CEO of International Education Receives In-depth Interview of Sohu, Which Is Reprinted in Many Other Sites

June 14, 2011 09:12:55

Beida Jade Bird Redefines International Education Market: An In-depth Report

 
Host: Hello, everyone. Welcome to today’s show. We are honored to have Zhang Jiayin, CEO of Beijing Beida Jade Bird International Education Investment and Management Co., Ltd., as today’s distinguished guest. Nice to meet you., Ms. Zhang.
 
Zhang Jiayin (Ms. Zhang): Hello.
 
Host: As we all know, Beida Jade Bird is a well-known brand in the field of education in China. Last year, it had made a new move, that is, the founding of Beida Jade Bird International Education. My question is: why did Beida Jade Bird decide to enter the field of international education?


                          
         Zhang Jiayin CEO of Beijing Beida Jade Bird International Education Investment and Management Co., Ltd.

Zhang Jiayin: First, I would like to ask you a question. How do you define international education?
 
Host: International education, as I see it is about parents sending their children to study abroad or providing them an opportunity to escape the domestic education system—the cruel scores of an exam-oriented education—by sending their children to an international school. Some parents believe that so-called “foreign qualifications” acquired through an international education has much higher value, and so they choose international education.
 
Ms. Zhang: Ok. First, today I would like to redefine international education. International education does not simply mean study abroad, and it is not equal to intermediary education either. What you just mentioned is only one small part of international education, and that is a rather narrow understanding. To Beida Jade Bird, international education is a platform for two-way communication, a trade and dialogue of culture. It does not only refer to sending many Chinese students to foreign countries, but also to introducing international, advanced educational resources into China. Now that Beida Jade Bird has given a new definition to international education, and as consensus is reached, I believe, exchange and communication later will go much more smoothly. Furthermore, it is our hope that through Beida Jade Bird’s reformulation of the standard for international education, including the standard for service, the community and everyone can re-examine and develop new insight into international education.Next, I would like to explain why we decided to enter the field of international education. Before I do, I want to tell you a story first. Through their involvement in education over the years, the leaders of Beida Jade Bird have often traveled abroad for research purposes. During these trips, they discovered many issues—some imbalances. Specifically speaking, every year, many people visit and study abroad.  But in fact, what core, substantial, advanced content do they actually learn? Moreover, as you mentioned, many families are willing to send their children to foreign countries to study the latest technologies. But the truth is that, every year, many Chinese students return home due to their inability to adapt to life overseas. Also, about foreign teachers, many of us are only familiar with foreign teachers that teach language, but in fact, the term “foreign teachers” covers an extremely broad range of meaning: foreign specialist teachers and foreign technical teachers, for example. What’s more? Many of the world top 500 companies have established branches in China. Why, then, can our Chinese enterprises not build up overseas platforms? Because differences in knowledge and understanding exist; because imbalances exist. Senior executives of Beida Jade Bird, aiming to eliminate these imbalances and gaps in knowledge and understanding, decided to establish Beida Jade Bird International Education. At the same time, Beida Jade Bird, developed from Peking University, boasts a strong background in educational resources; this is one of factors resulting in the founding of Beida Jade Bird International Education. On the whole, this was a very difficult task. How could we be confident in our success? Beida Jade Bird Group has been engaged in education for more than twenty years. From elementary education at the very beginning, to vocational education and higher education, from the Peking University Affiliated Experimental School to the Peking University Resource College, to Beida Jade Bird IT Vocational Education (Aptech) which we are all familiar with, Beida Jade Bird Group has accumulated abundant experience in every field. And from team formation to personnel management, the group has extensive practice. Furthermore, International Education has brought together an elite team of the best talents in Chinese education circles. Accordingly, we believed we could fulfill our mission and realize our dream.