New China-UK study tour program set to deepen youth exchanges

More than 200 students from six universities in the United Kingdom, including the University of Exeter, will travel to China in May and June this year as part of the newly launched China-UK Study Tour Pioneering Scheme. Organized in full-class cohorts, the visits will mark the first batch of British students taking part in immersive study tours across China.

To host them, 10 Chinese universities – including the University of International Business and Economics, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Beijing Institute of Technology and Fudan University – have jointly designed 13 tailored "Study Tour China" routes, combining academic courses with on-the-ground cultural and social experiences.

The program was officially unveiled at a launch event held on January 14 at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing. As the first flagship project under the World Study Tour Alliance initiative focusing specifically on China-UK youth exchanges, the scheme aims to move bilateral higher education cooperation beyond traditional one-way overseas study tours and short-term visits. Through a structured, credit-recognized study tour system, it seeks to promote two-way, in-depth academic and people-to-people engagement.

Initiated by the Chinese Service Center for Scholarly Exchange under the Ministry of Education, the program signals a new phase in China-UK higher education cooperation – one that is more systematic, institutionalized and mutually interactive.