The Sino-British Fellowship Project (UK Open and Distance Education Programme for Personnel from Chinese Open Universities) has been initiated through a collaborative effort between the China Scholarship Council (CSC), the Sino-British Fellowship Trust (SBFT), and the Open University of China (OUC).

This initiative is co-funded by the CSC and SBFT, aiming to foster collaborative research between UK institutions and open universities in China. Additionally, it seeks to select Chinese scholars for high-quality research in open and distance education, prioritizing the training of vital open education professionals for China's remote regions. Every year, the project selects up to five leading personnel from China's open university system for study and research in the UK, with a special focus on individuals from the western, remote, minority, and underdeveloped regions of China.

By the end of 2022, 20 sessions of this project had been completed. The selection process for the 21st session, slated for 2023, commenced in March. Candidates are chosen through a system that involves "self-recommendation, unit-recommendation, expert review, and acceptance of the top candidates". Following stages of expert interviews and evaluations, five distinguished individuals from the OUC and local open universities were selected. These individuals are Jiang Yilu, Niu Ana, Yuan Jing, Liu Xi, and Lyu Le. They are set to undertake research in open and distance education at institutions such as the University of London, University of Leicester, University of Cambridge, and the Open University, UK, in separate groups starting from September 2023.

By Liu Xiaoqian, OUC