1.1 Definition of Chinese-foreign cooperation in running schools
It refers to the educational and teaching activities jointly held by foreign institutions and Chinese institutions in China, with Chinese students as the main enrollment targets. There are two different forms of it, that are Chinese-foreign cooperatively-run educational projects and Chinese-foreign cooperatively-run schools.
1.1.1 Chinese-foreign cooperatively-run schools
It refers to the educational and teaching activities jointly held by foreign educational institutions and Chinese educational institutions through setting up new educational institutions (meaning secondary colleges). Usually, 4 majors are conducted in one cooperatively-run school.
1.1.2 Chinese-foreign cooperatively-run educational projects
It refers to the educational and teaching activities jointly held by foreign educational institutions and Chinese educational institutions without setting up any new educational institutions (meaning secondary colleges). Usually, one major is conducted in one cooperatively-run project.
With the rapid development of China’s education, there has been a large amount of experience in Chinese-foreign cooperation in running schools. Since the first Chinese-foreign cooperatively-run educational project with formal enrollment approved in 1990, it has become mature after three decades of development and is in a stage of high-quality development! By August 2022, more than 800 foreign institutions of higher education from 39 countries and regions have joined the cooperation. There are 2,469 Chinese-foreign cooperatively-run educational projects and schools, involving more than 200 majors of 11 disciplines, with nearly 600,000 current students and over 2 million graduates. Nearly 70 percent of the graduates choose to continue their postgraduate studies in the foreign cooperative educational institutions and other overseas educational institutions.
Cooperation modes: 3+1 mode (meaning that students study at the Chinese educational institutions for the first 3 years and finish their last year at the foreign partner with degrees granted by both educational institutions upon graduation) or 4+0 mode (meaning that students study at the Chinese educational institutions for all the 4 years with degrees granted by both educational institutions upon graduation).
* Explanation to the flexible teaching mode: students can choose to go to foreign cooperative institutions on their free will for short-term exchanges or complete subsequent studies (under the condition that students’ academic performance and foreign language level meet certain standards). After graduation, students can choose to continue to study for master’s and doctoral degrees in the cooperative foreign educational institutions.
According to the policies of the Ministry of Education of China, only 4+0 mode is acceptable for a Chinese-foreign cooperatively-run school. One foreign educational institution may conduct at most 1 school and 5 projects at the same educational level in Chinese-foreign cooperation in running schools.
1.2 The significance of foreign educational institutions’ participating in Chinese-foreign cooperation in running schools
(1)Cooperating with excellent educational institutions in China, and conducting full academic exchanges in competitive disciplines;
(2)Promoting the cooperation between the two countries in education, scientific research, industry and other fields;
(3)Obtaining stable and long-lasting tuition fees;
(4)Expanding their influences in China to attract Chinese students with strong academic ability and excellent comprehensive quality.