The 8th Symposium on Sino-Foreign Cooperative Education in Shaanxi province and the 2024 Work Meeting of the Sino-Foreign Cooperative Education Branch of the Shaanxi Higher Education Association were held on November 26 at Xi'an Jiaotong University, located in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, Northwest China.

The event saw the participation of over 200 attendees, including leaders from 44 universities in Shaanxi, heads of foreign affairs departments, leaders of Sino-foreign cooperative education institutions and projects, and experts in the field of Sino-foreign cooperative education.

Wang Haibo, deputy secretary of the Education Working Committee of the Shaanxi Provincial Party Committee, emphasized that Shaanxi should promote the high-quality development of Sino-foreign cooperative education with a broader perspective, deeper vision, and greater wisdom. He highlighted the need to encourage universities to deepen international exchanges and cooperation, build a more international and high-level educational ecosystem, and create a new era of educational openness in Shaanxi.

In her speech, Bie Chaohong, executive vice president of Xi'an Jiaotong University, stated that the university has always placed great importance on international exchange and cooperation. She noted that Xi'an Jiaotong University has now established an interdisciplinary and multi-level Sino-foreign cooperative education system.

According to Bie, the university has launched the "Xi'an Jiaotong University Global Development Action Plan 2030" to deepen the integration of industry and education in international cooperation and exchange. The Silk Road University Alliance, initiated by Xi’an Jiaotong University, has attracted over 180 universities from 40 countries and regions as members. Additionally, six Sino-foreign cooperative education programs have been established, covering fields such as business administration, big data and innovation and entrepreneurship, financial management, architecture, and information management, effectively promoting the cultivation of high-level international talents.

“Xi'an Jiaotong University will continue to adhere to an international perspective and national strategy, continuously improving the level of Sino-foreign cooperative education and actively exploring innovative cooperation models,” Bie said.

Zhang Jincheng, the new president of the Sino-Foreign Cooperative Education Branch of the Shaanxi Higher Education Association, stated that the association will continue to play a crucial role in enhancing the quality and efficiency of Sino-foreign cooperative education projects and institutions in Shaanxi, and in supporting the province's educational openness to the world.

The conference recognized 56 outstanding management personnel in Sino-foreign cooperative education, including Du Qinghe from Xi'an Jiaotong University, six experts, including Cao Jing from Xi'an University of Electronic Science and Technology, and seven Sino-foreign cooperative education institutions (projects), including the School of Engineering at Queen Mary University of London, and Northwestern Polytechnical University.

Currently, there are 51 Sino-foreign cooperative education projects at various levels in Shaanxi, including 13 non-independent legal entities, ranking first in the number of such institutions in the western region.

In 2016, Shaanxi achieved a breakthrough with the establishment of its first Sino-foreign cooperative education institutions. Since 2018, the province has approved seven undergraduate and above-level institutions and 15 projects, and independently approved four vocational and below-level institutions and one project.

Presently, there are over 19,000 students enrolled in Sino-foreign cooperative education programs in Shaanxi.

Sino-foreign cooperative education has become a pivotal platform for universities in Shaanxi Province to introduce high-quality educational resources, enhance the level of international education, and cultivate high-quality international innovative talents.