Coventry University is celebrating the graduation of the first students from its joint institute in China – and is planning to teach more students overseas in their home countries.
Coventry University and the Communication University of China were given approval in 2022 to open a joint institute at the Hainan Lingshui Li’an International Education Innovation Pilot Zone.
A number of Chinese and foreign universities have been involved in developing the zone but this week’s graduation at the Communication University of China – Coventry College marks the first graduation ceremony at one of these universities on Hainan Island.
Post graduate students were awarded MA Design Management degrees during a special ceremony at the weekend, attended by Professor John Latham CBE, Vice-Chancellor of Coventry University and Group CEO and Professor Richard Wells, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (International).
Coventry University in strategy to expand international hubs
It comes as data shows the university grew its student population overseas to 24,395 in 2023/24, a rise of more than 5,000 since 2019/20.
This includes branch and branded campuses in Poland, Egypt, Morocco and Kazakhstan, with more planned as a part of a strategy to diversify away from bringing students to the UK. This is against a backdrop of successive UK Governments pledging to control immigration, causing a fall in the number of international students coming to the country.
Professor Latham said: “This is an incredibly proud moment for Coventry University Group to see the first graduates from our joint institution in Hainan earn their degrees. We have long recognised the benefits of developing our international activities, which not only benefits those students who gain a prestigious Coventry University accredited qualification but helps us share best research practices, benefiting our learners in the UK.
“In just five years our various partners around the world have invested more than £1 billion into Coventry University branded or branch campuses, which reflects how highly valued quality UK higher education is internationally.”
Professor Wells added: “We have been working hard to build strong relationships with organisations across the globe for many years, and we have been particularly successful in establishing mutually beneficial ties in China, a huge market for recruitment and transnational education.
“We’re determined to keep developing these links and the formal launch of our China Hub in Beijing last year also demonstrates our commitment to the region.”
Zhang Shaohua, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of the Communication University of China said: “I encourage the graduates to use their original aspirations as a torch to strengthen their ideals and beliefs, to use perseverance as a sail to maintain an optimistic and open-minded attitude in the face of adversity, and to use striving forward as an oar to develop a lifelong learning habit. I’d urge the graduates to be far-sighted and down-to-earth and to break new ground with their passion.”
Coventry University Group operates a number of international hubs in China, Africa, Singapore, Brussels and India.
To find out more about the work of Coventry University’s Global Hubs visit Global hubs | Coventry University
