating academic exchange programmes online,” said Li. “We maintained good partnerships with our existing network this way and created new opportunities. As a case in point, we’ve recently seen increased collaboration with African universities, prioritising digital education, vocational education and teacher education. We hope to continue in this vein, reaching out to other institutions around the world.”

“Different students and academics from various disciplines are able to work together at national laboratories in China,” Song said. “We have regional industry parks where universities, government and industry come together. Enterprises have practical needs and researchers support them in solving their problems.”

Huazhong University of Science and Technology has established around 15 research centres across China in partnership with local governments and enterprises. “They provide physical spaces for researchers and faculties to bring their applications to market,” said Chen. “They also help create an ecosystem for innovation by linking universities and industry. These centres are not just for technology transfer – they also serve as teaching platforms for students.”

As a country, China has many regional and local differences. When competing for the best talent, universities in the country must promote their region alongside their academic credentials. “I would be happy to introduce you to Wuhan,” Chen said. “It is known as the city of a hundred lakes and our university has beautiful surroundings.” 

Speaking about the benefits of studying in Beijing, Li mentioned the Forbidden City, the Great Wall of China, the Temple of Heaven and other world-famous sites in the city. Meanwhile, Song talked about the famous Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival with its remarkable ice sculptures. 

The achievements and growth of Chinese universities are the result of a concerted, widespread effort by the government, university staff and students across the country. It is not down to the strong performance of a single institution. It is a country-wide success story that the entire world is benefitting from. 

The panel:

• Jie Chen, director of the Office of International Affairs, Huazhong University of Science and Technology
• Simone Dilena, president of APAC, THE (chair)
• Zhongshan Li, deputy director of the Office of International Exchange and Cooperation, Beijing Normal University
• Kai Song, deputy director of the Discipline Construction Office, Harbin Institute of Technology
• Chuanyi Wang, associate professor in the Institute of Education, Tsinghua University

Find out more about the China Country Pavilion at THE World Academic Summit.