From July 1 to 3, 2026, a delegation from the College of International Education at ECUST, led by Dean Li Xiaopeng, visited the University of Birmingham, the University of York, and Queen Mary University of London to advance international undergraduate education cooperation. The visit focused on developing ECUST’s Joint Multi-Degree (JMD) Programme and international undergraduate pathways, emphasizing curriculum articulation, credit recognition, and student progression.

The meetings further consolidated ECUST’s established partnerships with Birmingham and York, while advancing cooperation with Queen Mary in a new academic area.

Expanding Engineering Cooperation

At the University of Birmingham, the focus was on scaling up established ties. ECUST reviewed its Chemical Engineering partnership and agreed to expand cooperation into three additional engineering disciplines. Discussions centered on curriculum alignment and progression arrangements for future students, marking a significant step toward a broader engineering partnership benefiting both international and Chinese students.

Dean Li Xiaopeng of ECUST’s College of International Education meets with Professor Jon Frampton, Director of the University of Birmingham’s China Institute

Broadening Multidisciplinary Pathways

A major multidisciplinary milestone was achieved during the visit to the University of York, where the universities expanded their existing collaboration beyond four engineering-related areas to include business and arts disciplines. This development establishes a framework spanning six academic areas, reflecting a shared commitment to sustainable undergraduate pathways and wider progression opportunities for students from both institutions.

The ECUST delegation meets with senior academic leaders from relevant schools and faculties at the University of York

Advancing AI Collaboration

Looking toward the future of tech-driven education, ECUST and Queen Mary University of London advanced their discussions on Artificial Intelligence. The meeting focused on academic alignment and future student progression, establishing a foundation for continued programme development and broader institutional collaboration.

Dean Li Xiaopeng discusses programme cooperation with representatives from the School of Physical and Chemical Sciences at Queen Mary University of London

Outcomes and Next Steps

The visit further strengthened ECUST’s international undergraduate partnership network. Cooperation with Birmingham was expanded from Chemical Engineering to three additional engineering disciplines, while the partnership with York was broadened from engineering to business and the arts. Discussions with Queen Mary also advanced cooperation in Artificial Intelligence.

ECUST will continue to work with its partner universities on curriculum articulation and the implementation of future student pathways. These partnerships demonstrate ECUST’s experience in developing academically integrated, multidisciplinary undergraduate cooperation with leading international universities and provide a strong foundation for the continued expansion of its global partnership network.