University of Groningen to start first Dutch branch campus in China

The University of Groningen will be the first Dutch university to open a branch campus in China. In collaboration with China Agricultural University, Beijing, the University plans to establish a presence on a campus in the city of Yantai, Shandong province, from 2016. A large part of the campus has already been developed. On 25 March, President of the Board of the University Sibrand Poppema will be in Shanghai to sign the collaboration agreement with the city of Yantai and China Agricultural University, in the presence of Prime Minister Mark Rutte. The initiative is comparable to other branch campuses, for example those set up by the University of Nottingham and New York University in Ningbo and Shanghai respectively.

‘China is an enormous growth market for universities, with around 7 million new students a year, of whom around 450,000 go to study abroad. The Chinese see the University of Groningen as an interesting partner: it is a fast-growing international top 100 university with a large number of English-taught Bachelor’s degree programmes. We hope to eventually create a copy of the University of Groningen in Yantai, offering Bachelor’s, Master’s and PhD programmes with significant research activities and collaboration with businesses. These activities will also strengthen the collaboration between Yantai and the northern Netherlands’.

After a preparation year in 2016, Chinese and international students will be able to start University of Groningen degree programmes at Yantai from 2017, and will be awarded University of Groningen degree certificates. In accordance with the rules for Dutch knowledge institutions establishing a presence overseas, the students will have to spend one year of their degree programme on the home campus in Groningen. This will also provide great opportunities for students from Groningen to gain international experience in China, as well as significant work opportunities for Dutch academics.

China Agricultural University

Yantai

Yantai is located 700 km to the east of Beijing, on the Yellow Sea in the Chinese province of Shandong, which has 97 million inhabitants. One of the greenest cities in China, it is an attractive tourist destination. It has 1.8 million inhabitants. The local area has a wine industry which is over 100 years old. It has a pleasant climate, comparable to conditions in the Netherlands. The future campus of University of Groningen Yantai will be located in the middle of a 38 km² high tech zone, where many high-value industries, companies, and research institutes are based.

More information

Please contact Gernant Deekens, University of Groningen press officer, for more information. Tel.: 050 3636854 or 0629006966.