The potential of distance learning in China is still being realised. It therefore presents a great opportunity for savvy Western businesses to establish a strong foothold in the market before it becomes crowded. Angel investors are currently paying a lot of attention to the online education market in China, with many believing it to be the next big investment opportunity.

The first innovative companies are already establishing their own courses, offering distance learning in China. Competitor research is always important when creating your marketing strategy, and so we’ve put together a short overview of three of the key companies offering, or intending to offer, distance learning in China.

Coursera

Coursera is a provider of massive online open courses (also known as MOOC), and raised $43million last year which it guaranteed to use to make education accessible and affordable across the world via the internet. In China, they have partnered up with Chinese internet company NetEase to make its courses available in the country. Volunteer translators are working to create Chinese versions of their English language courses, and Coursera has already partnered with several universities in China (source: VentureBeat).

The Open University of China (OUC)

The OUC is run by the Ministry of Education and is committed to providing distance learning in China. Its main aims are to provide degree and non-degree further education, as well as making education accessible to people in rural and remote areas, and ethnic minority regions. They currently have more than 3 and a half million students enrolled, including farmers and military personnel, as well as more than 6,000 disabled students (source: The Open University of China).

Hujiang

Having been founded in 2001, Hujiang has continued to prosper. It has 20 million registered users, and succeeded in raising $20million worth of funding in June last year, on top of investment already raised in previous months. Vice President of Hujiang, Xu Hua, believes that the strength of distance learning in China lies in its accessibility. People in rural areas can not only access, but also afford, the kind of education that was previously only available in the more built up areas of China (source: TechNode).

Tap into the potential of distance learning in China

If you read our last post, you know that students in China are desperate to expand their horizons and learn about topics not included in the China education system. A lot of students are especially interested in courses in English, and from English companies and establishments. These first few companies offering distance learning in China give you the perfect chance to study the market. By following their development, you can learn from their mistakes and see what works.

Marketing is always going to be a key factor in your success in China, so it is important to ensure you are doing it right. Contact Market Me China today to get your business on track for success in China.

(Image source: “Pile Of Books On Laptop Showing Studying” | www.freedigitalphotos.net)