Programs & Services

Higher Education Accreditation for International Students in China (HEAIS)

Higher Education Accreditation for International Students in China (HEAIS) was launched by China Education Association for International Exchange (CEAIE) in 2016, with the endorsement by the Department of International Cooperation and Exchanges, Ministry of Education of China. As an integral part of national governance system of education for international students, HEAIS aims to improve the quality of education for international students in China and support the branding of "Study in China". 
HEAIS is a sustainable process comprised of diagnostic reviews and supportive services. It is conducted by CEAIE as a third-party accreditation agency in accordance with accreditation standards and rules. Higher education institutions (HEIs) can accomplish self-discipline and autonomous development through engaging in accreditation voluntarily.
Since 143 HEIs from 26 provinces (autonomous regions or municipalities) across Mainland China were accredited, a HEAIS Community has been preliminarily formed, with 114 designated universities of Chinese government scholarship programs and 73 "Double First-Class" universities. 
【Professional】Among China’s educational organizations, CEAIE is the only education service accreditation agency approved by CNCA (Certification and Accreditation Administration of the People's Republic of China). CEAIE has established a professional team of 145 experienced experts and 60 inspectors qualified for education service accreditation by CCAA (China Certification and Accreditation Association) .
【Internationalized】CEAIE follows the global practices of conducting independent evaluation, which corresponds to the modernization of education governance through pushing ahead the separation of government administration, school management and educational evaluation. HEAIS is thus endowed with internationalized features.
【Authoritative】HEAIS is conducted in compliance with accreditation standards transformed from relevant laws, regulations and policies of China and executes accreditation rules in a professional and rigorous manner, which endows accreditation results with public credibility. The list of all HEIs awarded with accreditation is published on the official website of CEAIE, under the supervision of society. 
【Service-oriented】Improving quality and effectiveness is the fundamental policy of education for international students in China in the new era. There are two basic functions of HEAIS in this regard. One is to facilitate the implementation of relevant laws and regulations in all universities that enroll international students, the other is to offer ongoing support to HEAIS universities to standardize their governance structure and improve internal quality assurance system. Besides, HEAIS provides reliable reference to education administrative departments at all levels for making informed decisions, to international students for selecting destination universities in China, and to general public at home and abroad for a better understanding of China's international education as well. 
【All-round】Actively expanding its accreditation scope, CEAIE is to launch Higher Vocational Education Accreditation for International Students in China (HVEAIS) and Basic Medical Education Accreditation for International Students (in English Medium) in China (BMEAIS). Engineering Education Accreditation for International Students (in English Medium) in China (EEAIS) is under development. Together with Higher General Education Accreditation for International Students in China (HGEAIS), these programs have preliminarily formed a HEAIS constellation contributing to building a multi-dimensional framework of quality assurance system for “Study in China”.
【Standards for accreditation】The standards are designed for leading HEIs to fulfill basic requirements made by the government and achieve high-quality and distinctive development in the education for international students. Based on national policies such as Measures for Administration of Enrollment and Education of International Students in Schools, Norms on the Quality of Higher Education for International Students in China (Pilot), etc, The standards focus on HEIs’ education mission and vision, capacity to deliver education, managing and supporting system, quality and effectiveness, etc.
【Rules for accreditation】The rules delineate the fundamental principles, processes and requirements of HEAIS, aiming to ensure that the accreditation is transparent, fair, objective, professional, authoritative and institutionalized. HEAIS cycle includes application, self-reflection, on-site review, accreditation decision, post-accreditation monitoring, etc. Accreditation results are categorized as awarding accreditation, denial of accreditation and deferment of awarding accreditation. The validity period of accreditation certificate is graded to four levels, namely 2 years, 4 years, 6 years and 8 years, The validity of accreditation certificate is subject to the results of periodical monitoring. In order to prove the continuous compliance with accreditation standards, HEIs are supposed to apply for re-accreditation before the certificate expires.
HEAIS is open for applications throughout the year. Specific schedule for carrying out the accreditation depends on the agreement between CEAIE and candidate HEIs. 
For any inquiries, please contact Ms. WANG Fan or Mr. ZHAI Jinming at +86-10-66416080 ext. 8073/8051 or LHRZ@ceaie.edu.cn

(Statistics as of July 2020)