Fujian’s “15th Five-Year Plan” education blueprint opens the door wider for Sino-foreign cooperative education
- On 24 August 2026, the Fujian provincial government printed and distributed the Fujian “15th Five-Year Plan” Education Development Plan (闽政〔2026〕24号), setting the 2030 goal that a strong-education-province foundation is further consolidated and a high-quality education system is basically completed.
2026年8月24日，福建省人民政府印发《福建省”十五五”教育发展规划》（闽政〔2026〕24号），提出到2030年教育强省建设基础进一步夯实、高质量教育体系基本建成的目标。
- The Plan explicitly supports localities and universities in introducing world-renowned universities to run Sino-foreign cooperative education institutions and programmes in Fujian, focusing on urgently needed, science-engineering-agriculture-medicine and cross-disciplinary frontier subjects, and supports Tianjin University’s Fuzhou International Joint College in establishing further cooperative institutions and programmes.
规划明确”鼓励境外高水平大学来闽设立中外合作办学机构和项目”，支持各地和高校引进世界知名大学，聚焦急需紧缺、理工农医、交叉前沿学科举办中外合作办学机构和项目；支持天津大学福州国际联合学院设立若干中外合作办学机构和项目。
- A dedicated “Sino-Foreign Cooperative Education Support Plan” is listed as a major project in the Plan’s special column on cross-strait education integration and high-level opening-up, alongside the “Future Maritime Silk Road Excellent Partners” plan and an “International Chinese Education Leading” plan.
规划在”推动闽台教育融合发展和教育高水平开放合作重大工程”专栏单列”中外合作办学支持计划”，与”未来海丝卓越伙伴”计划、”国际中文教育领航”计划并列。
- For Hong Kong and Macao institutions, the Plan promises support for high-quality higher-education resources from Hong Kong and Macao to land in Fujian and for joint talent-training programmes between Fujian and Hong Kong/Macao universities.
对港澳高校，规划提出”支持港澳优质高等教育资源落地福建，推进闽港澳高校人才联合培养项目”，并常态化开展闽港澳中小学姊妹校交流。
- For foreign universities and education investors, the Plan is a concrete provincial invitation: Fujian pairs its manufacturing and maritime economy with international higher education, opening a window for brand-name universities to enter through Fuzhou, Xiamen and the Pingtan experimental zone under China’s existing Sino-foreign cooperative education regulatory framework.
对外国大学与教育投资者而言，这是一份具体的省级邀请函：福建把制造业与海洋经济同国际高等教育对接，为知名大学在中国现有中外合作办学监管框架下经福州、厦门及平潭试验区进入提供了窗口。
Fujian’s “15th Five-Year Plan” education blueprint opens the door wider for Sino-foreign cooperative education | 福建”十五五”教育规划：中外合作办学的大门开得更宽
Overview
On 24 August 2026, the Fujian provincial government printed and distributed the Fujian “15th Five-Year Plan” Education Development Plan (《福建省”十五五”教育发展规划》, 闽政〔2026〕24号). Drafted under the national Education Development “15th Five-Year Plan” and Fujian’s own 15th Five-Year economic-and-social plan, the document sets the 2030 goal that the foundation for building Fujian into a strong education province is further consolidated and a high-quality education system is basically completed. For international education providers, the parts that matter most sit in the sections on deepening cross-strait education integration and raising the level of international opening-up in education.
Development goals for 2030
The Plan sets out targets including: pre-school three-year enrolment maintained above 99.5 per cent and public-kindergarten share above 65 per cent; nine-year compulsory-education consolidation kept above 99 per cent; and an explicit ambition that the level of Sino-foreign cooperative education rises markedly and Fujian’s education influence continues to expand. Higher education is expected to restructure its types, levels and layout, with discipline structures increasingly matched to the province’s modern industrial clusters and future industries — the context in which international partners are invited in.
The four tracks of education opening-up
The Plan organises Fujian’s international education agenda under four major projects in a special column on “Promoting the Integrated Development of Fujian-Taiwan Education and High-Level Opening-up of Education”:
1. Fujian-Taiwan education integration project (闽台教育融合发展工程). Universities are supported in recruiting students from Taiwan through multiple channels; single-recruitment for Taiwan students is to be expanded to all public undergraduate universities and quality higher-vocational colleges; high-quality Taiwan higher-education resources are to be introduced for cooperative education in Fujian; and Fujian-Taiwan characteristic discipline clusters and high-level research and innovation platforms are to be co-built.
2. Sino-foreign cooperative education support plan (中外合作办学支持计划). The Plan supports localities and universities in introducing world-renowned universities to establish Sino-foreign cooperative education institutions and programmes in Fujian, concentrating on disciplines that are urgently needed, aligned with national strategy and regional development, spanning science, engineering, agriculture and medicine, and at the frontier of cross-disciplinary fields. It also supports Tianjin University Fuzhou International Joint College in establishing a number of cooperative education institutions and programmes. The existing college — a milestone project between Tianjin University and the city of Fuzhou — is treated as a platform to be scaled rather than a one-off.
3. “Future Maritime Silk Road Excellent Partners” plan (未来海丝卓越伙伴计划). Fujian will keep building the “21st Century Maritime Silk Road” university alliance, improve the Chinese-foreign dual-supervisor talent-cultivation mechanism, advance international industry-university-research co-operation, deepen the “Study in Fujian — Excellent International Summer School” programme, and expand exchanges with universities, research institutes and enterprises in friendly provinces, states and sister cities.
4. “International Chinese Education Leading” plan (国际中文教育领航计划). Fujian will strengthen its international Chinese education and study-in-China alliances, support universities in building smart Chinese-learning platforms and localised teaching resources, promote the transformation of Confucius Institutes towards “language services + professional domains”, and co-ordinate international Chinese education with overseas Chinese-language education.
Alongside these four projects, the Plan separately commits to bringing Hong Kong and Macao into the picture: “support high-quality higher-education resources from Hong Kong and Macao to land in Fujian, advance Fujian-Hong Kong/Macao joint talent-training projects at universities”, expand teacher visits to Hong Kong and Macao for study and research, and routinise sister-school exchanges between Fujian and Hong Kong/Macao primary and secondary schools.
Regulatory context for foreign entrants
Sino-foreign cooperative education in China operates under the Regulations on Sino-Foreign Cooperative Education (2003) and its implementation rules, administered by the Ministry of Education at the national level for institution-establishment, with programme-level approvals also handled by provincial education departments within delegated authority. Fujian’s Plan does not change the national framework; it signals provincial demand and prioritisation — a necessary ingredient for a successful application, since provincial recommendation and support materially smooth the approval process. The Tianjin University Fuzhou International Joint College precedent shows the “famous Chinese university + overseas partner” or “Chinese university-led, overseas partner-in” model that the province prefers to scale.
What this means for foreign universities and investors
- A provincial-level demand signal. Provinces compete to attract top international education brands; Fujian has now written Sino-foreign cooperative education expansion into its statutory five-year plan, with an explicit support plan and named platform (Tianjin University Fuzhou International Joint College). Foreign universities evaluating a China campus should treat Fujian as an actively recruiting destination.
- Discipline focus is defined. Needed fields are “urgently needed, aligned with national strategy and regional development, science-engineering-agriculture-medicine and cross-disciplinary frontier”. Maritime, new-energy, digital-economy, healthcare and advanced-manufacturing-linked programmes are natural fits given Fujian’s industrial base.
- The “university-led” platform model is favoured. Rather than brand-new greenfield campuses alone, the province favours established Chinese universities (e.g. Tianjin University in Fuzhou) adding overseas partners and programmes — a lower-risk entry model for foreign institutions than sole establishment.
- Hong Kong and Macao universities have a fast lane. The explicit commitment to Hong Kong/Macao higher-education resources and joint programmes reflects the Greater Bay Area-style deepening of cross-border education co-operation and gives Hong Kong and Macao institutions a clearly articulated provincial invitation.
- Taiwan-channel caution. Foreign institutions should be mindful that Fujian’s Taiwan-facing education agenda operates within the relevant cross-strait arrangements; for non-Chinese universities, the main practical relevance is the province’s overall openness posture and its competition for international partners.
Practical steps
- For universities considering a China campus: engage the Fujian provincial education department early to test feasibility, and review the Tianjin University Fuzhou International Joint College model as a template.
- Identify a Chinese university partner with complementary strengths; Sino-foreign cooperative education institutions require a Chinese partner institution by regulation.
- Align proposed disciplines with Fujian’s industrial clusters (maritime economy, advanced manufacturing, digital economy, healthcare) to strengthen the provincial-support case.
- For programme-level entry, confirm whether the intended programme requires Ministry of Education or provincial approval and prepare the feasibility, curriculum, faculty and quality-assurance documents accordingly.
- Monitor Fujian’s implementation measures and any provincial catalogue or application guidance that follows the Plan during late 2026.
Sources
- 福建省人民政府 — 关于印发《福建省”十五五”教育发展规划》的通知（闽政〔2026〕24号，全文）: https://www.fujian.gov.cn/zwgk/zxwj/szfwj/202608/t20260828_7206084.htm
- 福建省人民政府 — 《福建省”十五五”教育发展规划》政策解读: https://fujian.gov.cn/jdhy/zcjd/202608/t20260828_7206086.htm
- 福州新闻网 — 福建印发”十五五”教育发展规划 到2030年普高招生计划比例力争达八成: https://news.fznews.com.cn/dsxw/20260830/6a9384b95dc47.shtml
Related reading
- see also: how foreign universities enter China — Sino-foreign cooperative education pathways (sino-foreign-cooperative-education-pathways)
- see also: Hainan’s international education island experiment (356-hainan-international-education)
福建”十五五”教育规划：中外合作办学的大门开得更宽
概述
2026年8月24日，福建省人民政府印发《福建省”十五五”教育发展规划》（闽政〔2026〕24号）。规划依据国家《教育发展”十五五”规划》与《福建省国民经济和社会发展第十五个五年规划纲要》制定，提出到2030年教育强省建设基础进一步夯实、高质量教育体系基本建成的目标。对国际教育机构而言，最值得关注的内容集中在”深化闽台教育融合发展、提升国际教育开放合作水平”部分。
2030年发展目标
规划提出的目标包括：学前三年入园率保持在99.5%以上、公办园在园幼儿占比达到65%以上；九年义务教育巩固率保持在99%以上；并明确提出中外合作办学层次明显提升、福建教育影响力持续扩大。高等教育要在类型、层次、布局上持续优化，学科专业结构与全省现代化产业集群和未来产业体系更加适配——这正是邀请国际伙伴进入的背景。
教育对外开放的四条跑道
规划在”推动闽台教育融合发展和教育高水平开放合作重大工程”专栏下，用四个重大工程组织福建的国际教育议程：
一、闽台教育融合发展工程。 支持高校多渠道开展对台招生，推动对台单招扩大至全省公办本科高校及优质高职院校；引进台湾优质高等教育资源来闽合作办学，共建闽台特色专业群和高水平科研创新平台。
二、中外合作办学支持计划。 规划”支持各地和高校引进世界知名大学，聚焦符合国家战略和区域发展的急需紧缺、理工农医、交叉前沿的学科专业，来闽举办中外合作办学机构和项目”，并”支持天津大学福州国际联合学院设立若干中外合作办学机构和项目”。这所天津大学与福州市共建的标志性学院被当作可放大的平台，而非一次性项目。
三、”未来海丝卓越伙伴”计划。 持续建设”21世纪海上丝绸之路”大学联盟，完善中外双导师育人机制，推进国际产学研用合作，深入实施”留学福建—卓越国际暑校”项目，深化与友好省州友城所在国高校、科研院所和企业的交流合作。
四、”国际中文教育领航”计划。 加强”福建省国际中文教育暨来华留学联盟”等建设，支持高校打造中文智慧学习平台、开发本土化教学资源，推动孔子学院向”语言服务+专业领域”高质量发展，推动国际中文教育与海外华文教育协同发展。
在这四个项目之外，规划把港澳单独写入：“支持港澳优质高等教育资源落地福建，推进闽港澳高校人才联合培养项目”，加大骨干教师赴港澳访学研修选派力度，常态化开展闽港澳中小学姊妹校交流。
外资进入的监管背景
中国的中外合作办学适用《中外合作办学条例》（2003年）及其实施办法：设立机构由教育部在国家层面审批，项目层面在授权范围内也由省级教育部门办理。福建规划不改变国家框架，它释放的是省级需求与优先级信号——这是申请成功的关键要素之一，因为省级推荐与支持能实质性地畅通审批流程。天津大学福州国际联合学院的先例说明，福建偏好放大”国内名校牵头、海外伙伴加入”的模式。
对外国大学与投资者的意义
- 省级需求信号明确。 各省都在争抢顶级国际教育品牌；福建已把扩大中外合作办学写入法定五年规划，并配以专门支持计划和具名平台（天津大学福州国际联合学院）。评估中国校区的海外大学，应把福建视为积极招引的目的地。
- 学科方向已划定。 急需紧缺、服务国家战略与区域发展、理工农医、交叉前沿是关键词。结合福建产业基础，海洋、新能源、数字经济、医疗健康与先进制造相关专业天然契合。
- 偏好”名校牵头”平台模式。 相比纯新建校园，福建更青睐既有国内高校（如福州的天大联合学院）叠加海外伙伴与项目——对外国院校而言，这是比独立设校风险更低的进入模式。
- 港澳高校有快车道。 对港澳高等教育资源与联合培养项目的明确承诺，呼应大湾区式跨境教育合作深化，为港澳院校提供了清晰的省级邀请。
- 涉台渠道需注意边界。 外国机构应注意，福建对台教育议程在相关两岸安排框架内运作；对非中国大学而言，主要实际意义在于福建整体开放姿态及其对国际伙伴的竞争。
实务建议
- 考虑在华设校的大学：尽早对接福建省教育厅测试可行性，研究天津大学福州国际联合学院模式作为模板。
- 寻找学科互补的中国合作高校——依条例中外合作办学机构必须有中国合作方。
- 使拟设学科对接福建产业集群（海洋经济、先进制造、数字经济、医疗健康），以强化省级支持论证。
- 项目级进入时，确认拟办项目需教育部还是省级审批，并据此准备可行性、课程、师资与质量保障材料。
- 跟踪福建实施办法及2026年下半年规划后续出台的省级目录或申报指引。
来源
- 福建省人民政府 — 关于印发《福建省”十五五”教育发展规划》的通知（闽政〔2026〕24号，全文）: https://www.fujian.gov.cn/zwgk/zxwj/szfwj/202608/t20260828_7206084.htm
- 福建省人民政府 — 《福建省”十五五”教育发展规划》政策解读: https://fujian.gov.cn/jdhy/zcjd/202608/t20260828_7206086.htm
- 福州新闻网 — 福建印发”十五五”教育发展规划 到2030年普高招生计划比例力争达八成: https://news.fznews.com.cn/dsxw/20260830/6a9384b95dc47.shtml
相关阅读
- 见：外国大学如何进入中国——中外合作办学路径（sino-foreign-cooperative-education-pathways）
- 见：海南国际教育创新岛试验（356-hainan-international-education）