On December 13 Hunan Provincial Department of Education released a statement revealing that the Ministry of Education recently inked an agreement with Hunan Provincial People’s Government concerning construction of a pilot area for comprehensive reforms of international educational cooperation and exchange, the only provincial pilot unit across the country. After signing of the agreement on establishing this project in Changsha-Zhuzhou-Xiangtan city cluster in August, 2009, the Ministry of Education made great efforts in accelerating its construction, fulfilling its educational goals and achieving the stated international education standards.
According to the agreement, based on Hunan’s past performance in educational internationalism, the Ministry of Education will consider Hunan’s proposals in areas concerning economic and social development, encourage schools at all levels in Hunan to continuously explore various resources, expand educational opening-up, conduct multi-level and wide-ranging educational cooperation and communication, and ultimately further develop Hunan’s educational internationalism. In addition, talented individuals with international awareness, communicative abilities and competitiveness would be cultivated in order to promote the development of Hunan’s comprehensive strength, creative capacity and international competitiveness in education. This pilot area will also serve as a new platform to accumulate experience in international educational cooperation for central and western China.
Wang Xiaolu