East China University of Political Science and Law (ECUPL) officially launched the China-UK Study Tour Pioneering Scheme: How 1.4 Billion People Coexist――Decoding China’s Social Governance on June 9. More than 80 students and academic staff from the University of Kent, the University of York and the University of Southampton gathered at ECUPL’s Songjiang Campus to embark on an initiative combining rigorous academic inquiry With Intercutural engagement.
Source: UK students join the study tour program at ECUPL in Shanghai, June 9, 2026.[Photo/WeChat account: East China University of Political Science and Law]
Focusing on China’s social governance system and practices, this program is structured around a carefully curated interplay of lectures, field visits and interactive exchanges. Participants will have an opportunity to be immersed in a range of institutional settings across Shanghai -- communities, legislative outreach offices and judicial institutions -- enabling them to observe governance mechanism in operation and gain first-hand insights into grass roots governance, rule of law and urban management through dialogue and comparative reflection.
At the opening ceremony, keynote speakers underscored the strategic importance of educational exchange in fostering sustained mutual understanding between nations. Li Xiaozhe, Deputy Director of the Chinese Service Center for Scholarly Exchange (CSCSE), encouraged participants to deepen their engagement with contemporary China and to contribute to the strengthening of China-UK relations through ongoing academic dialogue and intellectual exchange. Luo Peixin, Vice President of ECUPL, noted that the university draws upon its established strengths in legal education and social governance studies, while leveraging Shanghai’s status as a global megacity to enhance the initiative’s experiential dimentions. The thematic orientation of this program aligns closely with pressing contemporary challenges in global governance. He expressed his hope that students from diverse cultural backgrounds will fully embrace this opportunity, cultivate deeper intercultural understanding, and contribute to the long-term development of academic, legal and humanistic cooperation between China, the United Kingdom and France.
Students also articulated their expectations for the program. Daniel Lee Doel from the University of Kent said he looked forward to observing China’s legislative and judicial practices first hand. Yang Ley Ying, a British international student at ECUPL, said she was eager to gain a deeper understanding of China’s governance and hoped to becomea young ambassador promoting China-UK educational exchanges.
Jointly initiated by CSCSE and the UK-based Achieve International Education Group (AIEG), the scheme forms part of the inaugural initiatives of the World Study Tour Alliance, launched in 2025. Developed by ECUPL’s International School, it is designed to provide UK youth with sustained and practice-oriented exposure to China’s development and governance model, while fostering people-to-people connectivity between China and the United Kingdom.
