• UK–China Higher Education | TNE | Institutional Partnerships

    China Connected International Education supports UK and international universities with China strategy, Transnational Education (TNE), university partnerships, student recruitment and sustainable academic delivery in China.

    Our expert team specializes in developing tailored recruitment strategies that resonate with prospective Chinese students. We leverage in-depth market insights and innovative outreach methods to ensure your institution attracts and engages the right candidates for your programs. Strategic Student Recruitment What We Do China Connected International Education is here to enhance your institution's engagement with China, focusing on effective student recruitment and fostering institutional partnerships. Our tailored approach to Transnational Education (TNE) ensures that British universities can successfully navigate the opportunities in China’s dynamic educational landscape.

    China Engagement Strategy

    China Connected helps UK and international universities develop practical, sustainable and compliant China engagement strategies in a rapidly evolving higher education environment.

    Over the past three years, we have designed and delivered China strategies for more than 20 universities across the UK and Ireland, supporting market entry, re-engagement, expansion and portfolio diversification.

    Our work covers student recruitment, transnational education (TNE), UK–China university partnerships, research collaboration, industry engagement and government relations. We combine institutional strategy with deep knowledge of the Chinese higher education landscape, regulatory environment and local partnership ecosystem.

    Our approach is evidence-led, risk-aware and institution-specific. We help universities identify opportunities, assess risks, strengthen existing partnerships and develop new models of engagement that are commercially sustainable and academically credible.

    Whether you are entering China, reviewing your current presence or developing new TNE and academic partnerships, China Connected provides the China market intelligence, strategic advice and local relationships needed to move forward with confidence.

    We facilitate meaningful collaborations between British universities and Chinese institutions, fostering partnerships that enhance academic exchange and research opportunities. Our approach is designed to create long-lasting relationships that benefit all parties involved. Building Institutional Partnerships What We Do China Connected International Education is here to enhance your institution's engagement with China, focusing on effective student recruitment and fostering institutional partnerships. Our tailored approach to Transnational Education (TNE) ensures that British universities can successfully navigate the opportunities in China’s dynamic educational landscape.

    Navigating Transnational Education

    China Connected is a specialist UK–China Transnational Education (TNE) consultancy, supporting universities to develop, establish and strengthen joint programmes, joint institutes and overseas branch campuses in China.

    China is the world’s largest host country for UK higher education TNE, with 89,425 students studying UK TNE programmes in China in 2023–24, an increase of 79.6% over five years. The market continues to expand: in 2025, China’s Ministry of Education approved nearly 300 new Chinese-foreign cooperative education institutions and programmes at bachelor’s level and above.

    Drawing on hands-on experience of establishing, managing and delivering TNE in China, we provide end-to-end China TNE consultancy, including market and policy analysis, partner identification and due diligence, business case development, commercial negotiation, regulatory support, governance, quality assurance, staffing and operational delivery.

    Our UK–China Sustainable and Impact TNE Framework helps universities move beyond market entry towards sustainable partnerships built around academic quality, viable staffing models, student experience, institutional alignment and long-term partner relationships.

    Through our networks across Chinese universities, government, industry and investors, we connect institutional strategy with the practical realities of delivering UK higher education in China.

    With our comprehensive understanding of China’s educational landscape, we guide institutions through the complexities of Transnational Education (TNE). Our services ensure that you not only enter this dynamic market but thrive within it, maximizing your international impact. Navigating Transnational Education What We Do China Connected International Education is here to enhance your institution's engagement with China, focusing on effective student recruitment and fostering institutional partnerships. Our tailored approach to Transnational Education (TNE) ensures that British universities can successfully navigate the opportunities in China’s dynamic educational landscape.

    TNE Development and Delivery in China

    China Connected supports universities to deliver high-quality, financially sustainable transnational education (TNE) programmes in China.

    Drawing on decades of hands-on experience delivering academic programmes in China, our team supports institutions with curriculum delivery, subject teaching, English language provision, faculty development, student support and quality assurance.

    We help universities align delivery with Chinese Ministry of Education requirements and UK academic quality standards, while developing practical staffing and operating models that protect both student outcomes and financial sustainability.

    Our approach combines academic quality, regulatory compliance, culturally responsive teaching and efficient delivery, helping institutions build TNE programmes in China that are credible, scalable and sustainable over the long term.

  • Our Case Studies

    Real experiences from those we've assisted.

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    Foundation course centres in Beijing and Shanghai

    Recruitment pipelines

    Kingston University / Kingston School of Art – Shanghai

    In 2024, China Connected supported the establishment of a franchised foundation course centre for Kingston School of Art in central Shanghai, working with a local Chinese education partner.

    The centre was designed to create a sustainable student recruitment and progression pipeline to Kingston University, while strengthening Kingston’s wider presence in China. The partnership also provides a platform for future engagement in areas such as alumni relations, industry collaboration and institutional partnerships.

    London Global Education – Multi-city Foundation Provision

    Our strategic partner, London Global Education, delivers foundation programmes through partner universities and international schools across several Chinese cities. The model combines local delivery with progression opportunities to international higher education, with a projected 500 student enrolments over the next three years.

    Together, these projects demonstrate China Connected’s experience in developing UK university foundation programmes, teaching centres, student recruitment pathways and education partnerships in China.

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    Bespoke 2+2, UG-PG progression arrangements

    China Connected supports UK and international universities to develop 2+2 articulation agreements, undergraduate-to-postgraduate (UG–PG) progression pathways and other bespoke student progression partnerships with Chinese universities.

    Over the past three years, we have worked with institutions in China and overseas to create structured recruitment and progression routes that support international student mobility, sustainable enrolment pipelines and long-term institutional partnerships.

    Our UK and international university partners, or their international branch campuses and pathway providers, have included:

    University of York

    University of Portsmouth London

    Royal Holloway, University of London

    University of Chichester

    University of Southampton Malaysia

    INTO

    Study Group

    Our Chinese university network has included:

    Shanghai Lixin University of Accounting and Finance

    Fudan University

    Shanghai Jiao Tong University

    University of Electronic Science and Technology of China

    China University of Geosciences, Wuhan and Beijing

    Shenzhen Technology University

    Qingdao University

    Guizhou Normal University

    Guangdong University of Foreign Studies

    and other institutional partners across China

    These partnerships demonstrate China Connected’s experience in China student recruitment, university articulation agreements, 2+2 programmes, UG–PG progression and UK–China higher education partnership development.

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    TNE in China and wider Asia

    China Connected currently supports several Chinese universities, Singapore private higher education providers and UK universities to develop and deliver sustainable Transnational Education (TNE) partnerships.

    We provide end-to-end TNE consultancy, from partner identification, academic alignment and business model development through to negotiation, regulatory support, operational setup, quality assurance and ongoing partnership management.

    For UK universities, we support the development of franchise, validation and other collaborative provision models that balance academic quality, commercial viability and institutional risk.

    For Chinese universities and education groups, we help align UK TNE models (JEP, JEI) with Chinese regulatory requirements, governance structures, local student needs and long-term institutional strategy.

    Our support continues beyond initial approval. We advise on TNE staffing, faculty development, quality assurance, performance monitoring, partnership governance and relationship management, helping institutions build academically credible and financially sustainable international partnerships.

    Our TNE clients and partners have included:

    University of Southampton

    Chongqing University

    Kingston University

    Ulster University

    Kingston University

    Guizhou Normal University

    Shanghai Lixin University of Accounting and Finance

    University of Electronic Science and Technology of China

    South China Normal University

    Wuhan Technology and Business University

    Guilin Normal University

    Open University

    and other UK, Chinese and international higher education institutions

    Our work positions China Connected as a specialist UK–China TNE consultancy for university partnership development, joint educational programmes, joint educational institute, China market entry, quality assurance and sustainable TNE delivery.

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