China greenlights 122 new TNE projects as it eyes enrolment boost

The 122-strong raft of TNE projects announced on December 30 included 66 joint programs and 56 joint institutes, according to the British Council.

Agreements with UK universities accounted for almost one in five of the projects at 23 in total, making it the country with the most partnerships with 12 joint institutes and 11 joint programs. The UK was followed by Russia with 21 projects and the US, Australia and Italy, each with eight TNE partnerships.

The agreed projects are spread geographically throughout China, across 25 provinces and municipalities including Jiangsu, Shandong, Zhejiang, Sichuan and Henan.

Universities such as the University of Auckland, Durham University, the University of Strathclyde and the University of São Paulo are among the institutions that have agreed on TNE projects in China.

It follows a slew of 46 TNE partnerships agreed in September, with Beijng setting out an ambitious aim of boosting China’s TNE enrolments from 800,000 to eight million.

Charles Sun, founder of China Education International, said China’s focus on international partnerships would attract more international students to the country.

“In the past, TNE was only for Chinese students. The Chinese government now strongly encourages TNE to also accept non-Chinese students – the increased TNE capacity will help China to become a study destination,” he told The PIE News.

He noted that demand for TNE has been increasing over the past decade – in particular in the wake of the pandemic, when Chinese parents raised concerns over the study experience their children would have in major destination countries.

The Chinese government now strongly encourages TNE to also accept non-Chinese students – the increased TNE capacity will help China to become a study destination
_{^{Charles Sun, China Education International}}

Meanwhile, the British Council highlighted that many of the agreements reflected a strong emphasis on STEM subjects, indicating China’s long-term development goals. And it pointed out that the projects’ wide geographical spread showed that local authorities were taking a leading role in facilitating international partnerships.

“China’s latest reforms underscore its determination to become a more attractive partner for international education collaboration,” said the British Council. “With the UK securing the highest number of new TNE approvals in December 2025, this is a timely moment to revisit engagement strategies in China, explore more flexible models, accelerate applications under the streamlined approval process, and develop innovative models of partnership aligned with both UK and Chinese priorities.”

Leading stakeholders across Asia have emphasised the region’s growing ambition to carve out a growing share of the international education market, telling The PIE that intra-regional mobility is on the rise – especially as some countries vie to become educational hubs.

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