Georgia Tech announces end of partnership with Tianjin University, exit from Shenzhen Institute

ATLANTA — The Georgia Insitute of Technology announced Friday that it was ending a longtime partnership with Tianjin University in China.

According to the university, the two institutions had worked together since 2014 to establish the Georgia Tech Shenzhen Institute In December 2016, the university entered an agreement to establish the institute in Shenzhen, which they said was considered to be China’s Silicon Valley.

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However, in 2020, the U.S. Department of Commerce placed Tianjin University on its list of foreign organizations deemed to be national security concerns, prompting Georgia Tech to begin a review of its activities and partnerships in China.

At the time, Georgia Tech says they chose to cancel a planned Ph.D. program and limited the number of students at the Georgia Tech Shenzhen Institute to just 10% of the original planned number.

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“As a vital driver of American innovation, we are proud of the global experiences and education we have been able to provide to our students as the next generation of leaders,” Steven McLaughlin, provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs said in a statement. “The choice to end our many years of successful educational development initiatives to grant Georgia Tech degrees in the region was a difficult one.”

On Friday, the university said they were discontinuing their participation in the program and are asking for approval from the university’s accreditor to end their degree programs in Shenzhen.

Citing their “extensive role in national security,” Georgia Tech said Tianjin University’s presence on the Entity List from the Department of Commerce made the partnership “no longer tenable.”

For the nearly 300 students currently studying degree programs at GTSI, Georgia Tech said they’ll have the opportunity to finish their degrees and that the university remains committed to giving its students meaningful global experiences through study abroad programs, including in Shenzhen.

“Connecting globally remains one of our core values. Students who gain global experience during their time at Georgia Tech bring critical problem-solving skills that are required in today’s workforce,” McLaughlin said. “We look forward to continuing to expand the international experiences available to our students.”

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