Internationalization of Education

Taking the Belt and Road Initiative and the strategy of strong transportation network for China as the opportunity to foster a world-class and international talent cultivation environment, the School of Civil Engineering (SCE) has a solid foundation for the internationalization of education and teaching through innovation of educational ideas, the enhancement of the internationalization of teachers and teaching resources, the building of key teaching & research platforms, the diversified bases for internship and practice, and the improvement of a service system for education management.

By close cooperation with the talent cultivation management team and faculty, we have set up the working group for foreign student management and student volunteers service team to help foreign students adapt to the studying and living in SWJTU. SCE has built a "2+3" international joint laboratory and research center, namely, the China-Indonesia High Speed Rail Technology Joint Research Center, China-CELAC (Comunidad de Estados Latinoamericanos y Caribefios) Rail Transit Joint Laboratory, the China-Russia Frozen Soil Research Center, China-Japan RSC Structure Research Center, and BIM Engineering Research Center of SWJTU. At the same time, we have signed the joint training agreement with nearly 40 well-known universities around the world to provide a broad platform for students to study abroad and for international exchanges.

1. Education for International Students

The education of international students is based on the advantage in infrastructure of rail transit of SCE, and with the service goal of "Global SWJTU, universal transportation knowledge", the education for international students has been expanded, the quality improved and the structure optimized, contributing to the general work of educating international students in China in the field of transportation and civil engineering.

At present, nearly 100 international students are admitted in SCE every year, including bachelor's, master's degree and doctoral degree. The students mainly come from Vietnam, Pakistan, Nepal, Indonesia, Algeria and other Asian, African and Latin American countries, and a few from Spain and other European countries. There are 6 second-level disciplines under Civil Engineering such as Road and Railway Engineering, Bridge and Tunnel Engineering and Structural Engineering for international students. The high-caliber teaching staff, active academic exchanges and diverse student activities have created a broad platform for international students to learn and communicate in a broader space for their development.

The number of international students in the past five years

Freshmen orientation for international students

Following the Belt and Road Initiative and undertaking the "Foreign assistance program of higher education degree and diploma of the Ministry of Commerce" and classes for master's degree of "The Chinese Government Scholarship–Silk Road Program", we have trained 40 overseas students from Belt and Road participating countries in the past three years. In 2018, the Ethiopia undergraduate class enrolled more than 40 students.

Colorful lives of international students

2. Further study and international exchange of local students

In the past five years, we have fostered cooperation relationship based on students’ education and exchange visits with nearly 40 world-famous universities. The number of students going abroad for further study, co-education, short-term exchanges and international conferences have increased year by year. We also have held groundbreaking cross-cultural exchange activities to encourage undergraduates and postgraduates to participate in international competitions, and some have participated in ASCE steel bridge and concrete canoe competition for many times, achieving good results.

Number of overseas exchange students in the past five years

Destinations for students studying abroad in the past five years

Concrete canoe competition

3. Internationalization of teaching staff

Nearly 150 teachers of SCE have more than one year of overseas academic visiting experience, and more than 20 of them have obtained overseas degrees. In addition, we have hired 20 well-known overseas experts and scholars as honorary professors or guest professors who give lectures in English. SCE gives strong supports to lectures given by overseas famous professors. Every year, dozens of well-known overseas experts and scholars give cutting-edge academic lectures and seminars for students.