China’s education authorities terminated 286 cooperative programmes between Chinese and foreign universities last week as part of a routine assessment of collaborative arrangements with foreign institutions.
A list of terminated programmes was published on the official app of the Ministry of Education and included partnerships with elite institutions including City University London, New York University and the University of Hong Kong.
They include a bachelor’s programme between the Harbin University of Science and Technology and City University London on mechanical design and automation, a master’s programme between Peking University and the University of Hong Kong on economics and finance, and a social work programme between Shanghai’s East China Normal University and New York University. Other universities to have partnerships culled included the University of Florida, University of Southern Queensland, and the University of Leeds.
While the authorities did not elaborate on the reason for the closures, the move has sparked public concern as it comes less than a month after a government crackdown on the private tutoring industry. Many see the tutoring bans and the foreign programme closures as part of a wider effort to reform China’s education industry.
