Eleven Beijing universities, including Renmin University of China, Beijing Normal University, and Beihang University, showcased the city’s higher education resources at the “Study in Beijing” Education Exhibition 2026, held at the Athens University of Economics and Business in Greece and the University of Cyprus. The event, hosted by the Beijing Municipal Education Commission and organized by the Beijing International Education Exchange Center and other institutions, aimed to attract students from Greece and Cyprus and to promote international education collaboration, as reported by Media OutReach Newswire.
The exhibition gains significance from its timing: 2026 marks the 20th anniversary of the China-Greece comprehensive strategic partnership and the 55th anniversary of China-Cyprus diplomatic relations, along with the 5th anniversary of the China-Cyprus strategic partnership. At the Greek opening ceremony, Fang Qiu, Chinese Ambassador to Greece, welcomed the delegation, while Li Yi, Director of the Beijing Municipal Education Commission, presented the strengths of Beijing universities and invited young Europeans to study in the Chinese capital. Nancy Pouloudi, Vice Rector of the Athens University of Economics and Business, and Alexandros Papalexandris of the Business Confucius Institute also spoke, underscoring the role of language and cultural exchange in bilateral ties.
In Cyprus, Yang Yundong, Chinese Ambassador to Cyprus; a senior representative of the Cyprus Ministry of Education, Sport and Youth; and Professor Tasos Christofides, Rector of the University of Cyprus, attended and delivered remarks. George Solomonides, a Cypriot student who has studied in China, shared his experiences, offering a firsthand perspective on the benefits of studying in Beijing.
Beijing’s appeal as a study destination is supported by nearly 100 universities and research institutions that enroll international students. The city offers a range of programs, scholarships, and internship and entrepreneurship services under the themes “Understanding Beijing, Studying in Beijing, Integrating into Beijing, and Staying in Beijing.” Participating universities set up booths by discipline, covering aerospace, rail transit, energy and power, teacher education, international Chinese language, mathematics and humanities, food and business, tourism management, special education, and Olympic education. Local students and parents used the opportunity to inquire about admission policies, program offerings, scholarship applications, and student life.
The event also produced concrete outcomes: ceremonies were held in both locations to designate student-source base schools and sign sister-school agreements, establishing regular mechanisms for student recruitment, inter-school collaboration, teacher education, and youth exchanges. Currently, Beijing hosts 65,800 international students from 183 countries and regions and ranks 12th globally in the QS Best Student Cities 2027 ranking. These developments signal a sustained effort to internationalize Beijing’s education sector and to build lasting academic bridges between China and Europe.
