Queen Mary celebrates graduates and strategic partnerships in China

The visit, which took place between 16 and 28 June 2026, reaffirmed Queen Mary's long-standing relationship with China, where the University has worked with leading institutions for over 20 years to deliver world-class education and international opportunities for students.  

The delegation attended graduation ceremonies at Queen Mary College, Nanchang University in Nanchang; the Queen Mary Engineering School at Northwestern Polytechnical University (NPU) in Xi'an; the Joint Programme and Joint Education Institute with Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications (BUPT) in Beijing; and the Queen Mary School Hainan in Hainan. 

Professor Colin Bailey, CBE, President and Principal of Queen Mary, said: 

"I am incredibly proud of the relationship Queen Mary has with education providers in China. We have welcomed Chinese students to our London campus for over 100 years, with the first student joining us in 1913, and we have the longest running Flying Faculty TNE partnership with China of any Russell Group university. 

"Working closely with Chinese universities for over 20 years, we have built a strong TNE network across the country, through which we create opportunities for thousands of students, both in China and in London. Our partnerships in China are built on mutual trust, shared ambition and a commitment to academic excellence, and I am excited to see them continue to grow in the years ahead. 

"It has been a privilege to celebrate the achievements of our graduates and to meet so many talented students, alumni and colleagues throughout this visit. I look forward to this most recent group of graduates joining our global alumni community and making meaningful contributions to the world around them.” 

In Xi'an, the delegation celebrated the graduation of Queen Mary Engineering School with NPU, ahead of its 10th anniversary, which will take place in October. In Beijing, they attended the graduation ceremony for the Joint Programme and Joint Education Institute with Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications (BUPT), Queen Mary's longest-running partnership in China and one of the longest-running UK–China transnational education partnerships globally. The visit concluded in Hainan with the graduation ceremony at the Queen Mary School Hainan, one of the University's newest and most ambitious transnational education initiatives, alongside meetings with BUPT leadership and representatives from the Hainan Provincial Department of Education.