Blackboard Inc. and CERNET Corporation today announced the signing of final agreements to form CERNET-Blackboard Information Technology Company Ltd. The new company, jointly backed by the education technology leaders, will accelerate the implementation of online learning within China.
Blackboard and CERNET are positioned to quickly bring a proven e-learning approach to the Chinese education system. Formed in 1994 by China's Ministry of Education and leading universities, CERNET provides Internet and related services to more than 1,000 universities in China. Based in the United States, Blackboard serves the e-Education needs of over 3,000 clients worldwide. In 2002, Blackboard released a Simplified Chinese version of its flagship product, the Blackboard Learning System, which has found tremendous appeal in the Chinese academic community.
The CERNET-Blackboard alliance results from the growing demand for online teaching, learning, research and community evident in China today, coupled with a government mandate for increased educational opportunities and the funding of a national educational technology initiative. According to BDA China, a leading market research firm, China's total e-Education market will grow from $196 million in 2001 to nearly $1 billion in 2005.
"With more than 230 million students and $50 billion in education expenditures, China is an education market with enormous untapped potential," said Sean Gallagher, Senior Analyst at Eduventures, Inc. "Education will be a key vehicle to propel the growth of China's market driven economy, and technology-facilitated education can exponentially increase access to educational opportunities. The CERNET-Blackboard backed company is an important initiative that will provide an e-education infrastructure to help meet the evolving needs of the Chinese education system."
Meeting China's Expanding e-Education Demands
"We are very pleased to have been selected for this groundbreaking partnership by CERNET, which has over 95% market share among higher education institutions in China. CERNET and Blackboard together will deliver the first enterprise e-Learning solutions to be utilized on the CERNET network, enhancing the educational experience of students and faculty throughout China," said Michael Chasen, CEO of Blackboard.
The tremendous projected growth in e-Education spending is fueled by both government support for online learning programs and a significant desire by Chinese institutions to offer their own individual e-Education programs. BDA China indicates that student demand for higher education is projected to increase dramatically in the coming years. Market demand is expected to fuel the creation of new initiatives: international sister-school programs, credit exchange programs with other Chinese and foreign universities, new distance learning programs, and enhanced traditional classroom instruction.
"After an extensive evaluation of online technologies available today, both in China and around the world, we believe that Blackboard's software and philosophy best match the needs of the Chinese education system," said Dr. Jianping Wu, CEO of CERNET. "We expect that our new company will deliver the critical e-Learning infrastructure required by Chinese primary and secondary schools, universities, and consumers."
CERNET-Blackboard Information Technology Company, Ltd. offers a customized version of the Blackboard Learning System(tm) software platform via two approaches. First, individual schools and universities can license the Blackboard Learning System for use in their school or on their campus. These institutional clients will be able to access training, integration services, technical support, and content development from the company's Beijing headquarters.
Second, individual learners will be able to access online education through a customized Study Center, built on the Blackboard Learning System. The Ministry of Education will endorse the Study Center as the destination for online education in China. A variety of content providers will offer preparation for college entrance examinations, Graduate Record Examination (GRE) preparation and instructional programs for such topics as English language, including the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).
The customized Blackboard Learning Center will be unveiled to Chinese schools and universities nationwide in October, 2003. The Study Center is expected to be available to the individual consumer by later this fall.
About Blackboard Inc.
Blackboard Inc. was founded with a vision to transform the Internet into a powerful environment for the education experience. Blackboard is a leading provider of e-Education solutions serving the global needs of primary and secondary schools, higher education, corporations and government agencies. Blackboard is headquartered in Washington, D.C., with offices and staff across North America, South America, Europe and Asia. Please visit www.blackboard.com for more information.
About CERNET
Formed in 1994, CERNET was funded by the Chinese government, and was directly managed by the Ministry of Education until it was incorporated in 2000. Its initial mission was to build out the backbone by which Chinese universities could connect to the Internet. In 2000, CERNET was incorporated and today is owned by a consortium of leading Chinese universities and the Chinese government. In addition to its main offices and data center at Tsinghua University, China's top university, it also has 10 regionally located branch offices. These branch offices' sales teams will sell on behalf of the joint venture.
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