As an institute striving for opening-up, ZIA each year sends about five delegations to foreign countries such as the United States, Italy, France, Switzerland, Russia, Czech Republic, Korea, The United Arab Emirates, Australia, New Zealand and Taiwan. These delegations go abroad for establishing partnerships and undertaking effective academic exchange activities. These official visits with a positive impact on the expansion of the international influence of ZIA paved the way for more rewarding cooperation with existing and potential foreign partners.

During summer vacation of 2016, Zhejiang Institute of Administration organized a training group of 23 people to the US for an exchange of experience in law-based public administration and modern governance capability. The group was trained for 21 days in Chicago and Washington DC. In Chicago, group members participated in more than ten lessons, including “Basic mechanisms and principles of local governments’ administration in the US”, “Comparison of city management in China and the US”. They also visited the Capitol of Illinois, Lake County, City of Chicago and Greater Chicago Food Depository, to have an insight into the administration of American local governments from various levels and the operation of non-governmental organizations. In Washington DC, the delegation conducted on-site training in National Archives and Record Administration, US Census Bureau and International Food Additives Council, to understand the role that American government and non-governmental organizations play in public administration. Meanwhile, members also joined a discussion in a seminar with Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, based on the topic of “Operation of American public think-tanks and their impact on internal and foreign affairs”.

From 28^th June to 18^th July,2015,  a delegation consisting of 19 members headed by CHEN Lixu, went to Italy for training on “Protection and Utilization of Cultural Heritage”. The delegation received training at Rome and Florence. The training sessions in Rome were mainly taken at Università degli Studi di Roma Tor Vergata, covering subjects such as Basic Concepts of Italian Cultural Heritage Protection, Development of Cultural Heritage Protection, Function and Operation of the Ministry of National Cultural Heritage Protection and Its Subordinate Organisations, Introduction of Pompeii Archaeological Area, Risk Evaluation and Inspection System for Italian Cultural Heritage, Examples of Italian Ancient Towns and Villages, Economic Values of Cultural Heritage, etc. Delegation members paid visits to Tourist Administration of Lazio, World Cultural Heritage Protection Centre in Rome, National Library of Rome, National Research Council, etc. The training sessions in Florence were mainly taken in Università degli Studi di Firenze, covering subjects such as The Role of Religion in Italian Cultural Heritage Protection, Cleaning and Restoration of Murals During Renaissance, Economic Theories and Practice in Cultural Heritage Protection. Besides, delegations members went to Palazzo Medici Riccardi for field-based teaching and to an international relic restoration company to learn the latest techniques.

In July 2013, a training group comprised of 23 teachers from party schools across Zhejiang Province went to France for the special training programme of “The Private Economy in France”. During this training session, teachers got a better understanding of French private economy’s history, political environment, cultural basis, industry structure, and competition mechanisms. Furthermore, the training brought them more deep thoughts about domestic private economy and economic cooperation possibilities between France and China. Especially for Chinese medium and small enterprises, French experience was inspiring lesson for their transformation and upgrading.

In 2012, 17 teachers from party schools across Zhejiang Province went to California State University attending the training course of “Study on Service-Oriented Government Construction in the post-financial-crisis era” for 21 days. During this training session, teachers studied the US practices of legal construction, anti-corruption construction, and service-oriented government construction by attending lectures, filed study and seminars.