Central Radio and Television University

(Zhongyang guangbo dianshi daxue)

China’s radio and television university system encompasses the Central Radio and Television University (CRTVU), local remote education institutions, and centres that manage their routine operations. This system adopts a mechanism of integrating centralized planning with management of specific operations by local governments. Its mission is to complement regular undergraduate education and to provide training to people who seek continuing education and life-long learning and who need to improve their on-the-job skills. Open to anyone who applies, radio and TV education is a combination of self-paced study and teaching by correspondence and/or face-to-face. Courses and syllabi are nationally standardized and school largely opens and closes at the same pace.

Enrolment is decided by nationally standardized entrance examinations. A million students are graduated each year in accordance with the central government’s regulations related to exams for those who seek higher education through self-paced studies to get associate or undergraduate degrees (see examinations for self-paced higher education).

China is one of the pioneers in remote education, its first correspondence university established in July 1958 in Tianjin. The momentum was cut short by the Cultural Revolution. On 6 February 1978, the Central Radio and Television University was opened. On 10 October 1986, the China Education TV channel started to offer CRTVU courses via satellite. In August 1995, the State Education Commission issued its guidelines on ‘How to Implement China’s Outline for Educational Reform and Development in RTVUs’, thus turning over a new leaf for China’s open school system, now enhanced by the Internet technology.

HU MINGRONG