Pre-University Program

I. Program Overview

As a pre-University education institution designated by the Ministry of Education for Chinese Government Scholarship undergraduate international students, China University of Geosciences leverages its disciplinary strengths in Earth Sciences to build a pre-University education system centered on “Chinese +”, “Foundation +”, and “Geosciences +”, striving to promote high-quality and connotative development of international education in China. The Pre-University program adopts a “Layered Progression + Discipline Articulation” training model. The first semester focuses on comprehensive Chinese language skill enhancement, while the second semester integrates foundational science and engineering courses, forming a curriculum structure that emphasizes both language and academic disciplines.

The university's Pre-University program centers on the fundamental task of fostering virtue and nurturing talents, serving national strategies and the broader diplomatic landscape. Focusing on talent cultivation, it continuously strengthens the academic atmosphere and supervision for Pre-University students; comprehensively conducts systematic national condition education and diverse social practice activities; establishes a joint teaching and research mechanism between the pre-University and undergraduate programs to ensure a smooth gradient in curriculum design; implements small-class teaching combined with extracurricular tutoring programs, and establishes an “International Student Academic Support Center” to create an efficient learning support system; emphasizes the guiding role of academic culture, and actively builds the brand image of “Study in China” and “Study at CUG”.

II. Curriculum

As a pre-University education base for science and engineering disciplines, the university has constructed a modular, layered, and progressive curriculum cluster of “Language Intensive - Discipline Foundation - Cultural Cognition”. The curriculum system is divided into two progressive stages: the first semester focuses on comprehensive Chinese language skill enhancement, offering core courses such as Comprehensive Chinese, Chinese for Science and Technology, and National Conditions Education; the second semester implements an integrated teaching model of “Chinese + Science & Engineering Majors”, systematically offering foundational courses in Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, etc., while synchronously enhancing students’ theoretical and practical abilities in related fields.

An innovative “Major + Culture” dual-track curriculum system has been established. While solidifying the language foundation, it offers over ten elective courses on traditional Chinese culture, including Calligraphy, Martial Arts, Seal Carving, etc., to strengthen cross-cultural understanding. By establishing a linkage mechanism between pre-university and undergraduate teaching and research, a gradient articulation between foundational courses in the pre-university stage and core undergraduate major courses is achieved.‌

III. Faculty and Teaching

The university adheres to the integrated advancement of reforms in both “teaching” and “learning”, implementing the “Pre-University Program Faculty Teaching Capacity Enhancement and Development Project”, and strives to build a young backbone team of international Chinese language teachers who value both teaching management and scientific research capabilities. Simultaneously, it integrates high-quality internal resources, collaborating with renowned teachers from the College of Materials Science and Chemistry and the College of Mathematics and Physics to offer science and engineering courses for Pre-University students. Teaching achievements are abundant, with the Pre-University teaching team winning multiple teaching competitions. The university encourages Pre-University students to participate in various contests, where they have repeatedly won awards. The student completion pass rate is high, and the training quality has received positive feedback from specialized institutions. In recent years, the program has secured 1 National Social Science Fund project, 1 key project from the Center for Language Education and Cooperation of the Ministry of Education, 4 International Chinese Education Teaching Research projects from the Ministry of Education, published 2 Pre-University program-related books, and published over 20 related papers.

IV. Student Management and Support

The university insists on giving equal importance to both hardware and software development. It has an International Education Building accommodating 1800 people, integrating offices, teaching spaces, and apartments, equipped with over 10 multimedia classrooms, reading rooms, and self-study rooms for Pre-University students. It explores student-centered management mechanisms, strengthens teaching management and student psychological counseling in the post-pandemic era, and adheres to balancing strict management with humanistic care. It continuously pursues academic excellence, stimulates innovative vitality, attaches importance to Chinese culture and national condition education and experience, helps international students tell China’s stories well, and promotes the growth and success of international students through a higher-level talent cultivation system.