International Exchange and Cooperation at GXU

Guangxi University is actively advancing its internationalization development agenda by deepening connections with ASEAN nations and fostering a global perspective. Strategically, GXU is enhancing its global presence to facilitate international exchanges and collaborations. Through extensive partnerships with universities in ASEAN countries, Guangxi University is engaged in various domains such as faculty and student exchanges, talent development, research cooperation, and collaborative educational programs. These efforts have led to the establishment of academic cooperation agreements with 285 universities and academic institutions across 48 countries and regions worldwide. Particularly, the university maintains close partnerships with 99 universities and academic institutions in the ten ASEAN member countries, further enriching its international engagement.

In September 2023, Guangxi University forged a collaborative agreement with the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, a prestigious institution under the Vietnam National University, Hanoi.

In January 2024, a memorandum of understanding for cooperation was signed with Chulalongkorn University.

In the past five years, Guangxi University has signed 46 friendly agreements with overseas universities and institutions, adding 22 new partner institutions. A total of 767 faculty members were sent to high-level universities abroad for academic pursuits, short-term further training, and academic exchanges. Additionally, 1347 students participated in long and short-term exchange programs overseas. GXU hosted 515 delegations comprising 2086 individuals from foreign universities and research institutions for visits, exchanges, and lectures. Furthermore, 125 foreign experts and teachers were hired, including two Nobel Prize laureates and one Fields Medalist, appointed as honorary professors. The university has also systematically developed cooperative programs with foreign institutions and inter-school exchange projects, enrolling a total of 567 students.

In 2024, the Governor of Kumamoto Prefecture, Ikuo Kabashima, visited Guangxi University accompanied by the beloved mascot, Kumamon. They engaged warmly with faculty and students during the visit.

In 2024, the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) and the Sino-German Science Center (CDZ), as well as the Sino-German Science Center of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) visited Guangxi University.

In 2021, In 2021, Guangxi University was granted specific authority by the State Council to handle approval for outbound and inbound foreign affairs visits. GXU witnessed a notable increase in the number of international students, surging from over 1700 in 2017 to exceeding 2200 by 2022, with academic students constituting approximately 55% of the total. Currently, Guangxi University hosts 827 registered international students and students from Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan, representing 44 different countries and regions. Notably, there are 581 students from ASEAN countries, including 176 from Vietnam, 186 from Thailand, 111 from Laos, 20 from Myanmar, 21 from Indonesia, 57 from Cambodia, 6 from Malaysia, and 4 from the Philippines.

Students from Guangxi University participated in the 2023 China-ASEAN Education Exchange Week

International students are immersing themselves in the culinary traditions of Guangxi by learning to prepare the local delicacy known as Guilin oil tea.

In 2022, GXU’s School of Civil Engineering and Architecture achieved national recognition as the “Innovation and Talent Introduction Base for Major Civil Engineering Structures’ Lifespan Safety and Durability in the New Western Land-Sea Corridor,” accredited by the State Council. Simultaneously, the university gained approval from the Ministry of Education to participate in the “Sino-Foreign High-Level University Student Exchange Program,” establishing new collaborative student training initiatives with the University of New South Wales and Macquarie University in Australia. Additionally, the GXU’s Confucius Institute, jointly established with Suan Dusit University in Thailand, received acclaim as an “Outstanding Examination Center for HSK Chinese Proficiency Test.”

For six consecutive years, the China-ASEAN University Think Tank Alliance has held its annual forum, gradually expanding the university's influence in ASEAN countries. In 2022, the “Guangxi University International Cooperation and Exchange Camp” seamlessly integrated online and offline activities. These encompassed thematic lectures on “Foreign Affairs Knowledge,” “International Exchange and Cooperation in the Post-Pandemic Era,” and “Briefing Sessions on Short-Term Overseas Programs.” GXU also hosted the “Overseas Master Lecture Hall,” featuring insights from 20 esteemed international experts to an audience of nearly 4000.

Additionally, student engagement initiatives such as the “Charm Exhibition of China and 10 ASEAN Countries” and a poster design competition drew over 500 participants. The university also took the lead in organizing two international conferences: the “2022 International Symposium on the Use of Biological Resources Protection and Utilization” and the “2022 International Cooperation Seminar on Green Building and the New Western Land-Sea Corridor,” both sponsored by the Ministry of Education’s School Planning and Construction Development Center.

Furthering international collaboration, GXU held productive video conferences with institutions including the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at Vietnam National University, Hanoi, and the Supreme People’s Procuratorate of Laos. In addition, GXU actively participated in online commemorative activities marking the 40^th anniversary of friendly relations between Guangxi and Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan. This included trilateral forums for Chinese, Japanese, and Thai university students, the 2022 China-ASEAN Environmental Cooperation Forum, and virtual youth exchanges with Kumamoto Gakuen University in Japan. Guangxi University has seen improvement in rankings from QS, US News, and Times, rising from the 1200+ range in 2017 to the 1000+ range in 2022.

In 2006, Mr. Banhan Sinlapa-acha, the 21^st Prime Minister of Thailand, inaugurated the Confucius Institute of Suphanburi.

In 2023, the Joint Conference of Directors of the Confucius Institute was convened at Suan Dusit University in Thailand.

In 2023, GXU successfully hosted the International Arch Bridge Conference, the Academic Forum on “Finance and Development,” the 28th Annual Meeting of ISO/TC71 (Technical Committee of the International Organization for Standardization on “Concrete, Reinforced Concrete, and Prestressed Concrete”), and the Guangxi Sub-conference of the International Conference on Maritime Silk Road Cooperation. GXU also organized the First Guangxi University China-ASEAN Regional Cooperation and Development Forum, which saw the participation of 630 domestic and international delegates. Among them were 71 experts and scholars from ASEAN countries and Belt and Road Initiative countries. During the forum, several platforms were established, including the China-ASEAN International Chinese Education Alliance, the Smart Green Canal Big Data Platform, the China-ASEAN Political Party Governance Theory and Experience Academic Research Platform, the China-ASEAN Economic and Trade Financial Cooperation Exchange Platform, the China-ASEAN Business Cooperation and Low-Carbon Development Exchange Platform, the China-ASEAN Mathematics Exchange and Cooperation Platform, and the China-ASEAN Legal Exchange and Cooperation Platform. These initiatives aimed to advance projects such as the China-ASEAN Corpus, the China-ASEAN Legal Database and Online Retrieval Platform, and the ASEAN Law Determination Center, further enhancing cooperation within the China-ASEAN University (Country and Regional Studies) Think Tank Alliance. Moreover, GXU successfully hosted the “Contemporary World Forum: Harmony for Shared Prosperity,” organized by the International Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China. The event saw the participation of over 600 delegates, including political parties, think tanks, media representatives, business leaders, and student representatives from more than 30 countries. In the same period, GXU also held the “Harmony for Shared Prosperity and Joint Journey to Success” cultural exchange event for Chinese and foreign youth. Following the forum, GXU, together with the International Exchange Center of the International Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and Contemporary World magazine, jointly hosted the “Harmony for Shared Prosperity Youth Art Works,” receiving a total of 3022 submissions from students representing over 40 universities in ASEAN countries and Belt and Road Initiative countries.

2023 Chinese New Year’s Eve Diner for International Students and Teachers of  Guangxi University

Thai foreign teachers from GXU were invited to attend the 2024 New Year Symposium for Foreign Experts convened by Prime Minister Li Qiang.

In 2024, Mr. Ikuo Kabashima, Governor of Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan, visited Guangxi University to deliver a lecture titled “Dreams Amid Adversity” to faculty and students. In March, GXU successfully organized the China-Japan-Korea-ASEAN “Young Ambassadors” Exchange Program (YAP2024), with 500 students from China, Japan, Korea, and ASEAN countries participating. Moreover, the university also successfully hosted the 8^th International Conference on Structural Fire Engineering Applications in 2024.

GXU hosted the China-Japan-Korea-ASEAN “Young Ambassadors” Exchange Program (YAP2024)