On 19th October 2009, the OUC signed a cooperation framework agreement with CIBT Education Group Inc. (CIBT).The signing of the cooperation framework agreement was a key event in the "2009 International Forum on Open and Distance Education". The two sides wanted to utilize the educational resources and the management strengths of both parties.
By launching dozens of cooperative projects in many fields in China and Canada, the two sides aimed to introduce new operational concepts and models, expand their teaching areas, improve teaching quality, and promote their international influence in the global education market.
On December 8, 2010, the OUC signed a cooperation agreement with the CIBT Education Group initiating an international hotel management programme. The project aims to produce outstanding graduates in the field of hotel management in an effort to develop the high-end domestic market by introducing international curriculum resources and training methods.
The certificate training programme falls into the two categories of training for the domestic market and for the international market, according to the final employment of the graduate. Through systematic professional training, the students learn about management and general operations in the hotel industry and equip themselves with the capacity to do internships and get employed in high-end hotels at home and abroad.
Bilateral cooperation will introduce to the open-university system the universally recognised international vocational education curriculum system, benefiting the practical exploration of international professional training in the open-university system.
After a period of bilateral consultation and market research, the project has now entered the phase of substantial promotion and implementation.
In March, 2011, representatives from CIBT Education Group visited the OUC. Both parties engaged in discussions about the possibility of working together to build an international interactive video studio equipped with two-way videoconferencing technology. The two sides also exchanged views regarding future cooperation on the international hotel management programme, teaching Chinese as a foreign language, English teacher training etc.