SZBG actively participates in international exchanges and collaboration, including field expeditions, research projects, postgraduate and post-doctoral training. In recent years, the Garden signed collaboration agreements with scientific research institutions in Kenya, the European Union, Spain, and the Philippines. In 2013, the Garden became a member of China-Africa Joint Research Center in Kenya; in 2019, joined a project of European Union’s Horizon 2020; and in 2019, signed MoUs with the Royal Botanical Garden of Madrid (Spain), and the National Museum of the Philippines which aim to encourage scientific visits and joint projects focusing on certain rare and endangered groups.

SZBG also actively organizes domestic and international academic conferences. As local host, the Garden jointly organized and supported the XII Member Representative Congress and the 65th Anniversary Academic Congress of the Chinese Botany Society (1998), IX International Conference on Cycad Biology (2010), the Fifth Asian Fern Conference (2010), the XIX International Botanical Congress (2017), and the UNLEASH 2019 (Global Youth Innovation Camp).

SZBG organizes professional training or workshops to meet the needs of academic staff from the Garden and further afield. For example, the International Workshop on the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants (ICN) and Botanical Latin was held from 21-26 April 2014 and attracted many participants nationwide. This workshop was partly supported by International Association for Plant Taxonomy (IAPT) and International Committee of Nomenclature. A workshop on identification and diagnosis of plant disease and pest insects was held from 25-27 March 2015. This was the second workshop supported by International Plant Sentinel Network (IPSN).