UNC ends study abroad with China's Fudan

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill terminated its study abroad program with Fudan University in China on August 12, 2026. Chancellor Lee Roberts stated the move was made out of an abundance of caution after the U.S. Department of Defense flagged the Shanghai institution as a security concern, according to a letter obtained by The Daily Tarheel.

Roberts wrote to Joseph S. Sewell, the DOD assistant secretary for science and technology, explaining the university's review. The action came after Fudan University was added to the DOD's Section 1286 list of foreign institutions engaging in problematic activities at the end of July.

Program details and student impact

The canceled program allowed UNC undergraduates to take English-taught courses at Fudan's School of Social Development and Public Policy and its International Summer School. The partnership was first proposed in 2013 and was renewed as recently as 2022.

A university spokesperson told The News & Observer that four UNC students currently studying at Fudan are unaffected by the decision. They will be permitted to finish their semester abroad.

In his letter, Roberts emphasized the limited scope of the partnership. He wrote that the identified relationship was a study-abroad program for undergraduate students and was unrelated to research activities, including sensitive research, Department of War-funded research or export-controlled research.

Broader DOD directive and compliance

UNC is one of 30 institutions the Department of Defense directed this month to audit their foreign partnerships. The agency demanded each university submit its findings and terminate any problematic relationships by the end of the month. You can see the current standings of various institutional reviews.

The DOD warned that non-compliant universities risk losing federal research funding. This directive forms the backdrop for UNC's review and subsequent cancellation of the Fudan program.

Other identified Chinese partnerships

Roberts's letter also disclosed that UNC's Research Security program identified two unfunded research projects with other Chinese partners. These were separate from the terminated study abroad program. The university's internal stats on such partnerships informed this review.

The chancellor provided details on these collaborations in his correspondence with the Defense Department.

Roberts stated that both projects are concluding. He explained that neither project has received or involves any federal funding, and neither overlaps with any federally sponsored research activities at the University.

The faculty involved are focused solely on completing publication work. Roberts noted they have agreed to fully terminate these relationships upon doing so.