The official website for Sino-foreign education regulation recently announced that the Sichuan University–Pittsburgh Institute has ceased enrolling new students. As one of the most prominent joint programs between a Chinese top-tier 985 university and a foreign institution, the news has sparked widespread public interest.
Established in 2014, the institute is a collaboration between Sichuan University and the University of Pittsburgh (ranked 222nd in the 2024 QS World University Rankings). It offers five undergraduate majors: Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Design and Manufacturing & Automation, Materials Science and Engineering, Computer Science and Technology, and Electronic Information Engineering. All courses are taught in English, and students enrolled in the “2+2” or “3+1” programs have the opportunity to earn dual degrees from both universities.
The institute was once considered a flagship example of Sino-foreign cooperation in engineering education in China. Its curriculum design, training model, and high level of internationalization had earned broad acclaim.
So far, neither Sichuan University nor the Ministry of Education has officially disclosed the specific reasons behind the suspension of new enrollments. However, current students will continue their studies as planned, and their graduation and degree conferment will not be affected.
