Introduction

The Sino-Foreign Cooperative Education Program in Communication Engineering is jointly offered by Xidian University and Heriot-Watt University. Approved for enrollment in 2015, it plans to admit 100 students annually. Applicants are selected based on merit after their Gaokao scores meet the minimum admission control line for the corresponding batch in their respective province/municipality/region. Upon enrollment and registration, admitted students hold student status at both Xidian University and Heriot-Watt University.

Heriot-Watt University is a world-renowned institution founded in 1821 with over 200 years of history. It is the world's first mechanical engineering college and the eighth oldest university in the UK. In the UK's most authoritative Research Excellence Framework (REF) assessment, its engineering and mathematics fields ranked first in Scotland and third in the UK, with 90% of its research outputs rated as 'world-leading' or 'internationally excellent'. It has won the UK's highest higher education award, The Queen's Anniversary Prize, four times. Benefiting from career-oriented curriculum design, its undergraduate employment rate ranks first in Scotland and second in the UK; the proportion of its graduates becoming CEOs or managing directors ranks first among UK universities.

Studies & Degree

The program follows a four-year duration with a "3+1" model (three years in China, one year in the UK). Students who complete all four years of study and meet the degree conferral conditions will be awarded the undergraduate graduation certificate and the Bachelor of Engineering degree in Communication Engineering from Xidian University, as well as the Bachelor of Engineering degree in Communication Engineering from Heriot-Watt University. The program is taught entirely in English; candidates who took a language other than English as their foreign language subject in the national entrance examination are advised to consider their application carefully.

Prosperous Future

Graduates can enter the workforce directly or apply for Master's programs. Outstanding students may, according to Xidian University regulations, obtain recommendation for exemption from the entrance examination for postgraduate studies to pursue Master's degrees at top-tier domestic universities, or apply for further studies at leading overseas universities or those in Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan. To date, the program has produced seven graduating classes. Approximately 70% of graduates have received First Class Honours degrees from the UK side. The rate of graduates proceeding to further studies reaches 95.3%, with 74.2% admitted to postgraduate programs at world top-100 universities and 21.1% recommended for admission without examination to top-tier domestic universities for postgraduate studies. Among the 99 graduates of the class of 2024, over 97% chose to pursue further studies (domestic recommendation + overseas postgraduate), including 31.3% as domestically recommended postgraduate students. Among those studying abroad, 95% were admitted to world top-100 prestigious institutions, with 85% admitted to world top-30 universities.

Tuition Fee and Others

Based on educational cost accounting and approved by the Ministry of Education, the annual tuition fee for students during the first three years of study in China is 80,000 RMB per student. For the fourth year of study in the UK, students pay tuition fees according to Heriot-Watt University's international student standard for that year. For reference, the tuition fee for Heriot-Watt University in 2025 is approximately 22,500 GBP (tuition fees are subject to annual increases). Students are also responsible for accommodation, textbooks, and personal living expenses during their stay in the UK, estimated at around 200,000 RMB.

Program Inquiry: School of Telecommunications Engineering, Mr. Shi, 029-88204261