Shanghai will deepen international cooperation and exchanges in education under its education development blueprint for 2026-30.

The plan outlines measures to strengthen students' international outlook and cross-cultural communication skills, promote international exchanges, expand cross-border education cooperation, and enhance Shanghai's role in global education.

International youth exchanges

Shanghai will strengthen the capacity of primary and secondary schools to engage in international exchanges and step up efforts to cultivate talent proficient in key foreign languages from an early age.

The city will also advance an initiative to promote international youth exchanges, encouraging Chinese and foreign youth to learn from one another through greater interaction.

It will further promote exchanges between students in Shanghai and their peers from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan.

International students & children of foreign nationals

Shanghai will improve the quality of education services for international students and implement reforms to the unified admissions system for international undergraduate students studying in China.

It will also seek to increase the proportion of degree-seeking students and postgraduate students among international students.

Meanwhile, the city will further improve education services for children of foreign nationals in Shanghai.

Educational cooperation

Shanghai will promote high-quality Sino-foreign cooperation in education, including the establishment of more Sino-foreign cooperative education institutions and programs in science, engineering, agriculture, and medicine.

The city will also support leading overseas universities in establishing urgently needed research and teaching platforms in Shanghai.

Universities in Shanghai will be encouraged to explore new models for overseas education, including light-asset approaches and the establishment of overseas institutes within universities.

Vocational schools will also be encouraged to expand overseas in partnership with Chinese enterprises and broaden cooperation combining Chinese-language education with vocational training.

Global education governance

Shanghai will step up its participation in global education governance and support the development of the UNESCO International Institute for STEM Education. The institute was established in Shanghai in 2025.

The city will also seek to attract and foster more international education organizations and establish a talent training base for international organizations.

Universities in the city will be encouraged to initiate and participate in international large-scale science programs, major scientific projects and academic alliances.

They will also be encouraged to develop a number of high-level, internationally oriented platforms for decision-making advice and participate in the provision of international public goods in education.

By 2030, key education and human resources indicators are expected to approach the advanced levels of global cities, laying the groundwork for the development of a high-quality education system by 2035.

Source: Shanghai Municipal People's Government