Our Engagement in China | About | The University of Aberdeen

Our Engagement in China

China is at the heart of the University's global story and is home to one of our longest-standing and most impactful partnerships spanning education, research, transnational education, mobility, and alumni engagement. Each year, we welcome hundreds of students from China to our Aberdeen campus, while hundreds more study for an Aberdeen degree at our Joint Institute and Joint Education Programmes in China. We are sustained by a thriving alumni community across China who carry the University's spirit and values into the world.

From broad and meaningful connections throughout China to a growing network of alumni chapters, and with a Confucius Institute at the heart of our Old Aberdeen campus connecting China to the whole North East of Scotland, the University of Aberdeen's engagement with China is deep, strategic, and enduring.

If you are a student currently in China who is interested in studying at our Aberdeen campus, please click here (opens in new tab).

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TNE Collaborative Provision | Research | Alumni

Strategic Partners

Aberdeen Institute of Data Science & Artificial Intelligence - Joint Institute with South China Normal University (SCNU)

In 2021, the University of Aberdeen and South China Normal University established the Aberdeen Institute of Data Science & Artificial Intelligence at SCNU’s Foshan campus after working together for over 20 years. The Institute stands as a testament to the power of international collaboration, combining the academic strengths and research expertise of both partner institutions.

The current available programmes are:

BSc (Hons) Artificial Intelligence (4+0)
BSc (Hons) Information Management & Information Systems (4+0)
BSc (Hons) Software Engineering (4+0)
MSc Artificial Intelligence (1+0)
MSc Data Science (1+0)
MSc Artificial Intelligence for Robotics and Telecommunications (1+0)
PhD Computing Science (3+0)
JEP - MA (Hons) Finance (4+0)

Learn more on SCNU's website (opens in a new tab).

The Confucius Institute in Aberdeen

Established on 27 September 2013 in partnership with Wuhan University, the University of Aberdeen's Confucius Institute serves the North East of Scotland, providing Chinese language teaching, cultural education, and public engagement activities for University staff and students, schools, businesses, community organisations, and the wider public.

Acting as a linguistic and cultural bridge between Scotland and China, the Institute promotes greater understanding of Chinese language, culture, and society while serving as an important hub for knowledge exchange and a first point of contact for those seeking to engage with China.

Through its Education, Culture, and Events programmes, the Institute offers Mandarin language courses for adults and children, HSK preparation, scholarships and study opportunities in China, alongside a vibrant programme of cultural and community activities, including calligraphy, brush painting, dance, Tai Chi, Qigong, arts and crafts workshops, conversation exchanges, public lectures, and traditional festival celebrations. Together, these activities foster lasting educational, cultural, and people-to-people connections between the UK and China, strengthening the University's longstanding relationship with Wuhan University and the broader Chinese community.

Learn more on the Institute's website (opens in a new tab).

TNE Collaborative Provision

Please find our current Joint Education Programmes listed below and learn more about the programmes we offer with our partners.

For any queries, please contact global.partnerships@abdn.ac.uk

Our Research Engagement with China

The University's flagship research centres and institutes have developed longstanding research engagement with China, including the Centre for Energy Transition, Aberdeen Centre for Environmental Sustainability, Institute for Complex Systems and Mathematical Biology, Centre for Applied Dynamics Research, and the National Decommissioning Centre. Our researchers have worked closely with major national bodies including the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), the National Key Research and Development Program of China, the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation, and the China Scholarship Council, generating hundreds of jointly authored research outputs.

These partnerships extend across many of China's most prestigious institutions, including Peking University, Tsinghua University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Zhejiang University, Fudan University, University of Science and Technology of China, Nanjing University, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Wuhan University, Sun Yat-sen University, Tongji University, Tianjin University, Shandong University, and numerous specialist research organisations within the Chinese Academy of Sciences network.

Alumni Relations in China

The Alumni Relations Team maintains a lifelong relationship with its global alumni community. For graduates in China, these connections are strengthened through dedicated alumni networks and chapter activities that help former students stay engaged with both the University and one another.

There are over 5,000 alumni living in China, and four established Alumni Chapteres. The Beijing Chapter, launched in 2016 as its first alumni chapter in China, was established to bring together Aberdeen graduates living and working in the region, creating valuable opportunities for professional networking, social engagement, and continued links with the University. Since then, alumni chapters have opened in Shanghai (2021), Shenzen (2021), and Guangzhou (2023). These chapters bring graduates together through a range of annual events. From social gatherings and speaker events to Scottish-themed activities such as Highland Games outings and ceilidh evenings, many of these events are organised in collaboration with fellow Scottish universities. Through initiatives such as these, the University continues to foster a vibrant international alumni community, ensuring that Chinese graduates remain an important and valued part of the global Aberdeen family. Alongside formal chapter activities, the University’s wider international alumni ambassador network supports local events and community-building initiatives, ensuring that Chinese graduates remain an important and valued part of the global Aberdeen family.

Alumni Relations (opens in new tab)