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What a school must have to teach MBBS in English: degree authority, hospital, library and teaching base

Sources checked · Unofficial summary

Chapter 6 of the Chinese Ministry of Education's 2007 interim provisions sets conditions for schools that teach undergraduate medical education in English to international students. Articles 23 to 28 cover degree authority and a hospital, teachers, teaching facilities, the library and a clinical teaching base. Article 30 separately states that a school not on the Ministry's list may not enrol international students in this programme.

This is a Chinese Ministry of Education standard for schools in China. It is not a rule of any home-country regulator, and this page does not describe the rules of any such regulator. This page sets out each article in order and does not say whether any school meets these conditions. For the Ministry of Education list and the schools on it, see this register's section page.

Where the text comes from

The provisions are annex 1 to 教外来〔2007〕39号. Their English title is Interim Provisions on Quality Control Standards for Undergraduate Medical Education in English for International Students. The English wording on this page is this site's translation of the Chinese text.

Article 23: degree authority and a Grade III-A affiliated hospital

Article 23 sets two conditions. The first is master's degree-granting authority in the first-level disciplines of basic medicine and clinical medicine. The second is a Grade III-A (三级甲等) affiliated hospital.

Articles 24 and 25: teachers

Article 24 sets the following conditions:

  • Every discipline shall have teachers who can teach in English and can teach, in English, each course in the teaching plan.
  • Foreign teachers' teaching hours may not exceed 20% of total teaching hours.
  • Each foreign teacher may not be responsible for more than one core course.
  • A foreign teacher shall hold the degree level specified for the discipline he or she teaches, or an equivalent professional technical title.
  • A foreign teacher of clinical practice courses shall hold a licence to practise medicine in China, or a temporary licence.
  • The employment of foreign teachers must comply with the relevant national rules.

Article 25 requires schools to have a strict system for reviewing teachers' qualifications and for selecting and training them. Teachers must be trained before they take up teaching posts in teaching ability, English level and knowledge of policy for international students. Those who qualify take up their posts. Schools shall also create conditions for teachers to study further.

Article 26: teaching facilities

Article 26 says a school has teaching facilities suited to classroom lectures, tutorial discussions and laboratory classes for international students. The article sets no size or number for these facilities.

Article 27: library

The library shall collect and keep enough English-language reference textbooks and professional materials. These must meet the needs of the teaching plan and of research by international students and teachers. The library shall have staff to guide international students and shall provide computer search services.

Article 28: clinical teaching base and beds

Article 28 requires a clinical teaching base for clinical teaching and internships for international students. The base must be an affiliated hospital or a teaching hospital, which the article describes as a Grade III-A (三级甲等) hospital.

Article 28 also covers the number of beds for undergraduate international students. The number of beds made available must reach the relevant provisions for Chinese undergraduate medical students, measured against the number of international students. Article 28 gives no ratio figure itself. The ratio is set by reference to those provisions, which this page does not reproduce.

Article 30: the list

Article 30 says the Ministry will commission the national expert group for Western medicine education of international students to evaluate the teaching quality of schools. The Ministry will also publish the names of schools that pass the evaluation, together with their enrolment scale. A school not on the list may not enrol international students in English-taught undergraduate medical education.

The second paragraph of Article 30 says a school that applies to enrol such students is assessed by the expert group. A school that meets the conditions will be included in the list for the following year.

The list for the 2023–2024 academic year is set out in 教外厅函〔2023〕10号, a notice of the General Office of the Ministry of Education dated 15 May 2023 and published on the Ministry's site on 30 May 2023. Paragraph 1 of the notice says the Ministry entrusted 44 universities to enrol students in this programme for 2023–2024. The annex lists those universities by their Chinese names. English names are the ones this register uses.

This notice covers the 2023–2024 academic year only. When this site checked the Ministry's policy index on 11 October 2026, the index showed no later edition of the annual list notice. Confirm the current year's status with the university and the Ministry.

Summary by article

Article Subject Condition as written
23 Degree authority and hospital Master's degree-granting authority in first-level basic medicine and clinical medicine; a Grade III-A affiliated hospital
24 Teachers Teachers able to teach in English in every discipline; foreign teachers' hours not more than 20% of total; not more than one core course per foreign teacher
25 Teacher selection and training Training before taking up posts; those who qualify take up posts
26 Teaching facilities Suited to lectures, tutorials and laboratory classes for international students
27 Library English reference materials; staff to guide international students; computer search
28 Clinical teaching base An affiliated or teaching hospital (Grade III-A); beds by reference to the rule for Chinese undergraduate medical students
30 List and evaluation A school not on the list may not enrol international students in this programme

Questions people ask

Does Chapter 6 give a bed ratio for international students?

Article 28 refers the bed ratio to the relevant provisions for Chinese undergraduate medical students. The article itself gives no ratio figure.

Can a school that is not on the list enrol international students in this programme?

Article 30 says a school not on the list may not enrol international students in English-taught undergraduate medical education.

How many teaching hours may foreign teachers take?

Article 24 says foreign teachers' teaching hours may not exceed 20% of total teaching hours.

Does the 2023–2024 list apply to later years?

Notice 教外厅函〔2023〕10号 covers the 2023–2024 academic year only. The Ministry's policy index showed no later edition when this site checked it on 11 October 2026. Confirm the current year's status with the university and the Ministry.

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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