Leicester announces international campus

The University of Leicester’s foreign campus in China is set to open in September and will offer dual degrees for UK students spending one year in China as well as for Chinese students studying in Dalian.

The Chinese Ministry of Education has announced its approval for the ‘Leicester International Institute, Dalian University of Technology’ to be established on the Panjin campus of Dalian University of Technology. Students will study for dual degrees in Maths, Chemistry and Mechanical Engineering from University of Leicester and Dalian University of Technology.

Dalian University of Technology is ranked among the ‘Ivy League’ of Chinese universities, being included in both of the Chinese government’s prestigious ‘211’ and ‘985’ rankings of elite institutions.

The joint institute will provide students with the scholarship and skills to equip them for lifetime careers as leaders in industry and academia.

‘Leicester International Institute, Dalian University of Technology’ will be housed in a brand new campus with state-of-the-art labs and facilities.

The Chinese students will have the opportunity to take part of their degree in Leicester, and UK students in Leicester will have the chance to have a year or more of their degree in China.

Recruitment is underway for a September 2017 launch, and as the number of students builds over the next few years, over 10% of Leicester’s undergraduates will be educated in Dalian.

The new campus is part of the international ambition of Leicester’s President and Vice-Chancellor Professor Paul Boyle: 

“Leicester and Dalian have chosen to work together because of our shared global standing, and our belief in research and learning excellence. As world-class research-intensive universities we will build collaborative research groups that will underpin exciting new discoveries.

“Our students will have an opportunity to gain dual degrees from two leading universities. Leicester is committed to international excellence and making an impact on the global stage. We aim to ensure that our students – wherever they are – benefit from a truly internationalised approach to their learning.”

Welcoming the new alliance, President Guo from Dalian University of Technology, said: “This initiative will succeed because we will only recruit the very brightest students.  We chose to work with Leicester because of their research reputation – our partnership will be strong because it is based on powerful research collaboration.”

Professor Boyle visited Dalian to formally launch the partnership, which received extensive press coverage in China.