Concept Paper for the 2026 China Study Abroad Forum

1.Background

Since its inception in 2004, the China Study Abroad Forum (hereinafter referred to as the “Forum”), organized by the Chinese Service Center for Scholarly Exchange (CSCSE), has been committed to advancing high-quality cross-border academic exchanges, enhancing international education cooperation, and fostering deeper strategic synergies and resources integration.

Through over two decades of dedicated development, the forum has became one of China’s most influential international education platforms. It provides timely, comprehensive, and authoritative global education insights, serving as a bridge for students and overseas institutions in their mutual selection process. Additionally, it offers a high-level dialogue platform for Chinese and foreign educational institutions to showcase achievements and deepen mutual learning.

The 2025 Forum convened under the theme “Quality, Trust, Safety: For the Sustainable Development of International Education”, successfully brought together nearly a thousand representatives from the global education sector across 24 countries and regions. Under the strong support of all parties, participants engaged in in-depth discussions on a wide range of topics, comprehensively exploring various aspects of international education, including global cross-border mobility, study-abroad policy support, service systems, quality assurance for study-abroad programs, mutual recognition of academic qualifications, safety protocols, employment prospects, and examination systems.

The Forum released three authoritative data reports and research findings: Blue Book on Chinese Students Studying Abroad, Overseas Credentials Evaluation Service Report 2024, and Blue Paper for Chinese Overseas Students Returning to China for Employment. These publications advance the formation of a multi-stakeholder evaluation mechanism for international education, guide educational institutions towards more standardized and orderly operations, and strengthen their contribution to global education governance. In collaboration with 20 Chinese and international universities, CSCSE launched the innovative “World Study Tour Alliance” initiative through “Study Tours in China” and “Study Tour in the World” program, aiming to foster more effective and two-way academic mobility between China and other countries.

Participants widely recognized that the Forum plays an important role in advancing educational cooperation with China and in fostering greater openness, mutual learning, and high-quality development in global education. A consensus was reached among all participants at the Forum that is to build a safe, trust and high-quality international education ecosystem. Representatives widely acknowledged that:

“Safey” places the comprehensive well-being of students at the forefront, ensuring their physical and mental health and the protection of their legal rights through robust education, support systems, and emergency protocols.

“Trust” is cultivated by promoting mutual recognition of qualifications, ensuring information transparency, upholding integrity, and leveraging digital innovation for secure and verifiable systems.

“High-Quality Development” marks an evolution in international education, moving from scope expansion to depth enhancement. A concerted effort is required to enhance the entire student lifecycle by optimizing global talent flows, fostering cross-cultural competencies, and driving digital transformation. A particular priority is the enhancement of post-study support—including internships, employment, and entrepreneurship—to ensure that international education aligns with development needs, supports students’ long-term growth, and delivers meaningful, measurable outcomes.

The vibrant exchange of ideas and practices at the previous Forum fully demonstrated that education mobility—as a core pillar of international education and a vital link in people-to-people exchanges—is now presented with unprecedented development opportunities while also confronting global challenges such as trust crisis, security risks, and uneven education quality. Profound shifts in the geopolitical landscape, rapid advances driven by technological revolution, and intensifying global competition for talents are reshaping the ecosystem of international education. These challenges further highlight the urgency of deepening international cooperation and exchange, motivating us to pool wisdom, innovate mechanisms, and translate valuable insights into concrete actions.

Against this backdrop, the 2026 China Study Abroad Forum will adopt the theme “Inclusion and Collaboration: For a Safe, Reliable, and High-quality International Education”. The Forum seeks to actively respond to the concerns of all stakeholders while consolidating and advancing the outcomes of the 2025 Forum. Building on this renewed mandate, the Forum will focus on exploring new pathways, practices, and models for the high-quality development of study abroad, injecting fresh momentum into the creation of a more equitable, inclusive, and sustainable global education governance system.

2. Interpretation of Core Concepts

The theme of this year’s Forum—“Inclusion and Collaboration: For a Safe, Reliable, and High-Quality International Education”—is grounded in a global perspective, responds to the priorities of all stakeholders, and offers a coherent logical framework along with strong contemporary relevance.

“Inclusion” serves as a fundamental principle, breaking down governance barriers that hinder international education. By facilitating broader communication, strengthening connectivity, and improving policy-making, it ensures greater freedom and accessibility in academic exchanges and collaborations, ultimately fostering a more equitable and mutually beneficial international education landscape.

“Collaboration” acts as the critical method, uniting diverse stakeholders in joint governance and shared-benefit mechanisms. It creates room for coordinated policies, integrated resources, and in-depth exchanges, thereby unlocking synergies to address common challenges, drive mutual growth, and achieve sustainable development for all.