News

Queen Mary University of London will welcome the first cohort of 240 students through a new transnational education (TNE) partnership with the University of International Business and Economics (UIBE) in Beijing, following approval by China's Ministry of Education.

The partnership will deliver two new undergraduate joint programmes, BSc Actuarial Science with AI and BSc Insurance with AI, with the first students expected to begin their studies in September 2026.

Developed jointly by the School of Mathematical Sciences at Queen Mary and UIBE, the programmes will equip students with a rigorous academic foundation in actuarial science and insurance, enhanced by the application of artificial intelligence to address emerging challenges across the financial services, insurance and technology sectors.

The new programmes were among 219 transnational education partnerships approved by China's Ministry of Education in May 2026, the largest approval round since the pandemic. Fifty of the new partnerships involve UK universities, reinforcing the UK's position as China's leading international partner in transnational education.

The launch marks an important milestone in Queen Mary's international education strategy and strengthens its growing collaboration with UIBE. Earlier this year, Professor Wen Wang, Vice Principal for Science and Engineering at Queen Mary, welcomed a senior delegation from UIBE, led by Professor Jun Wen, Vice President of UIBE, for discussions on expanding academic collaboration, programme development and student mobility.

Professor Alex Clark, Dean for International at the Faculty of Science and Engineering, who also participated in the meeting between Queen Mary and UIBE, said:

"This marks an important step in Queen Mary's growing collaboration with UIBE and reflects our shared commitment to academic excellence and innovation in transnational education. By bringing together the strengths and expertise of both institutions, we are creating new opportunities for collaboration in teaching and learning while strengthening the long-standing educational ties between the UK and China."