The 8th Schools and Universities Day – Chinese (and related) learning pathways will be run by the UCL IOE Centre for Chinese Language Education on Tuesday 10 February 2026 at International Students House, 229 Great Portland Street, London, W1W 5PN.
This free event offers a unique opportunity for school teachers and secondary-school learners of Mandarin to meet departments from universities across the UK. Through these dialogues, learners can explore the range of opportunities and pathways for continuing Mandarin at university.
Since its inception, feedback on the day has been overwhelmingly positive. It creates space for informed discussions between students and university representatives and facilitates connections between teachers and universities.
Programme
Two identical sessions will run during the day. School teachers should select their preferred session when registering.
-
AM session: 10:00–12:15
-
PM session: 13:15–15:30
The session will include:
-
For learners: Talks by university students and alumni
-
For school and university teaching staff: Inter-sectoral roundtable discussion
-
For both learners and staff: University fair showcasing Chinese (and related) learning pathways
University registration
It is our endeavour to invite all UK universities offering Chinese undergraduate courses. If your university has not heard from us and wishes to participate, please contact chinesenetworks@ucl.ac.uk as soon as possible and no later than Friday 9th January 2026; we will advise on availability and next steps.
School registration
Registration is now open to teachers of Chinese at UK secondary schools. Eligibility criteria for Year 12 and Year 11 learners are set out on the registration form (see link below).
Please note:
-
Priority will be given to eligible Year 12 students.
-
Registration must be completed via the online form (link below).
-
Teachers should indicate their preferred session (AM or PM) on the form.
-
The deadline for school registration is Tuesday 27 January 2026. Registration may close earlier if all places are filled.
-
Confirmation of the number of places for Year 12 students and the allocated session will be sent within ten working days of receipt.
-
Year 11 place and session allocations will be confirmed after the registration deadline.
-
Lunch is not provided.
Registration form (Year 11 & Year 12):
Feedback from students who attended the event in the past:
“The university fair was very useful because it gave me a good idea of the different types of course that different universities had to offer and so has helped my decision in which university/course to do”
“The university fair … gave me a real insight into what I could do with a Chinese degree and what was on offer from universities”
“I had the chance personally to ask questions about what other courses would involve. I was able to find a few places of possible interest” “I got to see in what ways you can continue Mandarin after school and see the different opportunities universities were giving along with Mandarin”