In keeping with its academic and economic development mission, NC State has signed agreements with some of China's most prestigious universities. These international agreements create new avenues for graduates to compete globally and give North Carolina links to an emerging economy.

The agreements include:

• Tsinghua University, ranked second among Chinese universities
  • Student-exchange agreements between Tsinghua University and the NC State Colleges of Design, Engineering and Management;
  • Research collaborations;
  • Global training at NC State.
• Zhejiang University, ranked third among Chinese universities and one that most strongly matches the strengths of NC State. Zhejiang University is the product of a merger of four Chinese universities, has its own university research park, and has a number of schools, programs and fields of study that are similar to those offered by NC State. A high-ranking administrator at Zhejiang University, Vice President Jun Zhu, is an NC State alumnus who received his Ph.D. in statistics and is the administrator in charge of the project for Zhejiang University.
  • Zhejiang University students would enter a “3+1” program in which they’d spend three years at Zhejiang University and one year at NC State and receive a bachelor’s degree from Zhejiang University and a master’s degree from NC State;
  • Zhejiang University would serve as a study-abroad base for both NC State students and NC State faculty;
  • About 60 NC State students will study at Zhejiang University in summer 2007 to begin the program;
• China Agricultural University, China’s top agriculture program
  • Research and summer-study programs primarily for students in NC State’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and College of Veterinary Medicine.
• Beijing Forestry University, China’s top natural resources program
  • Research and student exchange programs primarily for students in NC State’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and College of Natural Resources.
• Peking University, China’s top-ranked university
  • Engineering students from Peking University would perform research at NC State in summer 2007;
  • A “4+1” master’s degree program would be set up for Chinese students to study four years at Peking University and one year at NC State and receive a bachelor’s degree from Peking University and a master’s degree from NC State;
  • Peking University would also serve as a study-abroad base for NC State students.

The university has also created a Confucius Institute