HEFCE press release
6 October 1998
HEFCE and British Council support IT link between China and the UK
On 7 October 1998 a direct electronic link will be established between the UK Joint Academic Network (JANET) and the Chinese Education and Research Network (CERNET) as part of a joint five-year higher education project. This will significantly improve communications between UK and Chinese higher education.
The link is the result of a collaborative programme between the UK and Chinese Governments and private companies in the UK and China (including sponsorship from Cable and Wireless Communications).
Mr Brian Fender, Chief Executive of the HEFCE, said: "This exciting development will bring great benefit to the academic community in both the UK and China. It will help us to work more closely and in the longer term promote our two economies."
Commenting on today's announcement, Lance Spencer, Managing Director of Cable and Wireless Communications' Corporate Markets Business Unit said: "We are delighted to support this important link between the UK and China. Providing access to our high speed communications network will make a positive contribution to educational research in both countries."
The network link
The network link will provide UK universities and colleges with immediate direct electronic access to over 450 Chinese universities and potentially, as the CERNET network is extended, to over 1000 higher education institutions (HEIs).
At present there are around 750 collaborative links between HEIs in the UK and China for research, language and other programmes.
The network link, at a bandwidth of 512 Kbps, will support conventional Internet applications such as e-mail, the world-wide web and electronic information services.
Benefits
The JANET/CERNET link will support:
- collaborative research
- development of distance learning applications
- development of flexible teaching and learning material
- further links and individual initiatives
- Chinese and UK students and staff to keep in contact with their home institutions while working or studying abroad in China or the UK
- alumni and professional networks established after Chinese and UK students and staff return to their home countries.
The new link will significantly improve the quality of on-line service between Chinese and UK institutions. Currently traffic has to pass through congested undersea lines and across North American networks, which are often very busy.
Sino-UK Education Project
This initiative is part of a five-year Sino-UK Quality Management in Higher Education Project which begun in December 1996. The project was initiated, and is sponsored, by the British Council in Beijing and the Chinese State Education Commission (now the Ministry of Education), with support from the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE). The HEFCE manages and co-ordinates the UK contributions.
The project covers the following three main areas:
- inter-institutional collaboration in the use of resources, particularly in technological developments for higher education such as academic networks, electronic libraries and in using technology for teaching and learning.
- external subject assessment of the quality of education (particularly at postgraduate level), and the quality of research
- institutional strategic planning and management
Funding
The costs of the link are being funded jointly for three years by CERNET and the HEFCE, with substantial sponsorship from Cable and Wireless Communications and China Telecom.
Ends
For further information please contact Philip Walker or Roger Grinyer at the HEFCE on 0117 931 7339, Ruth Brander at the British Council on 0171 389 4878 or Bob Thomas on 0171 674 5000 Cable & Wireless.
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