the Division of Global Communications to visitZJU campus. During his visit he interacted with many students and facultymembers on Zijingang Campus and Haining International Campus. This is the firstarticle he wrote about his impression of the University.

The consensus is unequivocal. Javid, Maddelena andXihang Wu are effusing about their experiences of student life at ZhejiangUniversity’s hugely impressive Haining International Campus, which was openedin 2016 and is setting a revolutionary new template for modern academia.

“It is unique here,” says 23-year-old Javid, who isfrom Azerbaijan and in his second year of a Masters in China Study. “Everythingwas taken into consideration when they made this international campus; thefacilities are really modern and designed in a way that supports our academicand social life. People from anywhere in the world can feel at home here.”

The students reference a huge library, a gym, amusic room, reading rooms and a growing extracurricular network as they discussthe merits of their environment, and Maddelena, who has studied Chineselanguage and culture and is an exchange student from Italy, asserts “it is veryeasy to live here, everything has been provided”.

Conversation turns to their education and the praiseis ratcheted up a notch. “I’m Chinese and I came here to one of the top-rankeduniversities in the country because of the double degree award programs,”reveals Xihang. “I always believe that if you challenge yourself more you willget more opportunities. This campus has given me many opportunities. I feel weare given the chance to chase our dreams here, and maybe become the leaders ofthe future.”

Maddelena adds that she feels more challenged thanever before. “Here we are engaged in more discussions and we read manydifferent scholars’ opinions. It gives me the ability to engage in a widerdebate and to support my ideas - it is also preparing me for life outside ofuniversity.”

Ground-breaking partnerships between Zhejiang andsome of the world’s top universities are helping to make Zhejiang the mostattractive university in China for global education talents in China. Theinternational campus is host to Zhejiang University-University of IllinoisUrbana-Champaign Institute and Zhejiang University-University of EdinburghInstitute.

“What we offer students here is unique; the courses,the education and the residential college. This is a whole new education model,the collaboration between top universities and internationalisation. We arebringing new ideas together from different cultures in our partnership,” saysEr’ping Li, Dean of ZJU-UIUC Institute.  

“Our collaboration is a two-university partnership for undergraduate andgraduates. Undergraduates can attain two degrees - one from ZJU and one fromUoI. We have jointly developed new educational programs and models, so we havecourses here that are unique to this partnership. The future is challenging, itdoesn’t work just to solve a problem in one area, you have to understand morethan one area to really solve a problem. So, the students follow amulti-disciplinary program, instead of a single pathway. We are training thestudents for future requirements.”

Students at ZJU are also likely to find they could benefit from China’seconomic strength and appetite for innovation, according to Professor SusanWelburn, Executive Dean of Zhejiang University-University of EdinburghInstitute.

“If you want a good quality education in a safe, vibrant environment, andespecially if you want to be an innovator, then China is a really interestingplace to come,” she says. “There are city deals everywhere in China, so if youdo have a good idea in your final year or your post-graduate education thenthere is money available for you to take that idea and work with thatinnovative concept. That is very attractive for a large proportion of thestudents who come here, and we aim to be an incubator for developing theevolution of young people.”

Reflecting on the opportunities offered at ZhejiangUniversity, Professor Welburn said: “If I had the chance now, I would studyhere! Being able to study at two of the best universities in the world andbeing able to have an immersive experience in a different culture while you arestudying, I think that is an incredible opportunity for both sides - for thestudents who want to come here and engage in an international setting and alsofor international students who want to come out with a four-year degree and animmersive experience in China with fluency in mandarin. What is not to like?And if you want to be a player in global innovation and research, you can’tignore the rise of China.”