Sino-UK education cooperation

reaches new high 

(Source: LONDON, Xinhua )

Sino-UK education exchanges and cooperation reached a new high in 2006 with the Second Sino-UK Education Summit held in London last April and a series of agreements signed, a senior Chinese Embassy official said here on Thursday.

The agreements signed between the two countries included those on scholarship of excellence, the internship of Chinese students in UK, vocational and technical education cooperation, Wang Yongda, educational minister-counselor, said at a reception held by the Education Section of Chinese Embassy celebrating Chinese New Year which falls on Feb. 18.

The counselor said that over 50 Chinese education delegations visited UK, learning the mechanisms of UK in facilitating education development, with all these benefiting China in developing its own education.

With joint efforts, Chinese language teaching has reached a new stage with so far seven Confucius Institutes having been set in UK, Wang said, adding "We commit to provide due supports to satisfy the needs of Chinese language teaching in UK."

UK is one of the main destination countries for Chinese students to pursue studies with around 20,000 Chinese students obtaining visas last year to study in the United Kingdom.

At the same time, proactive measures have been taken to encourage bilateral exchanges with special measures taken by the UK government to encourage UK students to pursue study abroad and as a result 1,400 UK students pursue study in China, according to Wang.

The counselor said that in 2007 the two sides will hold the third education summit meeting in Beijing, will explore the pilot scheme of setting up joint-research fund programs and will discuss the feasibility of credit transfer program between Sino-UK universities.

As far as Chinese language teaching and culture is concerned, several more Confucius Institutes will be explored, including one with Cambridge University, and to encourage UK schools to start Chinese language teaching, the Chinese side will invite 150 headmasters and local education officials to visit China; and 600 pupils to spend summer camps in China, the official said.