The UPC takes a step forward in its strategic relations with an institutional mission to China

The Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya · BarcelonaTech (UPC) has completed an intensive and highly productive institutional mission to China. The goal of this trip was to strengthen historical ties, open new avenues for academic collaboration, and attract international talent in cutting-edge fields such as engineering, artificial intelligence, sustainability, and aeronautics. Led by the Vice-Rector for International Policy, the delegation included a prominent representation from five of its leading schools: the Barcelona School of Civil Engineering (ETSECCPB), the Barcelona School of Informatics (FIB), the Barcelona School of Industrial Engineering (ETSEIB), the Terrassa School of Industrial, Aerospace and Audiovisual Engineering (ESEIAAT), and the Barcelona East School of Engineering (EEBE).

In Beijing, the UPC signed a new student mobility agreement with Tsinghua University, China’s top university and one of the world's leading institutions in education and research. This agreement will directly benefit students from ETSEIB, FIB, and ETSAB, creating new synergies in critical areas like the design of future cities. Additionally, the visit to Beihang University strengthened technological collaboration in aerospace, ICT, and artificial intelligence, involving FIB, ETSECCPB, ETSEIB, and ESEIAAT.

During their stay in the Chinese capital, the delegation also met with the Beijing Institute of Technology (BIT), a long-standing strategic partner. Progress was made toward defining future joint master's degrees and double degrees focused on electric mobility and artificial intelligence, including a visit to the prestigious National Engineering Research Center of Electric Vehicles. UPC also held a highly significant meeting with the China Scholarship Council (CSC), a key institution that has funded hundreds of PhD candidates at our university since 2010, building an international community of over 500 Chinese students, researchers, and alumni in Barcelona. The CSC also opened the door to new collaborative initiatives, such as funding research stays for UPC faculty at Chinese universities.

In Nanjing, collaboration with the Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics (NUAA) took a major leap forward with the inauguration of the "International Talent Recruitment Base" (the renowned 111 Center) and the launch of joint laboratories in applied mechanics, electrical engineering, and remote sensing. Concurrently, the NUAA–UPC Summer Camp was officially launched. This two-week academic and cultural program features 35 UPC students and 8 professors specializing in robotics, drones, and wind tunnel experimentation—a successful initiative driven by ESEIAAT’s long-standing commitment to going beyond traditional mobility.

Finally, the delegation traveled to Shanghai to meet with the Vice-President of Tongji University, Professor LI Xiangning, and visited the Sino-Spanish Campus. Key bilateral meetings took place during this visit to make decisive progress on the major project of establishing a joint institute between both universities, building a solid and future-oriented academic bridge between Shanghai and Barcelona. Additionally, a meeting was held with the Director of the Graduate School, an elite academic center training engineers who pass selection exams even more competitive than the Gaokao within a highly demanding curriculum. During this meeting, it was agreed that students from this program could come to UPC to carry out their final degree projects in the fields of telecommunications, informatics, AI, and mechanics.