Online Education

The first batch of 490 national quality courses is now available online for the public, according to an educational official on January 15.

The courses focus on the common curriculum for undergraduate and higher vocational education, professional basic courses, and professional core courses, said Wu Yan, head of the Department of Higher Education under the Ministry of Education, at a press conference.

About 70 percent of the 490 courses are provided by first-class universities, including Peking, Tsinghua and Wuhan University.

In recent years, online education has become increasingly popular among Chinese, particularly after massive open online courses (MOOCs) entered China in cooperation with universities and websites.

According to figures from the ministry, Chinese higher educational institutions have set up more than 10 MOOC websites, covering over 3,200 courses. Some 55 million college students or social learners have viewed the courses. Another 3,000 national-level excellent online courses will be produced by 2020. national scientific infrastructure program, said the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

The device can simulate the complicated progress of earth systems. It will further knowledge of the interaction and evolution of the atmosphere, hydrosphere, cryosphere, geosphere and biosphere, and lay the foundations for research into climate and the environment.

The first phase of the project will cover an area of 2.68 hectares at a cost of 1.25 billion yuan ($194 million).