Tongji University is particularly active in promoting international cooperation and exchanges: a number of joint programmes with foreign partners have been launched over the past few years.

Professor Dong described the ambitious reforms in engineer training at Tongji. Together with industrial partners, the University finances a reform of globalisation under the name “Elite”, which aims to send students to France, the USA, Japan and other destinations for short or long periods and double diplomas. 1800 students will be selected each year, in three groups:

• 600 for a double diploma (including 150 in France)
• 600 for a common short programme (e.g. a summer university)
• 600 for a “conventional” exchange

A consortium of prestigious Chinese partners will be formed in the engineering field. Its French partners at present are ParisTech and the School of Mines, who wish to develop partnerships with Lyon.

The two partners expressed great interest in pursuing the collaboration, even if INSA does not have the same population as Tongji. Collaboration with the Civil Engineering and Urban Development Department will commence with academic exchanges aimed at the future creation of a double diploma. In the Civil Engineering sector, Tongji is the no. 1 Chinese university.