International Education
Leadership Institute
at Girton College, University of Cambridge
Strategic leadership in international education — delivered in collaboration with Girton College, University of Cambridge.
at Girton College, University of Cambridge
Strategic leadership in international education — delivered in collaboration with Girton College, University of Cambridge.
About the Program
Chinese universities are navigating one of the most consequential periods in the history of international education.
This one-week residential program is delivered in collaboration with Girton College, University of Cambridge. Now in its fourth year, it brings together international affairs directors, deans, and senior administrators from across China for structured learning, peer exchange, and strategic reflection at one of the world's most recognised academic institutions.
The 2027 program focuses on how rapidly advancing AI technologies are reshaping the way universities recruit students, design programs, evaluate outcomes, and communicate with international partners. Participants leave with an official Girton College certificate, a sharpened strategic framework, and a peer network spanning institutions across China.
The curriculum is directly aligned with China's 2024–2035 Education Master Plan and the Ministry of Education's priorities for student exchange, faculty development, and international research collaboration.
USIEA is Girton College's named strategic partner for programmes in China — a relationship publicly listed on the Girton College website. This gives USIEA's Chinese university partners exclusive access to this program: no other pathway exists for Chinese institutions.
Key Details
Dates
25–31 July 2027
Format
Fully residential, one week
Location
Girton College, University of Cambridge
Language
English (translation support available)
Certificate
Official Girton College Global Programmes certificate
Now in its
Fourth year
Enrollment
Limited — early application recommended
Seminar session at Girton College
Seminar in Girton's historic library
The Curriculum
Internationalization means different things to different institutions — and the gap between activity and strategy is wider than most leaders acknowledge. This opening seminar builds the conceptual foundation for the week — clarifying what internationalization actually is, how it differs from globalisation, and why it is emphatically not Westernisation. Grounded in China's Education Modernization 2035 agenda, participants leave with a clear framework for thinking about internationalization as an integrated institutional strategy.
1Chinese universities are operating in a rapidly shifting global landscape — one where student mobility patterns, government priorities, and institutional competition are all in motion. This seminar positions participants within that landscape, examining current global mobility data and what it reveals about opportunity and risk for Chinese institutions. A particular focus is placed on attracting international students: the strategic options available, and the often-overlooked question of how visible your institution actually is to students and partners beyond China's borders.
2Artificial intelligence is not a future consideration for international education — it is already reshaping how universities recruit students, design curricula, evaluate outcomes, and build partnerships across borders. This seminar takes an honest look at what that means for leaders in Chinese higher education: the pressures it creates, the possibilities it opens, and the new models of international collaboration it is making possible. Participants explore what effective international education leadership looks like in this environment — and what it will demand of those who lead it.
Study abroad reaches a fraction of a university's student body. Internationalization at Home — the deliberate integration of international and intercultural perspectives into the campus experience for all students — is how institutions close that gap. This seminar introduces the IaH framework and makes the case for why it is particularly relevant for Chinese universities right now. Drawing on institutional case studies, participants examine what IaH looks like in practice, and work through what it could look like at their own institutions.
4The program concludes with a structured peer presentation and reflection session — the culmination of the week's learning. Small groups present back to the full cohort, drawing on their own institutional experience and the ideas encountered during the week. Each group reflects on what they learned, what genuinely surprised them, and — critically — what their institution will do when they return home. It is structured, purposeful, and consistently cited as the highlight of the program.
5
International engagement: a Cambridge approach — University of Cambridge Strategic Partnerships Office
Cambridge Lectures
The University of Cambridge is one of the world's oldest universities and leading academic centres, and a self-governed community of scholars. Established in 1209, the University is rich in history.
Cambridge's famous Colleges and University buildings attract visitors from all over the world, while its museums and collections give an exciting insight into the scholarly activities of the University's academics and students. Its reputation for outstanding academic achievement reflects the intellectual achievement of its students over more than eight centuries, as well as the world-class original research carried out by the staff of the University and the Colleges.
Girton College, University of Cambridge
How does one of the world's most prestigious universities approach international partnerships and global engagement? This lecture, delivered by the University of Cambridge Strategic Partnerships Office, gives participants direct insight into how Cambridge builds and sustains its relationships with universities worldwide.
For Chinese administrators seeking to engage with Cambridge — or to understand how a world-leading institution thinks about international strategy — this is a rare and direct window into that thinking.
University of Cambridge Strategic Partnerships Office
Program Activities
Participants experience Cambridge as a place — its architecture, traditions, and rhythms — through a full program of cultural and social activities alongside the formal curriculum.
Formal Hall dinner at Girton College
Seminar: Internationalization — challenges and opportunities for the future
The Cambridge Experience
Participants live in College accommodation for the duration of the program — the same rooms occupied by Cambridge undergraduates, set within Girton's historic buildings and grounds.
Breakfast and evening meals are included and served in Girton's dining hall, giving participants the full Cambridge collegiate experience as part of the program.
Participants are senior administrators from a range of Chinese universities, including many of the country's leading 985 and 211 institutions. The week provides structured peer exchange and builds professional relationships that extend well beyond the program itself.
Who Should Attend
This program is designed for professionals responsible for international education strategy at Chinese universities. It is not a student program — every element of the curriculum, the cohort composition, and the peer exchange is structured for those who are already leading institutional internationalization.
Enrollment is limited to preserve the quality and depth of discussion that makes the program distinctive.
Directors and staff of university international affairs and exchange offices
Academic deans and department heads with responsibility for international programs
Administrators involved in institutional internationalization strategy
Participants must be affiliated with one of USIEA's Chinese partner universities
Working English proficiency required; translation support is available for seminar sessions
Enrollment is limited — early application is recommended
Apply or Inquire
Participation is open to senior administrators from USIEA's Chinese partner university network. To apply or learn more, contact the USIEA program team directly.
Contact USIEA to applyMs. Nan Wang
USIEA Beijing Office
Applications and enquiries are handled by USIEA's Beijing office. Ms. Wang will respond with full details on the application process, fees, and available places in the 2027 Institute.
nan.wang@usiea.org