On April 8, Vice President Li JIN of the Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) participated in the 2026 QS China Summit Presidential Roundtable in Shenzhen. 16 Presidents and vice presidents from the UK, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and China gathered to address pressing challenges and opportunities in global academic collaboration, with a particular focus on China’s evolving role.

As Ben Sowter, Senior Vice President of QS noted, over the past two decades, many of the world’s leading universities have developed significant dependencies on China through student mobility, research partnerships, and transnational education (TNE). With demographic shifts and policy changes reshaping global education landscapes, speakers emphasized the need for adaptable, long-term strategies.

Vice President Li JIN shared SUSTech’s global strategies. Despite being a young research university, SUSTech ranks 20th in the Nature Index, thanks to deep international collaboration. Li JIN noted that Chinese universities face both opportunities and challenges, including geopolitical shifts and population decline, which intensify competition for students. In response, we are now thinking about shifting from simply sending students abroad to co-educating students with other countries. The Chinese government actively welcomes international students to experience Chinese culture and economy. Li JIN emphasized that globalization requires exposure to multiple cultures, and the expanding presence of Chinese companies in Belt and Road countries and Africa creates tremendous opportunities for cross-border educational collaboration.

Presidents shared insights on barriers such as misaligned policies, institutional capacity, and geopolitical pressures. China’s emergence as a global education power offers new opportunities to distribute excellence beyond traditional Western hubs. “China’s openness, English-language offerings, and research transparency provide vital partnership avenues for emerging universities.” Others highlighted successful TNE models and called for policy alignment to sustain collaboration.

The discussion concluded that despite uncertainties, building resilient, mutually beneficial partnerships remains key to the future of global higher education.

Background:

The 2026 QS China Summit convenes over 500 university leaders, government officials, and business executives from globally. The summit aims to create a high-level international dialogue platform, foster industry-education integration, and enhance Sino-foreign cooperation. By strategically linking global quality resources, it will help elevate the international influence of Chinese universities and collectively shape a roadmap for high-quality development.