A delegation of educators from the United Kingdom will begin a tour of China to exchange ideas with local schools as part of an annual cross-cultural program that will commence May 16, 2010.

Jointly held by the Office of Chinese Language Council International (“Hanban”), Confucius Institute, and British Council (operating as the “Cultural and Education Section of the British Embassy” in Beijing and “Cultural and Education Section of the British Consulate-General” in Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chongqing), the “2010 Chinese Bridge — UK Head Teachers Visiting China” program will tour 11 cities in China, including Taiyuan, Zhengzhou, Kaifeng, Shanghai, Jinhua, Chengdu, Zhuhai, Zhongshan, and Dongwu.

The delegation comprises 111 leading UK head teachers and education officials from primary and secondary schools recruited by the British Council in the UK from Sheffield, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, North Yorkshire, and 11 other districts. This program enables delegates to build up long-term partnerships with local primary and secondary schools and also provides opportunities to set up Chinese courses at primary and secondary schools in the UK for the promotion of Chinese culture.

During the one-week visit, delegates will get to know the Chinese educational system, experience campus culture, and take part in class activities. Head teachers from both countries will also exchange views on culture and the current situation of education in their home countries; discuss common topics and how to establish long-term and sustainable joint course programs with Chinese schools; sign a memorandum of cooperation and follow-up plans; and officially set up sister relations with each other.

Through this year’s program, educational cooperation agreements will be reached between 3 districts in the UK (one in Nottinghamshire and two in South Bank), and two districts in China (Jinhua City in Zhejiang Province and Jiading District in Shanghai), and 18 sister schools will be established. On May 17, 2010, Jinhua City and Jiading District will respectively hold welcome ceremonies, which will be attended by officials from municipal governments and education bureaus as wells as officers from the Cultural and Education Section of the British Consulate-General in Shanghai. Both sides will hold signing ceremonies for cooperation agreements on May 21, 2010.

On May 22, 2010, the UK delegation and some Chinese participants will pay a visit to the Office of Chinese Language Council International, headquarters of the Confucius Institute. After the visit they will attend the closing ceremony of the program, where Wang Yongli, associate director of the Office of Chinese Language Council International and Tian Hu, counsellor of the Cultural and Education Section of the British Embassy will each deliver an address to congratulate the establishment of mutual partnerships between the schools. In addition, delegates from both countries will share their experience during the program at the conference. The delegation will return back to the UK on May 23, 2010.

Since 2007, the program has been held annually by the Office of Chinese Language Council International and British Council. UK head teacher delegates have visited more than 300 primary and secondary schools in different provinces and cities and over 260 interschool cooperation agreements have been signed. It is expected that more friendly and cooperative relations between UK and Chinese schools will be established this year.