On February 16, 2012, the Open University of China (OUC) and Centre National d'Enseignement à Distance (CNED) signed an agreement for educational collaboration and exchange at CNED headquarters in Poitiers. According to the agreement, the two parties will cooperate extensively in pursuing distance education initiatives including Chinese and French language instruction, as well as course sharing, resource sharing, and cooperative research and teaching exchange.

OUC Vice President Zhang Shaogang and CNED Cabinet Director Bernard Cornu sign agreement

The collaboration with CNED showcases the OUC's operational philosophy of internationalization. Chinese language teaching materials will be adapted to suit France and French-speaking countries, and through continued exchange and collaboration, the two parties will share best practices in distance education resource construction and teacher training, ultimately promoting distance Chinese learning and helping more people to understand Chinese culture. The two parties will also work together in research on distance education service standards.

CNED is the largest distance education institution in Europe. It provides educational resources and services for primary education, higher education, vocational education and training, catering to the needs of groups ranging from primary school students to adult learners. At present, CNED provides learning resources for over 300 programmes and more than 3000 curriculum modules, with students registered throughout the world in five continents. The institution has played an important role in promoting national education and lifelong learning in France.

By Li Fujia, the OUC