Shandong University (SDU) was selected as one of the universities for the third phase of the Campus Asia project, or Collective Action of Mobility Program of University Students in Asia, the Ministry of Education recently announced.

SDU was selected for a joint program on "Asia Intercollegiate Cooperative Project for Nurturing Global Leaders in Sustainable Infrastructure Development", with Nagasaki University in Japan, Sungkyunkwan University in South Korea, Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, and the National University of Laos as its partners.

The five universities will cooperate to develop and improve international master's and doctoral courses to build an education system that can be promoted in ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries.

The Campus Asia project is aimed at promoting in-depth exchanges among outstanding students from China, Japan, and South Korea, as well as deepening practical cooperation among universities in these three countries. The project was initiated by the governments of the three countries in 2012 and has had two phases.

In 2016, SDU was on the list of the second phase of the Campus Asia with a project on "China-Japan and South Korea joint training of top engineers in infrastructure construction".

Over the past five years, SDU has focused on the construction and maintenance of infrastructure in Asia with Nagasaki University and Sungkyunkwan University. The three universities have completed three types of academic programs, namely an all-English dual master's degree program, a semester exchange program, and a short-term scientific research exchange program, forming a replicable plan and system to cultivate dual-degree students.

From 2018 to 2020, the three countries sent a total of 216 exchange students, including 22 students with dual master's degree in engineering.

In 2019, SDU signed a dual doctoral degree agreement with Nagasaki University and was approved by the China Scholarship Council for an international cooperative training program for innovative talents. The program has developed a series of advanced international courses, attracting international students from countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative such as Nepal and Malaysia.

During preparations, for the declaration of the third phase of the Campus Asia project, SDU extended its cooperation to ASEAN countries, and partnered with two more Asian universities.