The Interim Measures Governing Universities and Colleges Engaged in Overseas Education have been adopted at the ministerial meeting on March 29, 2002, and are hereby promulgated and shall be implemented as of February 1, 2003.


The minister of the Ministry of Education: Chen Zhili

December 31, 2002

Interim Measures for the Administration of Universities and Colleges Engaged in Overseas Education

Article 1.The present measures are formulated to promote foreign exchange and cooperation in the sphere of Chinese education and regulate universities and colleges’ activities of running schools abroad.

Article 2.In the present measures, “universities and colleges engaged in overseas education” refers to the universities and colleges that establish, independently or jointly with the educational institutions and other social organizations that have the status of legal person and are acknowledged by the government of the country (region) where they are located, educational institutions abroad mainly for recruiting overseas citizens as students, or adopt other forms to engage in educational institution and teaching activities, to engage in diploma education, degree education and non-diploma higher education.

Article 3.The universities and colleges engaged in overseas education shall adhere to the policies of exploring actively, progressing steadily, doing according to their abilities, ensuring the quality, managing normatively and running school in accordance with the law.

Article 4.The universities and colleges engaged in overseas education shall be in conformity with relevant provisions of China, shall abide by the law and regulations of country (region) where they are located, shall obtain relevant legal qualifications and shall undertake relevant legal liabilities by themselves.

Article 5.The universities and colleges engaged in overseas education shall first establish the preponderant or distinctive studies in the sphere of Chinese higher education and take full account of the needs and the development features of country (region) where they are located. The state encourages universities and colleges to run schools abroad in a wider range of disciplinary fields.

Where universities and colleges engaged in overseas education confer Chinese diploma education and degrees, the establishment of specialties and schooling system shall be in conformity with relevant provisions of China, ensuring the quality and the standing credit of Chinese higher education.

Article 6.Where a university or college is engaged in undergraduate degree education or on a higher level, it shall file an application to the Ministry of Education upon check and approval by the people’s government or the administrative department of education of the provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government according to the relationship of subordination. The Ministry of Education shall make a decision of approval or disapproval within 30 days as of the acceptance of such an application.

Article 7.Where a university or college is engaged in professional training and non-diploma higher education, it shall file an application to the people’s government of the province, autonomous region, or municipality directly under the Central Government or the administrative department of education in charge, for check and approval. A decision of approval or disapproval shall be made within 30 days as of the acceptance of an application. Within 15 days as of the approval, the checking and approving organs shall report the approved documents to .....