Facts:
- Language of instruction: English
- Number of students enrolled: 10,000
- Academic year: September to June
- Autumn semester: September to January
- Spring semester: February to June
- Faculties: Business, Science and Engineering, Humanities and Social Sciences
Academic calendar
The China Campus has different semester breaks to the UK Campus, please see the Key Dates webpage and academic calendar for information:
UNNC: Key Dates
UNNC: 2026/2027academic calendar
About
The Ningbo campus opened in 2004 on a 144 acre site and was the first Sino-foreign university to be established in China.
Campus facilities
The campus is well-equipped with a shopping street (supermarket, coffee shop, Post Office and bank); a purpose-built sports centre (table-tennis room, gymnastics hall, eight basketball courts, an athletics field, football pitch); and a wide range of clubs and societies available on campus, including Ultimate Frisbee, Football, IT, Dance and Debating.
Location
- Two hour drive to Shanghai
- Two hour flight to Beijing
- Six hour flight to Tokyo
- Five hour flight to Seoul
Located in Zhejiang Province on the eastern coast of China, about 200km south of Shanghai, Ningbo is a modern city with around 7.6 million inhabitants. Ningbo (meaning literally ‘tranquil waves’) is a port city with a rich cultural heritage, and one of the greenest and least polluted cities in China. Ningbo Lishe International Airport, 30 minutes drive from campus, connects Ningbo by air to the rest of China, with regularly scheduled flights.
Travel opportunities
Shanghai is 30 minutes by plane or a two hour bus journey via the 36km Hangzhou Bay Bridge. Shanghai is a must-see: the largest city in China is a multicultural metropolis with an amazing mix of ancient and hi-tech Western civilisation.
China's capital city Beijing is only a two hour flight from Ningbo. Beijing has many places of historic interest and architectural beauty including the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven and the world renowned Great Wall. In addition you can visit the supermodern Olympic Village, with the Bird’s Nest Stadium and Water Cube.
Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang Province, is one of the more modern and prosperous cities in China. It sits at the southern end of the Grand Canal and is one of China's seven ancient national capitals.
Climate
Ningbo is subject to a sub-tropical monsoon climate, with four clear seasons. The summer is warm and wet, with temperatures up to 28°C. Rainfall is highest during the monsoon season June-September. In winter temperatures drop to an average of 4°C. In September, typhoons are frequent.
Finance 2026/2027
All students nominated to the China Campus are not required to pay tuition fees at the China Campus, students pay their tuition fees to the UK Campus as normal.
Vice Chancellor's Award for International Travel
Students accepted to study on exchange at the China Campus will be eligible to receive the Vice Chancellor’s Award for International Travel.
All allocated students are eligible to receive a minimum award of £750; students with a household income of £35,000 and below are eligible for higher award amounts.
For further information, please visit:
Study abroad finance
Turing funding
Turing funding is competitive funding available to University of Nottingham students participating in an international exchange in 2026/2026.
Priority will be given to students who meet Turing's widening access criteria and applied through Moodle by June 2026. Any applications received after this deadline are added to a waiting list. Please be aware, Turing funding is not guaranteed and limited funding is available.
Turing applicants will be contacted by November 2026 to confirm the outcome of your Turing application, therefore students must not rely on this funding to fund your exchange.