On October 28, the unveiling ceremony of the School of International Joint Graduate Education at SIT was held in the Academic Lecture Hall of the School of International Education. Chen Jia, Executive Director of the China Association for the Promotion of Employment of College Graduates and Executive Vice Chairman of its International Cooperation and Exchange Committee; Li Zhibo, Director of the Open Cooperation Bureau of the Shenfu Reform and Innovation Demonstration Zone; Li Kangju, President of SIT; and Vice Presidents Xu Ying, Yang Xiuying, and Zhou Yongchang attended the ceremony. Representatives of overseas partner universities, heads of SIT’s constituent colleges, and representatives of Chinese and international faculty and students gathered to witness the official launch of this international preparatory education platform.
Chen Jia said that the formal establishment of the School of International Joint Graduate Education at SIT was not only a landmark step in implementing SIT’s internationalization strategy for the 15th Five-Year Plan period, but also a strategic choice by an application-oriented university to actively answer the fundamental question of “whom to educate, how to educate, and for whom to educate” at a time when the country’s educational opening-up landscape is undergoing profound structural changes. The School should make joint education substantive, turning study abroad into an organized, purpose-driven, and well-supported pathway for growth; open up channels for overseas practice, enabling students to learn to understand international rules in real international industry settings; and safeguard the root of patriotism and national commitment by integrating education on national conditions with global competence education.
In his address, Li Zhibo said that the establishment of the School was an important milestone in SIT’s continued commitment to internationalized education and high-level talent development; a concrete example of the Shenfu Reform and Innovation Demonstration Zone leveraging its pilot and pioneering role to advance high-level opening-up and explore university–local government collaborative innovation; and a practical measure for Liaoning Province to promote the coordinated development of education, science and technology, and talent and to empower new breakthroughs in comprehensive revitalization. The Demonstration Zone will rely on SIT’s international education platform to continue expanding transnational academic exchange and research collaboration, transform the momentum of international educational cooperation into a driving force for regional innovation and development, and provide strong support for Liaoning to attract high-end talent, strengthen scientific and technological supply, and enhance its level of opening-up.
Li Kangju said that the establishment of the School was a key lever for SIT to advance opening-up in education and improve the quality of high-level talent development, and an important action to align with the national deployment for educational opening-up and meet the requirements of university–local government coordinated development. SIT will focus on the goal of joint education between Chinese and overseas institutions, prioritize core tasks such as joint curriculum development, mutual recognition of credits, and the dual-mentor system, and build a collaborative community of institutions at home and abroad. The School will serve as a “preparatory port” and a “transit station,” improve the integrated education pathway, strengthen language and teaching support, broaden diverse pathways for further study, and contribute SIT’s strength to Liaoning’s opening-up and talent reserve.
At the ceremony, SIT signed cooperation agreements with three overseas universities—Sunchon National University in Korea, Novosibirsk State Technical University in Russia, and Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya in Spain—to carry out in-depth cooperation in joint student education, collaborative research and innovation, mutual appointment of faculty, and the joint development of master’s degree application pathways.
The School of International Joint Graduate Education focuses on international preparatory education and progression to overseas master’s programs. Relying on SIT’s established network of overseas partner universities, it provides undergraduates and past graduates who intend to pursue further study abroad with intensive language training, academic preparation, discipline-bridging courses, and overseas study pathway services, helping students make a smooth transition to master’s study at partner universities. SIT has established partnerships with 62 universities in 19 countries, including Russia, Spain, the United Kingdom, Korea, and Thailand; implemented a range of exchange programs such as 2+2 and integrated bachelor’s–master’s programs; welcomed more than 400 international students from 22 countries; offered intensive courses in multiple languages; and opened up bachelor’s-to-master’s pathways through models such as “3+1+2” and “2+2+1.5.”
Representatives of overseas partner universities from Thailand, Russia, Korea, and Spain reviewed the history of cooperation with SIT and shared their vision for future collaboration. Oranuch Pongsu, Assistant to the President of Ubon Ratchathani University in Thailand, said that the two universities could use the new platform to actively explore new models of academic cooperation and advance joint project development and internationalized curriculum development; she looked forward to continued mutual trust, close communication, and pooled strengths to deepen inter-university cooperation. Evgeny Golovin, Head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Novosibirsk State Technical University in Russia, said that cooperation between the two universities began in 2023, with a 2+2 undergraduate program already in place and seven education project agreements signed; the new agreement would further expand cooperative education and elevate bilateral educational cooperation. Kim Jihyun, Deputy Director of the International Office at Sunchon National University in Korea, said that over the past two years the two universities had facilitated a large number of cross-border student exchanges through exchange-student and short-term study programs and had jointly built a talent-development base to help students improve their language and professional skills; she looked forward to continuing to work together to help more young students step onto the international stage. Yang Yihan, Representative of the Asia Office of EUNCET Business School at Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya in Spain, said that the newly established School would not only open the door to European academia for Chinese young students but also attract more European students to Shenyang to experience Chinese culture, achieving two-way talent and cultural exchange.
At the ceremony, two student representatives—one Chinese and one international—shared their reflections on their studies. Han Liu Tiantian, a student from the School of Energy and Water Resources, described how, under the guidance of the university, she clarified her goals and set out on a path to pursue a master’s degree in Spain. Bu Suonan, an exchange student from Transbaikal State University in Russia, spoke about how his Chinese proficiency and cross-cultural competence had improved significantly during his exchange at SIT, and described SIT as a warm and friendly learning home.
The establishment of the School of International Joint Graduate Education marks the extension of SIT’s internationalized education from joint undergraduate programs to preparatory services for graduate study. It aligns with the mission of an application-oriented university and responds to students’ diverse needs for further study. In the future, the School will continue to expand overseas cooperation resources, develop customized preparatory plans by country and by discipline, strengthen the “Study at SIT, Go Global” education brand, pursue both “going global” and “bringing in,” and continuously improve a new pattern of internationalized education that is open in both directions.
Translated by Basic Courses Department
