Transnational higher education (THHE) has developed rapidly in China. Over the past decade, its latest form, namely, cooperation universities have been established, which may lead the future development of TNHE. Considering studies on this type of institution are very limited, this research adopted a case study approach to examine students' teaching and learning experiences in a joint university. It mainly focuses on the teaching outcomes of the preliminary year to see how this period helps and what academic difficulties are left to students. Using the 'intercultural dialogue framework' to frame the study, 6 one-to-one semi-structured interviews were done. The emphasis was put on curriculum design, teaching and learning approaches and assessment styles. The findings reveal the necessity to have the foundation year, which promotes students better transition into undergraduate degree courses. However, the academic challenges mentioned by learners also reveal that this stage should be strategically designed to achieve effective teaching and learning. Moreover, some vital implications are yielded for boosting the mutual understanding between course providers and students from academic and cultural aspects.