China had established 373 Sino-foreign cooperative education institutions and programmes offering postgraduate degrees or higher by the end of 2025, including 69 doctoral-level programmes, according to a report released on Saturday.
The report, titled “Study in China: Contributing to the Building of a Community with a Shared Future for Humanity,” was issued by the Xinhua Institute, a research arm of Xinhua News Agency.
It noted that Sino-foreign educational cooperation has entered a new phase focused on higher-quality development, with increasing emphasis on advanced academic collaboration.
According to the findings, the model has evolved from traditional “knowledge transfer” to one centred on joint innovation, research collaboration and the incubation of academic outcomes.
The report highlighted rapid growth in high-level programmes, particularly at the master’s and doctoral levels, reflecting stronger integration between Chinese institutions and international partners.
Analysts say the expansion of such programmes signals China’s growing role in global higher education and its efforts to attract international academic collaboration through research-driven initiatives.