A new initiative to advance cultural and educational exchange, as well as student mobility emerged this month with the launch of the China-UK Association for Humanities. This new Association is to strengthen Sino-British ties through providing a platform for trans-cultural and cross-national dialogue and cooperation in humanities education between universities. 

Notably, this new collaborative venture, that is part of the fourth China-UL High-Level-People-to-People Dialogue, is to also increase the opportunities of Chinese students to attain top tier dual China-UK degrees, at a lower cost.  The association, which was initiated by Tsinghua University, will also foster joint research as well as teaching and research in double-degree programmes, summer schools and introductory visits for prospective students.  A Young scholars Forum is the Association’s cultural and academic exchange channel, while the Young Talent Programme rounds off the initiative with a focus on aspects of innovation and entrepreneurship.

12 new university partnerships form the bases for dual degrees and mobility to take off, attract international talent and increase visibility and prestige. The partnering institutions that are to help write a new chapter in Chinese –UK academic relations include:  Tsinghua, Fudan , Peking  and Wuhan University, the  Chinese University of Hong Kong; and on the UK side University of Oxford, University of Cambridge’s Needham Research Institute, University of London School of Oriental and African Studies, King's College London as well as Universities of Reading, Manchester and of Warwick.

As a latest initiative in this new network the ‘London School of Economics-Fudan Institute for Global Public Policy’  is to roll out a double degree-programme next year, for Chinese and international master students, that will rear future leaders in global governance through cross-disciplinary teaching .

With Chinese students accounting for about 25% of UK’s international student body in 2014, this new Association may be another cornerstone in boosting long-term Chinese student mobility and a building block in UK’s education strategy for securing its share in this ever growing sending market. The State Council of the Peoples Republic of China – Press release