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'Bilingual' medical programmes for international students: the sentence in the Ministry's notice

Sources checked · Unofficial summary

Paragraph 2 of the Ministry of Education's 2023 notice on English-taught clinical medicine says that enrolling international students "disguised" as "bilingual teaching" is strictly prohibited. This rule is a Chinese Ministry rule addressed to universities and to the units responsible for them. It is not a rule of any home-country regulator. For the full list of schools and the notice itself, see this register's section page.

What paragraph 2 says

Paragraph 2 of the notice (教外厅函〔2023〕10号, dated 15 May 2023 and published on the Ministry's site on 30 May 2023) contains the sentence:

严禁以“双语教学”模式变相招收来华留学生。

This site's translation: "It is strictly prohibited to enrol international students in a disguised manner through a 'bilingual teaching' mode." English is this site's translation of the Chinese text.

Paragraph 2 does not define "bilingual teaching". The sentence is one of several in that paragraph, and the others set out what applies to listed and unlisted universities, as the table below shows.

The notice's paragraph 1 says that 44 universities are entrusted to enrol students in English-taught clinical medicine for 2023–2024. The annex lists universities by their Chinese names. This register uses English names for them.

Status of the university What paragraph 2 says
On the list for 2023–2024 Must continue to enrol students strictly in line with the spirit of the 2007 notice (教外来〔2007〕39号), which the 2023 notice calls the 《通知》.
Not on the list May not enrol students in English-taught clinical medicine. May not award an English-version degree certificate for "本科临床医学专业（英语授课）（MBBS）", or any English-version degree certificate containing the word "MBBS". May enrol students in Chinese-taught clinical medicine, with a standard that may not be lower than the standard for Chinese clinical medicine students.

The 2007 notice on unlisted schools

The 2023 notice refers to the 2007 notice, which set out the quality-control rules for English-taught medical programmes. Paragraph 4 of the 2007 notice says that the list is a dynamic one. It says that an expert group assesses whether a school meets the Interim Provisions, and that the result is announced when the annual enrolment plan is issued.

Paragraph 4 of the 2007 notice also says that unlisted schools may enrol international students in medical programmes taught in Chinese, and that their standard "must be the same as" the standard for Chinese students.

The two notices use different wording on the standard. The 2007 notice says "must be the same as" (必须与我国学生相同). The 2023 notice says "may not be lower than" (不得低于). Each notice keeps its own wording, and this page does not merge them.

Serious violations

Paragraph 3 of the 2023 notice asks the units concerned to tighten their checks on the enrolment, management and teaching of universities in their area. It names two documents: the Order No. 42 on the management of international students (学校招收和培养国际学生管理办法, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Public Security) and the Quality Norms for Higher Education of International Students (trial). It also mentions a 2020 quality-control standard for English-taught clinical medicine issued by an industry body.

For universities that seriously violate the spirit of the 2007 notice, paragraph 3 says they are to be dealt with by restricting or suspending enrolment, in accordance with law and regulations. Paragraph 3 does not define "seriously violate". It does not name a particular penalty beyond restricting or suspending enrolment.

Which year the notice covers

The notice covers the 2023–2024 academic year. The Ministry's policy index listed no later edition of the annual list notice when this site read it on 11 October 2026. The index shows the 2023 notice under the date 2023-05-30, which is the date it was put on the site, not the date of the notice. The index lists the 2021–2022 notice under 2021-04-01.

If you use this list, confirm the current year's status with the university and with the Ministry of Education.

Questions people ask

Can a university that is not on the list enrol international students in English-taught MBBS?

Paragraph 2 of the 2023 notice says that a university not on the list may not enrol students in English-taught clinical medicine, and may not award an English-version MBBS degree certificate. It says such a university may enrol students in Chinese-taught clinical medicine, with a standard not lower than the standard for Chinese clinical medicine students.

Does the notice define "bilingual teaching"?

No. Paragraph 2 of the 2023 notice uses the phrase "bilingual teaching" mode in its prohibition on disguised enrolment, but it does not define the term.

What does the notice say happens to a university that seriously violates it?

Paragraph 3 of the 2023 notice says such a university is to be dealt with by restricting or suspending enrolment, in accordance with law and regulations.

Sources

Checked 11 October 2026.

This page is an unofficial summary. It is not legal, medical or professional-licensing advice, it is not published by the bodies named, and it promises no admission, examination or registration outcome. The official text and the regulator's own instructions prevail if they differ.

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