The International Office and the School of International Education serves as the key administrative bodies for international exchange and cooperation, foreign affairs management and international education at the university. They oversee the execution of Chinese-foreign cooperative education programs and the university’s overseas education initiatives. Their responsibilities extend to managing government-sponsored overseas business trips, studies and short-term training opportunities for international students. Additionally, they handle the recruitment and daily management of international students, as well as the teaching workload. They are also tasked with the recruitment and management of both long-term and short-term foreign faculty and experts. They provide language training and support services for Chinese students pursuing overseas studies. Furthermore, their purview includes managing foreign affairs related to international conferences organized by the university, as well as affairs concerning the university’s engagement with Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan.
The university has forged partnerships with 75 esteemed institutions across 23 countries and regions, including prestigious names such as the National University of Singapore, the University of California, Los Angeles in the United States, Technological University of the Shannon - Midlands Midwest in Ireland, the University of Pau in France, and Oita University in Japan. Through these collaborations, the university has launched over ten inter-institutional exchange programs and established the Spanish Center of Jianghan University’s Hispania Spanish School. One of the university’s flagship initiatives is the Bachelor Degree Program in Graphic and Digital Design, a joint venture with Technological University of the Shannon - Midlands Midwest in Ireland. This program operates on a 3-plus-1 model, where students spend three years at Jianghan University and the final year at Technological University of the Shannon-Midlands Midwest. The two universities have collaboratively designed a cutting-edge talent development curriculum, thereby integrating an advanced educational framework and utilizing state-of-the-art, English-medium textbooks for core professional courses. These courses are delivered by a team of seasoned and distinguished faculty from Technological University of the Shannon-Midlands Midwest, ensuring that students receive a traditional higher education experience enriched with the innovative and high-quality educational approach of their Irish partner. This unique program aims to cultivate top-tier, internationally-minded, and competitive professionals with a global perspective. As of November 2024, it has attracted 386 students.
The university has seen a consistent rise in the number of its teaching and research staff engaging in international activities aboard, with a concurrent enhancement in the caliber of these exchanges. To date, over 500 faculty members have been dispatched abroad for participation in international conferences, further studies, academic visits, scientific research, subject competitions, overseas jobs, group visits, and study tours. The destinations of these educational journeys are predominantly in European and American nations, with a focus on countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and France. These experiences have not only broadened the international horizons of the university’s faculty but have also led to a “refreshing” of their teaching methodologies. Concurrently, the university’s international standing has been markedly elevated, reflecting a commitment to global engagement and the pursuit of academic excellence on the world stage.
In recent years, the diversity of student groups traveling abroad for exchange and study programs has grown, with the number of participants exceeding 1,000. Some of them had the opportunity to visit and engage with some of the most prestigious universities globally, including Harvard University, Yale University, and Stanford University in the United States, the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom, the National University of Singapore, and the University of Hong Kong. The faculty has also been particularly active in international sports events, like the Long Beach Dragon Boat Festival and the International University Dragon Boat Championship in the United States, as well as the Uganda Dragon Boat Race, where they have achieved a remarkable feat by winning the championship three years in a row.
The university has welcomed a vibrant influx of 44 short-term study and exchange groups in recent years, hailing from a diverse array of countries including Sweden, Mexico, Japan, and South Korea, and totaling over 1,000 participants. These groups have enriched the campus with their presence and cultural exchanges. Among the many visiting groups, there are the Academic Exchange and Cultural Experience Delegation from Borlänge, Sweden, the Acupuncture Study Program for international students from Mexico, the Chinese Culture Training Class for students from Japan and the China-Korea International Youth Wushu Cultural Exchange Conference. Notably, the university has consistently organized the Chinese Language Training Class for students from Cheongju City in South Korea for 17 consecutive sessions. This initiative has seen over 400 South Korean students visit Jianghan University for exchange and study, yielding impressive outcomes and solidifying a strong foundation for the evergreen friendship among the sister cities of Wuhan and Cheongju.
The university prides itself on being among the leading institutions in Hubei Province for recruiting long-term foreign faculty members, with a growing roster of short-term visiting foreign experts. In 2024, 18 long-term foreign experts were employed from esteemed countries like the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, boasting an impressive academic background with 5 holding doctoral degrees and 5 possessing master’s degrees. Some distinguished international faculty have been recognized with prestigious awards at the municipal level and above, reflecting their dedication and excellence. For example, Professor Sara Platto, an Italian expert, was honored with the Friendship Award from the Chinese Government and the Knight of the Order of the Star of Italy. French teachers Jean-Pierre Fouilleul (Zhang Fuyue) and Inès Ricordel (Ying Laisi) received the prestigious “Huanghe (Yellow Crane) Friendship Award” from Wuhan City. On May 9, Wuhan’s first “Foreign Experts’ Book House” was opened at Jianghan University’s International Cultural Exchange Activity Center. This initiative aims to provide a comfortable reading environment and convenient borrowing services for foreign experts and their families residing in Wuhan, as well as for the international faculty and students on campus, fostering a sense of community and intellectual engagement.
Since 2014, Jianghan university has taken pride in successfully organizing numerous large-scale international academic conferences that span a diverse array of disciplines, including photoelectrochemistry, data envelopment analysis, big data, urban circle manufacturing, legal education, and non-profit organizations. These prestigious events have attracted experts from a global spectrum of countries, such as the United States, Canada, Germany, Austria, Finland, Switzerland, Greece, France, New Zealand, and Australia, amassing a total of over 1,500 participants.
The university is currently home to 186 international students who are pursuing academic degrees across four major disciplines: Clinical Medicine, International Economics and Trade, Business Administration, and Electronic Information. These students represent 22 countries, including Algeria, Pakistan, Equatorial Guinea, and France. Among them, 184 are undergraduate students, while 2 are engaged in postgraduate studies. In 2024, the university welcomed 68 international students pursuing academic qualifications, along with 15 non-degree students from “Belt and Road” countries. These international students have been actively involved in university competitions, achieving remarkable success. In recent years, they have secured the second place in the finals of the prestigious “SFLEP Cup” National College Students’ Cross-cultural Competence Contest and were honored with the “Cultural Envoy Award”. Additionally, they have clinched the grand prize in the Hubei area and the second prize in the national competition.
To foster the internationalization of talent development and enhance the global character of its unique educational offerings, the university is committed to creating a multicultural campus environment. Over recent years, it has organized more than 30 lectures on intangible cultural heritage on campus, featuring traditional Hubei ballads (Xiao Qu), Chu Opera, and kite-making, which have engaged over 1,000 Chinese and international faculty students. The university has also successfully hosted seven editions of the Jianghan University International Cultural Festival, a flagship event of the “Studying at Jianghan University” initiative. This festival has drawn the participation of hundreds of Chinese and international teachers and students, further enriching the campus's cultural tapestry. In the realm of sports and cultural competitions, the university has fielded teams of Chinese and international students in the third Sports & Cultural Tour for Oversea Students in China (Hubei Area). These teams have achieved commendable results, securing third place in the 3V3 basketball competition, sixth place in orienteering, eighth place in the sports art exhibition, and third overall in the team standings. They also represented Hubei Province in the southeast regional competition of this event. Furthermore, the university has facilitated the participation of international faculty and students in community events such as the Mid-Autumn Festival gathering in Wuhan and the My Years in Wuhan--Expatriates’ Story Sharing Session. These initiatives have not only contributed to the high-quality development of Wuhan but have also been widely praised by various sectors of society, highlighting the university's role in bridging cultures and fostering global understanding.
Guided by the principle of “Global Vision, Open Cooperation, and Win-win Development”, the International Office and the School of International Education at Jianghan University considers it their mission to support the new era’s educational openness and the Belt and Road Initiative. They are dedicated to harmonizing high-level international engagement, both in attracting global perspectives and in encouraging Chinese faculty and students to go abroad, with the goal of nurturing international talents. They focus on establishing the “Studying at Jianghan University” brand, working diligently to enhance the quality and efficiency of the university’s international exchanges and cooperation. Continuously striving to elevate the university’s internationalization level and global competitiveness, they are committed to propelling Jianghan University towards becoming a high-level urban university with first-class disciplinary excellence.