China leverages higher education capacity with expanded TNE partnerships

As with most statistics about China, the latest higher education figures are a little dizzying. Enrolment in the country's 3,117 higher education institutions is approaching 50 million students. And this year alone, more than 12 million will graduate from a Chinese university.

Meanwhile, a record 13.42 million students sat the national college entrance exam this year (the gaokao). The Ministry of Education does not release official figures on the number of first-year seats available but the most optimistic estimates place that capacity at least several million seats below the population of high school leavers in 2025. In other words, when the admissions music stops, there will millions of students without a chair in an undergraduate programme.

The Chinese government has launched a number of initiatives to expand the system further, and to improve graduate outcomes in the face of historically high levels of youth unemployment.

As University World News recently reported, "Since 2024, China has been undertaking one of the most significant expansions in recent history of its undergraduate education system. Leading universities are increasing student enrolment and launching new interdisciplinary programmes to align with national strategic priorities…The nationwide expansion of undergraduate enrolment aligns closely with China’s broader policy objectives as outlined in the Education Powerhouse Construction Plan (2024–2035), jointly issued by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council."

At the same time, the Chinese government is quickly ramping up job readiness training and other supports for new graduates, and expanding subsidies for employers to hire graduates as well.

8 million in TNE

In addition to that domestic expansion, China's Ministry of Education has also set a target to expand enrolment in transnational education programmes (TNE) from an estimated 800,000 students currently to 8 million. There is no publicly stated time horizon for that goal, but qualified observers have noted that an expansion of that scale is a long-term proposition and likely something with at least a 10-year horizon.

TNE may take many forms but the term refers broadly to an educational programme delivered in a country other than the country in which the institution awarding the qualification is based. In China, it is carefully regulated under the Ministry of Education and framed as "Chinese-Foreign Cooperation" in education, reflecting that such programmes are built around genuine and equitable collaborations between Chinese and foreign partners.

A further report from University World News expands on the point: "The Chinese Ministry of Education stipulates clear processes and procedures for the TNE application process as well as delivery. It typically takes a project one or two years just to get the ministry application completed and approved.

But it is worth the investment and commitment because approval means practically guaranteed student recruitment in terms of numbers and quality…It also means TNE programmes will be part of the national gaokao quota system. Currently, most of the top universities in China have an enrolment rate of less than 1% of their application pool."

As that summary outlines, there is a well-established, centrally controlled mechanism for approving and monitoring TNE programmes in China through the Ministry of Education. And in practice the Ministry approves (or cancels) TNE partnerships in the country on an ongoing basis.

But after a few quiet years in terms of new approvals, it is notable to see China moving forward with a much larger number of new TNE partnerships this year. In May 2025, in what was the first major round of project approvals since 2022, the Ministry announced 113 new TNE partnerships, roughly two-thirds of which were individually approved joint programmes and the remaining third taking the form of joint institutes offering programmes in multiple subjects and/or at various levels of study.

Writing on LinkedIn at the time, Charles Sun, Founder and Managing Director of China Education International, said, "These approvals signal more than academic growth—they represent a strategic alignment with China’s national priorities. Programmes in AI, green technology, and smart manufacturing mirror the country’s ambition to lead in Fourth Industrial Revolution sectors. Additionally, partnerships like Hainan University and New Zealand’s Massey University in Animal Science emphasize region-specific expertise, catering to Hainan’s evolving role as a free trade port and ecological hub…For students, these programmes offer dual degrees, English-taught curricula, and industry-aligned training, equipping graduates with the cross-cultural fluency and technical skills demanded by multinational employers."

More recently, the Ministry of Education approved another 46 TNE partnerships in September 2025, this time with 16 joint institutes (offering multiple programmes) and another 30 joint programmes. They include a new Smart Health College in Jiangsu to be established by Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine and the University of Otago (New Zealand), and a new Master's in Electronic Information offered by Zhongyuan University of Technology in Henan and the University of Sao Paulo (Brazil).

As those examples suggest, the other notable pattern in this year's approvals is that the Ministry is reaching beyond the major English-speaking countries – such as the UK or the US – to engage institutions in a much wider field of partner nations, including Italy, Malaysia, New Zealand, France, Germany, and South Korea.

Similarly, this year's TNE approvals are distributed across dozens of Chinese provinces in an apparent bid to boost internationalisation more widely throughout the country.

For additional background, please see:

• "China opens up to global STEM talent with new visa class"
• "What impact will a slowing economy have on Chinese demand for study abroad?"
• "Global survey highlights new phase of internationalisation: From a 'market era' to a 'managed era'"