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Published on Tuesday, 17 July 2012 10:40

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he Ameson Culture and Education Exchange Foundation will hold the International Seminar on “Globalization and China Education Strategy” in central Beijing from July 23-26. Co-organizing the event is the Ameson Academy of International Education, with assistance from the "Basic Education Curriculum" Magazine (published by China's Ministry of Education).

The event has two purposes: First, to bring together influential individuals in the fields of educational strategy, curriculum development, student evaluation and the Gaokao exam (China’s university entrance exam). Second, to help representatives from Western universities obtain a better understanding of the Chinese educational system. These two purposes effectively represent the core of the Ameson Foundation's not-for-profit mission: to promote educational exchanges in China and abroad in order to implement programs that enhance cross-cultural education development.

The seminar’s two keynote speakers, Songhua Tan and Zhengguo Yuan will offer an unparalleled glimpse into the inner-workings of education in China. Songhua Tan is the chief architect of the Gaokao in recent years and a member of the National Education Advisory Committee. Zhengguo Yuan is one of the main drafters of “National Mid- to Long-term Education Reform and Development Plan (2010-2020)”, and the President of the National Institute for Educational Scientific Research.

In addition, over 2 dozen foreign dignitaries have confirmed their attendance at Ameson’s seminar. A full list of conference participants can be found here.

Monday July 23: featured presentations

The three-day conference will feature two keynote addresses and a panel discussion; a series of workshops for Secondary School Administrators; a number of opportunities for western university officials to interact with students, Chinese educators, and government officials. On Monday July 23, the three keynote addresses will take place.

Keynote address: Globalization and China Education Strategy

Mr. Zhengguo Yuan is one of the main drafters of the "National Mid- to Long-term Education Reform and Development Plan (2010-2020) Monday July 23, 9:15am: a keynote presentation on Globalization and China Education Strategy will be presented by Mr. Zhengguo Yuan, President of the National Institute for Educational Scientific Research.

Significance: in 2010, the Chinese Ministry of Education released the "National Mid- to Long-term Education Reform and Development Plan" for 2010-2020. According to the China Daily: "The strategic goals to be attained by 2020 are to basically modernize education; shape a learning society; and turn China into a country rich in human resources," says the document, which comprises 22 chapters and 27,000 words.” As one of the main authors of this ambitious plan, Dr. Yuan can provide unparalleled insight into the philosophy behind this plan.

About the speaker: Zhengguo Yuan is a professor, doctoral supervisor and one of the main drafters of the "National Mid- to Long-term Education Reform and Development Plan (2010-2020)." He has acted as Deputy Director of the State Council's Office of National Education Reform Leading Group, Secretary-General of the National Education Advisory Committee and the Deputy Director of one of the Advisory Committee’s Working Groups: Group for Provincial-level Comprehensive Reform (Directed by former Ministry of Education Vice Minister Zan Wang), President of the National Institute for Educational Scientific Research, and Director of the National Office for Education Sciences Planning. He is a professor and doctoral supervisor at East China Normal University, and an Adjunct Professor at Peking University, Zhejiang University, and Fudan University. He is well-known as an educational theorist and policy developer.

Keynote address: Challenges facing Chinese Gaokao and development Strategy

Mr. Songhua Tan is the chief designer and decision maker for the Gaokao examination (the Chinese college entrance exam) Monday July 23, 10:40am: a keynote presentation on Challenges facing Chinese Gaokao and development Strategy will be presented by Mr. Songhua Tan, a Member of the National Education Advisory Committee.

Significance: the National Higher Education Entrance Examination (Gaokao) is an academic examination held annually in China as a prerequisite for entrance into almost all higher education institutions at the undergraduate level. Traditional criticisms of the exam include regional variations (more competition for spots in densely populated areas) and the fact that scores often do not reflect ability. Dr. Tan will outline the key criticisms and the steps being taken to rectify them.

About the speaker: Mr. Tan is a doctoral supervisor, a member of the National Education Advisory Committee, the Head of the committee's Examination and Enrollment System Reform Working Group, and the Vice President of the Chinese Society of Educational Development Strategy. He is an Adjunct Professor at Peking University, Beijing Normal University and East China Normal University. He has previously acted as the Deputy Director of the National Center for Education Development Research. Songhua Tan is the chief designer and decision maker for the Gaokao examination (the Chinese college entrance exam) and its strategic development.

Panel discussion: “Curriculum and Student Cultivation - Chinese Curriculum VS International Curriculum”

Mr. Jian Lu is the Assistant Director of the Ministry of Education's Development Center for Basic Eduation Curriculum and Textbooks Monday July 23, 3:45pm: a panel discussion “Curriculum and Student Cultivation - Chinese Curriculum VS International Curriculum” will be moderated by Mr. Jian Liu, the Assistant Director of the Ministry of Education's Development Center for Basic Eduation Curriculum and Textbooks. Panelists for the discussion: Changming Liu, Principal of Beijing No.4 High School; Zhimin Zhang, Principal of Shanghai Gezhi High School; Cuiwei Ye, Principal of Hangzhou No.2 High School.

Significance: how does globalization impact education around the world? How can China internationalize its curriculum while maintaining the vital elements of Chinese culture? To what extent should students' higher education trajectories influence their secondary education? Renowned scholar of eduation Jian Liu will lead a panel of principals of famous high schools across China in addressing these and other questions regarding the development of international curricula in Chinese schools.

About the moderator: Jian Liu is a well-known expert and key participant in the fields of curriculum and curriculum reform. He is currently a professor, the Assistant Director of the Ministry of Education's Development Center for Basic Education Curriculum and Textbooks, Director of the Curriculum Department, and the Executive Director and Chief Editor of the national magazine "Basic Education Curriculum." 

Workshops for Secondary School Administrators

Western educators will attend keynote addresses and also have ample time to interact with top-performing students from China, America and Korea As the International Seminar on China Educational Strategy and Globalization was partially designed to cater to the information needs of western educators, two other events of note will take place beyond the keynote presentations. First, on Tuesday July 24, the University of Cambridge and the Ameson Foundation will together present "Proven & Trusted Cost-effective Recruitment Methods of Qualified Chinese Students – ACEIS & AST".