Groundbreaking new partnership to deliver digital creativity degrees in China
By: Communications
A new partnership between the University of East Anglia (UEA) and Communication University of China, Nanjing (CUCN) has been approved by China’s Ministry of Education, aiming to empower a new generation of globally-minded storytellers and digital creatives.
With a plan to grow to 1200 students by 2030, the CUCN-UEA Digital Creativity Institute will be a Joint Education Institute (JEI), one of only 10 with UK universities to be approved in the present round. It marks UEA’s first transnational education collaboration in China and its largest ever outside the UK.
Based in Nanjing, the Institute will offer students high-quality, globally recognised qualifications focused on media, digital communications, and creative computing – making it very rare among Joint Institutes in China to operate at the intersection of arts and digital innovation.
Students will be taught at the Institute in China and receive a double degree, from UEA and CUCN respectively, all delivered in country – with the opportunity to spend a year studying at UEA. They will learn new skills needed for thriving careers in the creative and digital sectors, where both the UK and China have a strong presence.
The course intake will be 300 students a year – who have been successful in China's Gaokao undergraduate entrance exam – studying across four-year degree programmes.
Three different courses will be available, with each Chinese degree being judged equivalent to the following UEA degree:
- BA Network and New Media (degree to be awarded from UEA: BA Media Studies)
- BFA Film/TV Photography and Production (degree to be awarded from UEA: BA Film and Television Production)
- BEng Digital Media Technology (degree to be awarded from UEA: BSc Digital Media and Creative Computing).
The BEng Digital Media Technology is a crossover between the Arts and Sciences, demonstrating what can be achieved through an interdisciplinary, borderless approach to the study of digital media and creative technology.
Prof Steven McGuire, Senior Pro-Vice Chancellor and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (International) at UEA, said: “I am delighted with this outcome. It sends a strong signal to one of the world's largest and most vibrant higher education systems that UEA is an active and effective partner in international education.
“The approval of our JEI represents the culmination of months of work by people across the University. This Institute builds on strong foundations laid down over several years by academics in our Faculty of Arts and Humanities, and I am so pleased to see the relationship with CUCN grow and develop.
“It should also be noted that most Joint Institutes overseen by the Chinese government have traditionally centred on STEM subjects. That our innovative proposal was supported is an immense vote of confidence in our Arts and Humanities Faculty, its interdisciplinary collaborations, and their power to transform students' lives and careers.”
Dr Thomas Roebuck, Associate Dean for Admissions in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities at UEA, said: “UEA's decision to focus its first JEI on the interdisciplinary study of digital creativity is a major statement in today's global Higher Education landscape.
“It reflects our commitment, in the age of AI, to the enduring importance of creative thinking as a means to harness the true power of digital technology, drawing on UEA’s heritage as an innovative centre for creative education and research.
“We are thrilled to partner with CUCN, renowned for its reputation in cutting-edge, industry-oriented media training. Nanjing is also the perfect setting – similarly to Norwich, a UNESCO Creative City – and we look forward to seeing graduates flourish and become leaders in tomorrow’s creative industries.”
The CUCN-UEA Digital Creativity Institute will begin offering degrees to prospective students from autumn 2026, subject to UEA’s approval processes.
Prof Emma Chen, Executive Vice President at CUCN, said: “The approval to launch CUCN-UEA Digital Creativity Institute in collaboration with our distinguished partner, the University of East Anglia – an institution globally acclaimed for its pioneering excellence in digital creativity research and pedagogy – is a momentous milestone.
“It stands as the first Sino-British joint institute dedicated exclusively to the specialised field of digital creativity education. This alliance synergises CUCN’s profound insights into China’s media landscape and creative industry demands with UEA’s world-renowned expertise, creating a top platform for cross-cultural talent cultivation.
“This flagship joint educational initiative will offer a new paradigm for China’s digital creative education and catalyse innovation across the sector, while forging a benchmark for China-UK educational collaborations.”
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