SUIT aims to double undergraduate enrollment, expand global academic pathways

Shenzhen University of Information Technology (SUIT) has unveiled its 2026 development roadmap, highlighting a significant expansion in undergraduate admissions and the establishment of robust international "bachelor-to-master" pathways.

A press briefing of Shenzhen University of Information Technology (SUIT) on June 18. Photos courtesy of SUIT

The announcement, made during a press briefing June 18, underscores SUIT's evolution into a major vocational undergraduate university with a global outlook.

In a major move to meet the rising demand for high-level technical talent, SUIT has announced it will double its undergraduate intake to 600 students for the 2026 academic year. This expansion is accompanied by a broader geographical reach. The university is moving beyond its local footprint to recruit students from eight provinces, including Guangdong, Sichuan, Jiangxi, and Shandong.

The university’s academic portfolio is also diversifying. SUIT will offer 12 undergraduate programs in 2026 (up from five), introducing seven new majors tailored to emerging industries: Information Security Management, Open-Source Technology Development and Application, Intelligent Connected Vehicle Engineering, Semiconductor Equipment Engineeringand AI and Robotics Technology.

These programs are strategically aligned with Shenzhen’s "20+8" industrial clusterinitiative, ensuring that students are trained for the high-productivity sectors of the future.

Shenzhen in 2023 introduced the “20+8” industrial policy guideline to cultivate and develop industries with huge growth potentials, in a bid to improve the city’s industrial landscape and help local manufacturers climb up the value chain. According to the blueprint, Shenzhen will focus on fostering 20 strategic emerging industry sectors led by advanced manufacturing, and at the same time, strategically investing in eight emerging but promising industries.

A teacher guides students during a hands-on demonstration of industrial machinery.

A core pillar of SUIT’s 2026 strategy is the strengthening of international partnerships to provide students with seamless pathways for global advancement. The university has established collaborations with more than 70 institutions across 35 countries, including engineering hubs like Germany, Japan, France, and Australia.

SUIT has finalized dual-degree and accelerated master’s programs with partner universities in Singapore, South Korea, Australia, and Hong Kong.

A comprehensive international credit transfer system has been implemented, allowing students to integrate overseas study seamlessly into their degrees.

SUIT now operates overseas training bases in Japan, Germany, and France to provide on-the-ground support and internship opportunitiesand the university has launched dedicated overseas study scholarships and grants to ensure international mobility is accessible to all students.

The 2026 plan continues to build on SUIT’s "dual-integrated" model. The university maintains partnerships with more than 930 leading companies, such as Huawei, Tencent and DJI. This collaboration is reflected in the faculty, where 56% of instructors hold doctoral degrees — the highest ratio among vocational institutions in China — and 86% are "dual-qualified," possessing both academic and industrial expertise.

An aerial view of Shenzhen University of Information Technology (SUIT).

On the research front, SUIT is bridging the gap between theory and application. The university has secured National Natural Science Foundation projects for 17 consecutive years and recently saw its Engineering and Materials Science programs enter the ESI global top 1%. Through the "Research Eaglet Program," undergraduate students are now being integrated into real-world R&D projects alongside corporate partners.

Miao Ningli, Party secretary of SUIT, emphasized that SUIT’s mission is to cultivate "modern engineers and future master craftspeople." By doubling its enrollment and expanding its international reach, the university aims to provide a high-quality, globally-recognized education that supports the rapid industrial upgrading of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and beyond.