Venture Education 问创

Let’s dance! kimberly@ventureeducation.org #educationinchina

We like good people who do good things So here are 3 companies (and their people) in the experiential learning, international school trip, and holiday camp space we really like: The Hutong: One of the benchmarks by which the experiential learning sector is judged in China, Josh Kernan and Morgan O'Hara work with all of the top schools across the country to deliver educational, cultural and exceptionally well-run residential trips across China since 2007. We love these guys. Not least in peak pandemic, when we had weekly calls to support each other during a really tough time for the sector. The Learning Adventure: If you want to take a school group to Africa, or perhaps a university tour of Australia, Alex Bycroft from the Learning Adventure can build you a bespoke trip. Founded in 2011, they originally used to bring school groups from overseas into China for week long trips. How do we know? Because right back then, Venture helped them to organise some visits and exchanges with public schools in Beijing. Imagine: Have kids in China? Want them to do something awesome over the Christmas holidays? Pete Tupper and Imagine have been running camps for ages and this winter you can either go surfing in Hainan or skiing in Chongli near Beijing. Reach out to them for all things active in China. Founded in 2014, Imagine were the first to bring Zorb football to the country and this led to some highly amusing team buildings with the Venture squad in large plastic bubbles. Good people, doing good things. #thegreatoutdoors

Do you know who can truly let you know how the world is reshaping? Despite joint announcements and press releases, it’s not governments. It’s the aviation industry. Flights between the USA and China have dropped nearly 75% compared to pre-pandemic levels; BA and Virgin have recently announced they will stop flights between the UK and China; there are currently no direct flights between China and India. In contrast, flights between Mainland China and the Middle East have risen by 15% compared to 2019. China's three major airlines—China Eastern Airlines, Air China, and China Southern Airlines—have all expanded their direct flight routes to the Middle East this year. The proportion of international flights from China to countries along the Belt and Road, including the Middle East, accounts for 73.8% of total passenger flights. But that’s not the only indicator that things are shifting. Indicator 2: We went for lunch yesterday in a mall near our office in Beijing and ran into a group of people from the Middle East, more specifically, the UAE. Then we saw that they’d been part of a presentation and installation celebrating 40 years of engagement between the UAE and China. Indicator 3: In October 2024, we asked 5000+ Chinese parents across the country, from different socio-economic backgrounds, with children in different types of schools, which additional language they would most like their child to learn aside from English. Arabic has entered the top five for the first time. And you’ll not find a more pragmatic and forward-facing demographic than Chinese parents. Venture Subscribers will receive a “Vupdate” on China, the Middle East, and how this might impact education in China and globally next week; they also received a copy of Parents in China last week informing them about motivations and decision-making. Become a subscriber today: kimberly@ventureeducation.org ps. We know that the UAE is not a language, but we chose that country to represent Arabic since we mentioned them above. Give us a break! #studentmobility 

It’s been a relatively quiet year in global media when it comes to international education and China, but Venture has still been asked for comment across a range of publications (image below). If we had to group them into two themes? 1.  UK schools in China, and China buying schools in the UK “British private schools in China under threat as new ‘patriotic’ law comes in” “Rise of international franchises by British public schools” “Number of Chinese investors buying UK indie schools grows again” 2.  China exporting K12 education (based around Venture’s ground-breaking “Disruption” report released in June) “China wants to export education too” “Chinese ‘disruption’ of international schools sector” “Chinese ‘disruption’ of the international school sector” “China’s future in international education” For more stuff we’ve commented on, see our media page: https://lnkd.in/e-2YsJjy Or if you’re a journalist, and you want an informed, nuanced and intelligent comment on anything around education in China, please get in touch at contact@ventureeducation.org The Economist theguardian.org The PIE School Management Plus The Week #marketintelligence

In October 2024, we asked 5000+ Chinese parents across the country, from different socio-economic backgrounds, with children in different types of schools, in which country they would most like their children to attend university. Unsurprisingly, the most popular choice was higher education in the Chinese mainland. But surprisingly, the third most popular choice was Australia. Will priorities shift with the recent movement towards putting a cap on international students (update: the enrolment cap failed to pass the Senate this week, and the coalition is saying they'll oppose it)? Will demand soar as an incoming Trump scatters international student mobility once again? It seems that politics and policies are constantly shifting, and Venture will keep you updated; Venture Subscribers will receive a Vupdate on the impact of Trump soon. #studentmobility

How can you tell this is a Venture event? Is it the room packed with school leaders and board members from all over Shanghai? Maybe. Is it the fact that it’s being held in our event partner The University of Manchester China Centre's office? Possibly. More than both those things, it’s because this is China, in 2024, and after 45 minutes of listening, not one single person is on their phone. Venture Education: we like to keep things interesting. #insight #marketintelligence #engagement

Speaker number 4! Dr. Paul Armstrong from The University of Manchester Sign up today for four free online sessions with education experts, creatively approaching the topic of "transition to leadership." First session on Tuesday! #teachbetter

Speaker number 3! Shane Leaning from Work Collaborative Sign up for four free online sessions with education experts, creatively approaching the topic of "transition to leadership." #teachbetter

Did you know that Australian schools are embracing esports as a legitimate learning pathway? Students aren’t just competing in national tournaments—esports are now part of the curriculum, teaching teamwork, strategic thinking, and digital literacy. In fact, Australia is one of the first countries in the Asia-Pacific region to really take esports education seriously, and it's gaining momentum fast. With universities now offering esports scholarships and career pathways in game development, broadcasting, and event management, it’s clear this is more than just fun and games. For example, the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) offers a Diploma in Esports / Bachelor’s degree in Games and Interactive Environments 🎓. This is also a reflection of a wider trend: how traditional education systems are evolving to meet the interests of younger generations. And with Asia being a global hub for gaming culture, this could be a key area for collaboration and growth between Australian and Asian students. So, the next time you see your kid glued to a screen, they might just be working on their “homework”! 🎮🇦🇺

Speaker number 2! Kevin Baker from American International School of Guangzhou Sign up for four free online sessions with education experts, creatively approaching the topic of "transition to leadership." #teachbetter