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State Council education plan targets return of overseas graduates and international expansion
A new education development plan sets priorities for 2026–2030, including research collaboration, vocational education exports and the international Chinese language brand.
An education development plan issued by the State Council sets out how China intends to raise its international influence and competitiveness in education during the 15th Five-Year Plan period. The plan calls for deeper international exchange in basic research and encourages leading research universities to launch or join major global scientific initiatives.
On the inbound side, it prioritises the international Chinese language brand and the "Study in China" brand, and welcomes high-level foreign science and engineering universities to establish cooperative programmes in China. On the outbound side, it commits to improving services for Chinese students abroad while encouraging overseas graduates to return.
Separate data released by the Ministry of Education in April 2026 showed that more than 570,000 Chinese students pursued higher education overseas in 2025, with about 535,600 returning after completing their studies — a return rate of roughly 94%.
Sources
- China Daily https://www.chinadailyasia.com/upload/main/pdf/2026/07/06/ece99918122a15a7a1318a9bee4261d6.pdf