Politécnica de Valencia opens Spain's first university campus in China with Beihang
The Universitat Politècnica de València and Beihang University have inaugurated the Beihang Valencia Polytechnic Institute in Hangzhou, welcoming an initial cohort of nearly 400 students across 10 degree programs.
Campus launch in Hangzhou
The Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) officially inaugurated the Beihang Valencia Polytechnic Institute (BVPI) on 19 September 2026. Located within the International Campus in Hangzhou in eastern China, the joint initiative is developed in direct partnership with Beihang University, based in Beijing. The facility establishes the first permanent academic presence of a Spanish higher education institution in China with formal recognition from the Spanish ministry responsible for universities. Academic operations commenced before the ceremonial opening, as inaugural classes officially began on 7 September 2026. The opening formalizes long-term scientific and academic links between the Valencian technical university and Chinese institutions.
- First classes begin for enrolled undergraduate and master's degree students
- Official inauguration ceremony takes place at the International Campus in Hangzhou
Academic offerings and student enrollment
The institute began its academic year with an enrollment of nearly 400 students across 10 official programs. The launch curriculum includes four undergraduate degree tracks and six master's degree programs, with instruction delivered entirely in English across all departments. The institutional project schedule also includes the upcoming addition of joint doctoral degree programs. Among the starting student body are nearly 80 students arriving from Valencia and the surrounding UPV system, studying alongside Chinese classmates and international students from other origins. Both institutions hold specialized academic reputations under the Shanghai ranking (Academic Ranking of World Universities), which positions Beihang University as the top institution in the world for aerospace studies and ranks UPV as the leading polytechnic university in Spain.
- Bachelor degrees
- 4 programs
- Master programs
- 6 programs
Technology cluster and robotics cooperation
Hangzhou was selected as the campus site due to its position alongside Shenzhen as one of China's two primary technological hubs comparable to Silicon Valley. The metropolitan area serves as the corporate home to technology firms, including e-commerce company Alibaba (the group behind online retail platform AliExpress), artificial intelligence developer DeepSeek, and Unitree, the world's largest producer of humanoid robots. UPV has formalized a specific bilateral collaboration agreement with Unitree to promote joint research projects, professional training, technological innovation, and scientific transfer. The initiative links with UPV's Instituto de Automática e Informática Industrial, where a team of approximately 100 researchers conducts international robotics research for medical applications, agriculture, defense, sports, and cultural preservation.
José Capilla outlined the strategic rationale of the campus to news agency EFE:
We are building a true ecosystem. And it is the first time that the Spanish university system has done something like this. China today is a superpower that has taken the lead in many technological and innovation matters, and in others it is close. Therefore, we must work with China.
Diplomatic representation and bilateral ties
The inaugural ceremony was attended by academic authorities, regional officials, and diplomatic delegations from both nations. Notable participants included UPV rector José E. Capilla, Beihang University rector Wang Yunpeng, the Spanish consul general in Shanghai Francisco de Asís Benítez, and the Valencian regional minister of Education, Culture, and Universities Carmen Ortí. The delegation also included representatives from the regional government of the Generalitat Valenciana and administrative authorities from Zhejiang province and the city of Hangzhou, alongside leaders from other institutions participating in the International Campus. Ortí stated that both her department and the regional executive supported the project from its early development stages to back the international outreach of public universities. The campus builds on a bilateral relationship spanning more than 30 years of UPV receiving Chinese students in Spain and more than 20 years of UPV students carrying out academic residencies at Chinese partner universities.
