A festival showcasing Suzhou's educational partnerships with countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative is held. [Photo/WeChat account: szjywx]

Since the start of the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25), Suzhou has steadily broadened its international exchange and cooperation channels, integrating education-related global engagement more closely with urban development and laying a solid foundation for cultivating young people with strong global competence.

Suzhou has strengthened cooperation with countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative. In 2023, the Suzhou Polytechnic Institute of Agriculture's remote agricultural science education service center in the Republic of the Congo was selected as a national-level model project.

In 2024, the city supported the establishment of the Indonesia-Suzhou Agricultural College, while new overseas programs such as the Uruguay biomedical technology training center of the Suzhou Chien-Shiung Institute of Technology and the Zheng He College of Suzhou Polytechnic University were launched.

Breakthroughs have also been made in basic education. Twelve local schools were selected for the national "China-ASEAN Thousand Schools Partnership" initiative.

To strengthen global awareness among younger students, Suzhou has established 106 experimental schools designed to instill students with an international perspective. The city has also developed an assessment framework for global competence among primary and secondary school students.

Two girls make crafts at a cultural exchange event in Suzhou. [Photo/WeChat account: szjywx]

People-to-people exchanges have remained vibrant. From the 16th to the 20th Suzhou-Singapore Principals' Roundtable Forums, the city has maintained close dialogue with international partners, culminating in the signing of a bilateral education cooperation memorandum in 2025.

Building on eight editions of the "Future Star" English Speech Contest, Suzhou also launched creative online English competitions and international sister-city contests, engaging over 35,000 students. Local students regularly participate in international events such as Poland's Mayflower music competition and global art contests, while nearly 300 young people from the United States and Europe visit Suzhou each year for exchange programs.